Haze

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Salam & hola,

We don't know how long this haze will last but as a precautionary measures and friendly advice, please read the safety tips below and apply where necessary.

1. Those who suffer from diseases such as flu, bronchitis, asthma, heart diseases or chronic lung diseases should seek immediate medical attention at the clinic or hospital if your condition worsens. Wear surgical masks if you will go outdoors.

2. Take note also that usage of face and surgical masks are of no use if they are not regularly changed as they can act as a base for bacteria to grow and result in other infections.

3. Limit all outdoor activity as much as possible, e.g avoid outdoor sport or physical activities. You may exercise at your home or indoor.

4. Always wash / bathe as soon as you return from outdoors. This will minimize eye / skin irritation. For minor eye irritation try using over the counter eye drops e.g Eye Mo.

5. Close all windows and doors of your bedroom. Boil a kettle (use electric) of water in the room and allow the steam to fill the room. Allow 10 - 15 minutes for the fine water vapor (steam) to collect the pollutants / particles in the air and settle down. After this the room should contain healthier air.

6. Drink a lot of water.

7. Quit or minimized smoking (for smokers only)

8. Consult immediate medical advice if noted symptoms such as:
- Itchy sensation in the throat, and coughing, increased phlegm
- Difficulty in breathing (wheeze) or nose block
- Pain, irritation, red and watery eyes

9. Driving Safety Tips:
- Be Slow. Distance is hard to judge and low visibility delays reaction time.
- Do not apply the brakes in panic, you may get hit from behind.
- Never attempt overtaking.
- Keep the music system turned off. Ambient sounds of traffic can be used as a guide in poor visibility conditions.
- Drive with headlight on the low beam as high beam produces glare in such conditions.
- When you can't see ahead, use the central verge of the road to guide you.
- Avoid stopping on the travelled portion of the road. You could become the first in chain collision. - Get your vehicle serviced in time to avoid unforeseen breakdowns.

For your reference:
Air Pollutant Index (API) Value Reference

0 - 50 - Good

51 - 100 - Moderate

101 - 200 - Unhealthy
201 - 300 - Very unhealthy

301 - 500 - Dangerous

Air Pollutant Index( API) - The API is used as a guide for measuring air quality and its effect on health. The API is obtained from the measurement of fine particles (below 10 microns) and several gases which are hazardous to health such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone.