Authorities urge people to avoid open spaces due to dust

The Department of Labour Inspection recommends avoiding open spaces due to the high dust concentrations observed in the atmosphere on Wednesday, on the basis of measurements of the ground stations of the Department's Air Quality Monitoring Network. In a press release the Department says that due to the fact that the dust contains small inhalable particles, which are likely to have a negative impact on human health, the public, especially vulnerable groups (children, the elderly and the sick) are advised to avoid going outdoors until the phenomenon has subsided. It adds that employers, in accordance with the provisions of the Safety and Health at Work Order (410/2022) must take appropriate measures (organisational and/or technical) after assessing the risks to their employees in open spaces, and workers in such spaces are required to use appropriate personal protective equipment. The Department also reports that the last hourly dust concentration values measured at 8:00 a.m. were 78.0 µg/m3 in Nicosia, 119. 6 µg/m3 in Limassol, 61.3 µg/m3 in Larnaca, 21.3 µg/m3 in Paralimni, 90.9 µg/m3 in Paphos, 86.1 µg/m3 in Zygi and 87.7 µg/m3 in Agia Marina Xyliatou. It is further noted that "dust" is defined as respirable particulate matter in the atmosphere with a diameter of less than 10 µm, while according to the relevant legislation, the limit value refers to the daily average value and must not exceed 50 µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre). More information and continuous updates on the results of the hourly measurements can be found on the website www.airquality.gov.cy and on the ''Air Quality Cyprus'' app, which can be installed free of charge on a mobile phone, the statement concludes. Source: Cyprus News Agency