As authorities warn of continued air pollution this bushfire season, health experts have suggested Australians stay indoors, and that may even mean working from home to avoid the smoke.
According to Dr Bob Vickers, not even a face mask during your commute to and from work will fight Sydneyâs âhazardousâ pollution level that has been branded worse than Jakarta and likened to smoking a whole cigarette packet in a day.
âPeople really need to be adapting and rethinking their behaviour,â the Hunter Valley GP and member of Doctors for the Environment, Australia told HuffPost Australia.
âThereâs a lot of talk about wearing masks and changing activities. Itâs really got to be a lot more than that. The masks are probably one of the least effective public health measures we have against smoke air pollution.â
Dr Vickers said there are short, mid and long-term health effects of bushfire smoke, but the current climate is more alarming because âitâs continued exposure and thereâs really no sign of it improving in the short termâ.
Stay Inside
âThe best things people can do is to stay inside when the air levels are hazardous,â he said, emphasising this advice applies to âeven healthy people, not just people with asthma and pre-existing illnessesâ.
While short-term health effects include itchy eyes and throat irritation, more medium to long-term issues can include worsened asthma for asthmatics, and increased chances of strokes, heart and lung disease for those with a pre-existing illness.
Aussies Working From Home
Over the last few weeks smoke has blanketed across various areas of NSW in particular, and some Australians have already started working from home to avoid the haze.
The Fair Work Ombudsman states on its website that ânatural disasters often result in employees requiring time off to care for themselves or their family.
âEmployers should keep in mind the health and wellbeing of their staff when granting access to leave entitlements.â
Such entitlements could include personal/carerâs leave or compassionate leave, with the National Employment Standards (NES) requiriing an employee to notify their employer if they are taking such leave. After being notified, the employer âmay require the employee to provide evidence to support the leave periodâ.
Asthma Australia said âflexible working arrangementsâ should be considered by companies, particularly for those employees who have pre-existing illnesses.
âIn these circumstances, we do ask employers to heed warnings from health authorities and consider flexible working arrangements for employees whose health is compromised or may be at risk due to exposure to poor air quality,â an Asthma Australia spokesperson told HuffPost Australia.
âPoor air quality is directly linked to triggering acute asthma flare-ups, respiratory and cardiac conditions. This can lead to life threatening attacks or illness lasting weeks or even months. â
âEmployers are advised to understand who on their staff is at-risk and to support them through workplaces measures such as working from home, or assigning other duties if tasks are focused outdoors.â
The organisation also advised that asthma first aid training is beneficial for businesses, and can be undertaken for its official website.
Do Face Masks Actually Help?
For those who donât have the luxury of logging on from their lounge room, wearing a face mask has been their next best bet when commuting by foot or public transport.
Dr Vickers recommends a P2 mask be worn in these conditions, because anything else is âtotally uselessâ and âwill actually fill up with air pollution over time and become less effectiveâ.
âThe best thingâs to have a perfect airtight seal on your face,â he said. âIf you breathe out and air escapes through the side, itâs not working.â
NSW Health Director of Environmental Health, Dr Richard Broome said âthe main concern with smoke is the very fine PM2.5 particles, which are so small they pass through most types of maskâ.
âA P2 mask does filter out these particles, but is only effective if there is a good fit and an air-tight seal around the mouth and nose. Evidence shows that this is difficult to achieve in practice, so they may not provide the benefit people are hoping for.â
Dr Vickers agreed, saying âeven the P2 masks are not filtering things out like carbon monoxide and âharmful chemicalsâ found in bushfire smoke.
Exercising In Bushfire Smoke
Health experts have also warned people of the dangers of exercising outside.
âWhen you are exercising, you take more deep breaths in and increase your heart rate,â Dr Beau Frigault, QLD chair of Doctors for the Environment Australia told HuffPost Australia.
âIt just promotes taking in more particles deep down into your lungs where theyâre more likely to impact those deeper tissues and get into the bloodstream and head towards the heart.
âSo thatâs why we tell people not to exercise outdoors when bushfires are happening. You can do it inside a gym where itâs air conditioned. Thatâs more favourable than doing it outside.â
Hot Conditions Ahead
Temperatures are forecast to climb to the mid-40s in parts NSW on Tuesday, and authorities warn of âpersistent bushfire smokeâ to continue.
Nine areas of the state will be under a total fire ban, and health authorities say people should be cautious of âheat stress and heat strokeâ.
Sydney has been blanketed by unhealthy haze and smoke for weeks, with conditions worsening on Friday as several fires merged into a giant blaze that may take weeks to put out.
Australia has been through some devastating bushfires before during its hot summers, but fire officials have said that this earlier-than-usual wave of fires has been one of the most persistent and largest.