Bushfires and air pollution

Workplaces must have measures in place to protect worker health and safety and manage risks.

Working in air pollution

Check your jurisdiction’s air quality index to determine the air quality where you’re working. If you have an air pollution sensitivity, particularly if combined with an underlying medical condition, you should advise your workplace and follow the advice of your GP or specialist physician.

Dust and smoke may:

• reduce air quality and impact visibility
• settle onto equipment and impact the functioning of plant and grip of surfaces, and
• irritate the airway, nose and eyes.

Your workplace must have measures in place to manage the risks to health and safety when air quality is reduced, including:

• working indoors (where possible)
• rescheduling outdoor work until conditions (e.g. visibility and air quality) improve​
• ensuring plant is functioning correctly and has not been affected by dust or debris
• once conditions improve, cleaning any dust and debris off outdoor surfaces, and
• providing personal protective equipment such as eye protection and correctly fitted, P2 rated face masks.

Eliminating exposure to air pollution is the best protection.

Find out more

• Detailed guidance in the model Code of Practice: Managing the work environment and facilities.
• For guidance specific to your industry and workplace contact your WHS regulator.
• Check out BOM for weather warnings and forecasts where you are working.
• For information on air quality in your jurisdiction, check out your jurisdiction’s Air Quality Index.

Air Quality Indexes

• Northern Territory
• Queensland
• New South Wales
• Australian Capital Territory
• Western Australia
• Victoria
• South Australia
• Tasmania  

Working near bushfires

You should be aware of any bushfires near your work area. Follow instructions and advice from emergency services and ensure you are able to evacuate the area if needed. Remain vigilant and immediately report any smoke or fires that you see. Your workplace must prepare and inform you of the procedures in the event of an emergency.

If you are working alone, ensure you have a means of communication with you at all times (e.g. a mobile phone). If you are working remotely or in an isolated place, your workplace must ensure you can be contacted and receive assistance in an emergency.

Ensure that your work does not increase the risk of starting or intensifying bush fires, particularly if you are working in rural or bushland areas. For example:

• ensure that any carriers of flammable chemicals and liquids, such as fuel, are properly maintained to minimise the risk of unintentional leakage onto the ground, and
• ensure you correctly dispose of litter, particularly cigarette butts.

Find out more

• For information on managing risks, see Managing the risks from air pollution: Advice for PCBUs
• Detailed guidance in the model Code of Practice: Managing the work environment and facilities.
• Detailed guidance in Managing risks of storing chemicals in the workplace.
• For guidance specific to your industry and workplace contact your WHS regulator.
• Check out BOM for weather warnings and forecasts where you are working.

If work becomes unsafe

In some circumstances you have a right to cease or refuse to carry out unsafe work. You have this right if you have a reasonable concern that you would be exposed to a serious risk to your health and safety from an immediate or imminent hazard. You must inform your workplace as soon as you can that you have ceased work. You must also be available to carry out suitable alternative work.

Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) can direct a worker in their work group to cease unsafe work. HSRs can do this if:

• they have a reasonable concern that a worker would be exposed to a serious risk to health and safety from an immediate or imminent hazard, and
• they have already consulted and attempted to resolve the issue with the business or undertaking for whom the workers are carrying out work (unless the risk is so serious and immediate or imminent that it is not reasonable to consult first).​​

HSRs must inform the workplace of any direction that has been given to cease unsafe work. HSRs can only direct that unsafe work cease if they have completed their initial training under the model WHS laws. 

Find out more

• For general guidance, see the Worker Representation and Participation Guide.
• For specific guidance on these rights, contact your WHS regulator.
• For leave and employee entitlements see the Fair Work Ombudsman website.
• For information and support for Australian businesses affected by bushfires, see Business.gov.au website.

Information from WHS regulators

Your WHS regulator is responsible for enforcing and regulating WHS laws.

Find out more

• Comcare – Poor Air Quality – What are your WHS obligations?
• SafeWork NSW – Bushfire smoke
• SafeWork NSW – Property hazards following a bushfire: fact sheet
• Worksafe Tasmania - Bushfires
• WorkSafe Tasmania – Asbestos safety in bushfire affected areas
• WorkSafe Tasmania – Hazard management advice for bushfire affected areas
• WorkSafe Victoria - Health risks of outdoor work in areas impacted by bushfire smoke

Other resources

• Working outside page​
• Working in heat page
• Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency – Asbestos safety after bushfires
• Department of Health - Health alert: bushfires and smoke
• ACT Health - Smoke advice
• ACT Health – Heavy smoke and hot conditions in the ACT
• NSW Department of Health - Smoke advice
• NSW Department of Health - Dust storm advice
• NT Department of Health - Smoky conditions: health alert
• QLD Government - Bushfires and dust storms
• QLD Government – Asbestos: Fires
• WorkCover Queensland – Work-related respiratory diseases
• WorkCover Queensland – Respiratory protective equipment
• Environment Protection Authority Victoria - Air pollution advice
• Tasmanian Government Department of Health - Bushfire smoke advice
• SafeWork SA – Airborne contaminants
• WorkSafe Tasmania – Airborne contaminants
• Fair Work Ombudsman website - For leave and employee entitlements
• Business.gov.au - For information and support for Australian businesses affected by bushfires