California Wildfire Smoke Rule Pushes Use of N95 Respirators

California worker safety regulators are pushing forward with a rule to protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke by using N95 respirators despite the shortage of the tight-fitting nose and mouth covers due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board released the proposed rule April 3 and set May 21 as a hearing date.

An N95 respirator “is the minimum level of protection for wildfire smoke,” the proposed rule says. Surgical masks, scarves, T-shirts, and bandannas won’t provide protection against wildfire smoke. But N95 respirators have been in short supply since February as health-care providers and ...