Wildfires have been raging across North America this summer, and understanding the effects of wildfire smoke can help construction workers better protect themselves. According to a blog post from the National Association of Home Builders, wildfire smoke can have an immediate impact on a worker’s health, causing eye irritation, coughing, headaches, and more—and long-term effects can be even worse.

The blog post suggest workers take the following precautions to protect themselves from the effects of wildfire smoke:

• Frequently monitoring air quality conditions in the area. The Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow website provides air quality information at the local and state levels.
• Relocating or rescheduling work tasks to smoke-free or less smoky areas or times of the day.
• Reducing levels of physical activity when possible, especially strenuous and heavy work.
• Requiring and encouraging workers to take frequent breaks in places that are free from smoke.
• Limiting the worker’s smoke exposure by making accommodations for that worker to perform his/her duties indoors or in a location that reduces exposure to smoke, if possible.