Businesses in the agriculture, construction, and tourism industries may need to take extra safety precautions as required under federal and state laws to protect their employees in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, where smoke from wildfires that ignited in April 2026 are causing unhealthy air quality.
Quick Hits
With heavy wildfire smoke, harmful particles, gases, and ash can seep into workplaces and homes through doors, windows, and ventilation systems, even when the doors and windows are closed.
The general duty clause of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act requires employers to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm, including wildfire smoke. Likewise, California, Nevada, and Washington have state laws that protect workers from wildfire smoke hazards.
Employers can take safety precautions like monitoring the local air quality index (AQI), performing regular maintenance on ventilation systems, keeping windows and doors closed, using air filters, and training workers to recognize the signs of excessive smoke exposure, such...
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