Health department urges work-from-home measure as dust problem arises
With cool-to-cold weather upon us and changing air pressure as well as more people travelling, the dust problem is returning, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Thursday after a meeting with the Committee on Occupational Disease Control and Environmental Diseases.
As the PM 2.5 dust problem may last for at least 2-3 months, the ministry may urge various sectors to consider allowing their staff to work from home as well as ask them to maintain their vehicle engines to cut down on air pollution.
Department of Disease Control director-general Dr Opas Karnkawinpong said the meeting agreed on the need to monitor five diseases related to the dust problem, namely respiratory disease, heart disease, eye disease, skin disease and other diseases.
Each provincial environmental committee will consider a rating and environmental measures. If the dust level is higher than the health standard, each province may be ranked in colour groups of red, yellow, etc to show the density of dust.
The North may have more problems than other regions, but the situation is expected improve in April. Meanwhile, the northeastern region will be less affected, followed by Bangkok.