The following messaging is meant for Department Safety Coordinators:
Unhealthy air quality associated with wildfire smoke poses health risks, particularly for those who work outdoors or have outdoor activities planned. Ensuring the safety and well-being of the campus community is a top priority for Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S). As a proactive measure, departments and employees are encouraged to prepare by taking the following actions.
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Stay Informed
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Sign up for WarnMe Alerts using your mobile number.
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Monitor Outdoor Air Quality Conditions
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Keep an eye on the Air Quality Index (AQI) on the Campus Air Quality Map or the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) AirNow Fire & Smoke map. An AQI over 100 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, and above 150 is unhealthy for everyone.
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Refer to the UC AQI Decision-Making Matrix for specific workplace actions for corresponding AQI thresholds.
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Limit Smoke Exposure
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Reduce Outdoor Activities: On days with poor air quality, minimize outdoor activities, especially strenuous ones. If you must be outside, protect your health. Take frequent breaks, stay hydrated, use proper protection.
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Use Proper Protection: If you need to work outdoors when the AQI is high, wear a properly fitted N95 mask to protect yourself from inhaling fine particulate matter in the smoke.
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Improve Indoor Air Quality
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Set up a clean air space indoors using a portable HEPA filter unit or Do-It-Yourself (DIY) box fan filter. Keep windows and doors closed to prevent smoke from entering.
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Review the Indoor Air Quality during Smoky Conditions web page.
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Emergency Preparedness
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Know your zone and be ready to evacuate. The City of Berkeley and counties throughout the Bay Area now use Genasys Protect to help prepare for wildfire.
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Visit Genasys Protect Map to learn about evacuation zones, warning orders, and emergency evacuation procedures should your zone be affected.
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Plan for potential power outages
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In the interest of public safety, PG&E occasionally initiates Public Safety Power Shutdowns (PSPS) to reduce wildfire risk from transmission lines during severe dry, windy conditions. While the campus is generally able to avoid a complete power shutdown due to the operation of our cogeneration power plant, it is important for all operations to have a plan in place to reduce energy usage. Employees working remotely may be impacted even if campus operations are not. Review the campus Power Failure Preparedness Fact Sheet and visit the PG&E website for additional information and guidance.