Health and Safety

Wildfire smoke and respiratory protection

From the Office of Employee Health and Safety

Wildfire smoke can create rapidly changing air‑quality conditions that impact breathing, lung function and overall health.

Air quality must be monitored when wildfire smoke may impact our worksites. The Air Quality Index (AQI) can be checked for PM2.5 levels using an AQI Monitor or the U.S. Air Quality Index website (https://www.airnow.gov/).

N95 or higher filtering face piece respirators (aka dust masks) must be offered to employees for Voluntary Use when AQI levels are 151-499.

Respiratory protection is Mandatory when AQI levels are 500+.

Change or replace respirators if they become dirty, damaged, or difficult to breathe through.

For more information about respirator use requirements, wildfire safety, and air monitoring, visit the Wildfire Safety for Caltrans Employees site.

Visit the Employee Safety Bulletins & Alerts page to view previous Safety Bulletins.