On June 1, 2022, Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) filed Outdoor Heat Exposure and Wildfire Smoke emergency rules that take effect June 15, 2022. The emergency rules are designed to keep workers that perform job tasks outside safe until permanent rulemaking can be established. Under the emergency rules, employers will be required to monitor temperatures and air quality, provide information to the workers, provide training, and more.

Craig Blackwood, L&I’s assistant director for the Division of Occupational Safety & Health stated, “The record-setting heat wave last summer underscored the importance of protecting outdoor workers. Add in the smoke from more frequent and devastating wildfires, which is a proven hazard, and it’s a recipe for danger every summer.”

For more information regarding the emergency rules, click here.