Air Quality Action Days
What is the Air Quality Action Days program?
What are the benefits of the Air Quality Action Days program?
How do I become an Air Quality Action Days participant?
What else can I do to help the region's air quality?
How ATP helps
How can I encourage employee participation?
Online resources
What is the Air Quality Action Days program?
The Air Quality Action Days program is a public outreach initiative of Clean Air Partners, a collaboration of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council to help combat the problem of ground-level ozone pollution. The program encourages voluntary actions that reduce the amount of ozone-causing pollutants, especially on "Code Red" and "Code Purple" days when weather conditions are favorable for ozone formation. These are generally hot (90+ degrees), sunny days with little or no wind and no precipitation. Because heat and sunlight are important factors in ground-level ozone formation, ozone pollution is worse during the months of April through October.
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What are the benefits of the Air Quality Action Days program?
Ozone smog adversely affects regional economic development, public health, and the environment. Health care costs, employee recruitment and productivity can also be negatively influenced. Employers can play a pivotal role in improving the region's air quality by becoming Air Quality Action Days participants. Participants receive educational materials for their employees, along with fax or email-alerts at 2-3 p.m. the day before each Air Quality Action Day. They are then encouraged to distribute that information to their employees.
There is no cost to become an Air Quality Action Days participant, and participating employers are publicly recognized as good business citizens. Employees also like the convenience of receiving this information at their work sites. Arlington County is committed to the Air Quality Action Days program and endorses the participation of all employers.
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How do I become an Air Quality Action Days participant?
- Designate an Air Quality Action Days coordinator at your worksite. The duties of the coordinator will not require much time.
- Sign up with Clean Air Partners to become an Air Quality Action Days Participant. After signing up, you will receive a start-up kit, including materials for distribution to employees. If you prefer, you can download the sign-up form below and fax it to Clean Air Partners. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view and print the form.
Get Air Quality Action Days sign-up form in PDF format - Distribute the materials.
- When you receive notification of Code Red and Code Purple Days, let employees know.
- Since motor vehicle emissions are the biggest contributor to air pollution, discourage single-occupant motor vehicle travel, especially on Code Red Days. Sample activities:
- Establish a Commuter Benefits Program, especially during Air Quality Action Days season. Encourage the use of transit, carpools, telework or other alternatives. Offer employee incentives to use alternatives. You can contact Arlington Transportation Partners for help.
- Offer incentives for employees to eat at the work site on Code Red Days, such as brown-bag seminars or business-sponsored lunches.
- Designate Code Red Days as casual dress days.
- Refuel business vehicles after sunset or not at all on Code Red Days.
- Promote teleconferencing instead of driving to meetings. Offer conference call options for all meetings.
- Post Air Quality Action Days information on internal web sites and in company newsletters.
What else can I do to help the region's air quality?
Aside from becoming an Air Quality Action Days participant, there are several other things employers can do to improve the region's air quality:
- Defer cleaning with volatile solvents until late in the day. When possible, use non-volatile and non-hazardous cleaners.
- Schedule structural painting for days when ozone smog is not expected to reach unhealthy levels.
- Postpone lawn mowing and other activities that use gasoline-powered equipment until a cooler day, or use electric equipment.
- Defer high-emission or batch production activities until evening shifts.
- Schedule low-emission operations on Air Quality Action Days whenever possible.
- Make water-based paints, stains and sealers your first choice. When using oil-based coatings, ask for low VOC products.
How ATP helps:
ATP makes it easy and convenient for you to establish and administer the Air Quality Action Days program by:
- Providing information on the Air Quality Action Days program and answering any questions
- Working with you throughout the implementation process
- Sponsoring a workshop or seminar to explain the Air Quality Action Days program
How to encourage employee participation?
There are numerous ways you can get the word out and encourage employee participation in an Air Quality Action Days program, including:
- Sending out e-mail notifications and reminders
- Displaying posters and flyers in high-traffic areas within your office
- Including information packets with paychecks
- Including an article in your company newsletter
- Providing information on your company's intranet
- Including information in your new hire packets