Cal/OSHA Publishes Safety Tips for Wildfire Cleanup

California has experienced some of its largest and most destructive wildfires this year. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, more than 8,400 wildfires have burned more than 1 million acres of land throughout the state in 2017. While workers face obvious dangers when controlling and containing fires, the risk of injury doesn't necessarily fade after the fire has been extinguished.

In an effort to protect fire cleanup workers from injury, Cal/OSHA has published new safety tips on its website.

"Hazards remain after fires have been extinguished and cleanup begins. Employers performing cleanup and other work in areas damaged or destroyed by fire are required to identify and evaluate these hazards, correct any unsafe or unhealthy conditions and provide training to employees," wrote Cal/OSHA.

As explained by Cal/OSHA, smoldering wood and debris can hold enough heat to cause serious burns, as well as ignite flammable material. To prevent this from happening employers of fire cleanup crews should provide workers with fire extinguishers.

A hazard that's often overlooked during fire cleanup is the possibility of explosion from flammable gas. If gas pipes or tanks are leaking, the escaped gas could ignite an explosion. Employers and workers should use caution around gas tanks and lines, especially of they contain flammable gas. If a gas tank or line is believed to be leaking, it should be shut off to protect against ignition.

There's also a risk of electrocution and shock from r energized power lines. Wildfires often destroy parts of the power grid, bringing down power lines while forcing parts of the grid to go offline. Once the fire has been extinguished, however, the respective power company may reactive power to the affected area. And if workers aren't prepared, this could result in shock or electrocution.

Furthermore, workers are susceptible to injury when demolishing or cleaning up structures damaged by wildfires. If a structure has been damaged but still remains upright, it could collapse; thus, injuring workers who are trapped inside. Workers should assume that all structured affected by wildfires are unstable until those structured have been thoroughly examined by a qualified professional.

These are just a few of the fire cleanup safety topics covered in Cal/OSHA's latest article. Other possible hazards include respiratory illness from soot exposure, carbon monoxide poisoning, asbestos exposure and asphyization. You can learn more about fire cleanup safety by clicking the link mentioned above.