BMA advises working from home if air quality falls to a critical level

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is to ask businesses to allow their employees to work from home, where practicable, if air quality deteriorates to the critical “red” level in at least five of the capital’s 50 districts or to the “orange” level in 15 districts. The BMA has revised and re-issued its work from home (WFH) guidelines.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said yesterday that the level of PM2.5 dust in the atmosphere in Bangkok today has reduced to an average of 24.9µg/m³, which is below the safe level of 37.5µg/m³. Air circulation is good, at 5,000m3/s.

It is forecast, however, that air quality will deteriorate from Wednesday, with increased levels of PM2.5 air-borne pollutants, said the governor, adding that the BMA may trial the revised WFH measures among its officials in its 22 offices which, he hopes, will help to reduce the air pollution problem.

He emphasised that the WFH guidelines are voluntary and the BMA can only request cooperation from businesses.

Another way to improve air quality in the capital is to reduce exhaust emissions from all vehicles. Chadchart said that the BMA’s Department of Environment will cooperate with Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, the operator of city’s bus services, by checking emissions from all of their vehicles.

Buses which fail the tests will have to be repaired within seven days, after which they will be retested. If they fail again, they will be suspended from use until the problem is fixed, said the governor.

Traffic police and the BMA will also conduct random emission checks on all vehicles twice a day every Mondays and Saturdays from 9am to noon and from 1pm to 3pm.

Meanwhile, Ekwaranyu Ammarapala, spokesman for the city administration, said that the BMA will try to ensure all the 437 schools under its supervision have dust-free classrooms.

The city administration has also provided 382 air quality measurement devices to its schools.

The other two measures being considered include a ban on trucks with six wheels or more from the “Low Emission Zone” in Bangkok, except trucks on the “Green” list, and closure of BMA-run schools when air quality falls to a critical level.