Agricultural Employer Perspectives on Occupational Wildfire Smoke Rules.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Agricultural Science
• Environmental Health

Background:

• Wildfire smoke poses significant occupational health risks to agricultural workers.
• Existing regulations, such as the Washington State Wildfire Smoke Rule, aim to mitigate these risks.
• Understanding employer perspectives is crucial for effective rule implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine agricultural employer and manager perspectives on wildfire smoke-related occupational health and safety protections.
• To explore the implementation and evaluation of the Washington State Wildfire Smoke Rule.
• To assess the relationship between occupational roles and knowledge/training on the rule's components.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory sequential mixed methods approach.
• Key informant interviews with agricultural industry stakeholders.
• Survey design informed by interviews, followed by online administration to employers and managers.

Main Results:

• Interviews revealed themes of competing demands, regulation fatigue, workplace culture, and implementation suggestions.
• Survey results indicated significant wildfire smoke exposure and adverse symptoms among workers.
• A notable portion of respondents were unaware of the smoke rule and lacked training on symptom management, air quality monitoring, health effects, and protective controls.

Conclusions:

• Gaps in awareness and training regarding wildfire smoke protection exist in the agricultural workplace.
• Barriers to implementing protective controls were identified.
• Findings will inform targeted outreach, educational toolkits, and the development/evaluation of occupational health rules.