California Rule Shielding Workers From Wildfire Smoke Takes Effect

California regulators’ emergency regulation protecting outdoor workers from dangerous wildfire smoke has officially taken effect, according to California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

The state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board voted in March to push forward with the measure, and approved a modified version of the emergency rule on July 18. The Cal/OSHA regulation is effective through Jan. 28, 2020. The July 30 effective date follows approval by the Office of Administrative Law, according to the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR).

The regulation applies to workplaces “where the current Air Quality Index (AQI) for airborne particulate matter ...