FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS: Tanya Phillips, Jackson County Public
Health, 541-770-7708
DATE OF RELEASE: July 20, 2018
Medford,
OR – Jackson County public health officials continue to urge residents to take
precautions from wildfire smoke.
A number of
wildfires are currently affecting air quality in the region and smoke conditions
are expected to linger in Jackson County through the weekend. Smoke levels can
rise and fall depending on weather factors, including wind direction, so it is
important for people to be observant of the air quality during wildfire season.
During a wildfire, Jackson County public health
officials advise residents to take the following precautions:
·
Be
aware of smoke concentrations in your area and avoid the places with highest
concentrations.
·
Avoid
smoke either by leaving the area or protecting yourself by staying indoors, and
by closing windows and doors
·
Avoid
strenuous outdoor activity in smoky conditions.
·
People
exposed to smoky conditions and who suffer from asthma or other respiratory
problems should follow their breathing management plans or contact their
healthcare providers.
It is highly recommended that people stay
inside and limit their outdoor activity.
This is going to be your best defense in protecting your lungs from
wildfire smoke.
If you must be outdoors, wearing a special
mask called a “particulate respirator” can also help protect your lungs from
wildfire smoke. You will want to choose a mask called a “particulate
respirator” that has the word “NIOSH” and either “N95” or “P100” printed on it.
Most adults will find it difficult to use the
respirators and masks correctly for general use. These masks do require that
they are properly fit-tested and used correctly for them to work properly and
offer full protection. It is important to know that there are a variety of
problems with fit and use of respirators for children, especially small children
and infants. The type of respirator that is able to filter out harmful smoke
particles is not available in children sizes. It is best to minimize children’s
exposure to wildfire smoke.
Three key factors are required for a
particulate respirator to be effective: (1) the
respirator has to be put on correctly and worn during the exposure; (2) the
respirator must fit the user’s face snugly to minimize the number of particles
that bypass the filter and get into the breathing zone through gaps between the
user’s skin and the respirator seal; and (3) the respirator filter needs to be
highly effective at capturing particles that pass through the filter.
It is impossible to get a good seal on
individuals with facial hair. It is important to make sure the respirator fits
properly and that air does not leak around the sides. If it does not fit
properly, the respirator will provide little if any protection, and may offer
the wearer a false sense of protection.
Filtering face-piece respirators and masks
can make the work of breathing more difficult and can lead to increased
breathing rates and heart rates. They can also contribute to heat stress.
Because of this, respirator use by those with
heart and respiratory diseases should only be done under a doctor’s
supervision. Even healthy adults may find that the increased effort required
for breathing makes it uncomfortable to wear a respirator for more than short periods
of time.
Decisions on whether to use respirators or
masks as personal protection for people who must work outside should be made
with the employer. Contact Oregon OSHA for information on occupation
regulations for particulate respirators https://osha.oregon.gov/Pages/index.aspx.
·
For more information on
using the visibility index during wildfires http://www.oregon.gov/deq/aq/Pages/Wildfires-Visibility.aspx
·
For information on smoke
and wildfires in Oregon, visit http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/
For information on smoke and wildfires
in California, visit http://californiasmokeinfo.blogspot.com/
·
For more information
about wildfires and health threats from wildfire smoke, go to http://public.health.oregon.gov/Preparedness/Prepare/Pages/PrepareForWildfire.aspx
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