Malaysia's DOSH releases haze guidelines for workplaces: What employers need to know

Employers should identify employees with heart or respiratory illness, as well as those with symptoms related to haze, per the guidelines.

On 15 October 2026, Malaysia's Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH, also known as Jabatan Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan) has released guidelines for employers to prepare for haze and minimise or mitigate its effects at work.

The document sets out measures for different Air Pollutant Index (API) levels, identifies risks employers should consider, and describes precautions for outdoor work. We have summarised the critical points from the report below:

Understanding the API measure

The guideline’s API values refer to the 24-hour Air Pollutant Index (API) running average for PM10 (particulate of size 10 micron and below), the main pollutant of concern identified in the Malaysian Ambient Air Quality Standard issued by the Department of Environment. Its recommendations are thus linked to these API levels.

Prepare before conditions worsen

When the relevant government agency announces an increased risk of haze, employers should begin preparations to protect employees’ safety and health. The guideline advises identifying employees who may be more susceptible because they have a heart or respiratory illness. Employers should also identify employees experiencing haze-related symptoms and ask them to seek medical treatment.

The symptoms listed include the following:

• Throat itchiness and coughing;
• Irritated and watery eyes;
• Running nose and sneezing;
• Itchy skin; and
• Difficulty in breathing and/or breathlessness.

Employers should identify the types of outdoor work that may need to be reduced and establish criteria for when outdoor work should stop. The guideline defines outdoor work as work carried out outside buildings regularly or most of the time.

It also recommends respirator fit testing for employees who need to work outdoors, maintaining sufficient stocks of disposable N95 respirators, improving the efficiency of workplace air-cleaning devices and equipment, and establishing a haze communication system between employers and employees.

Measures at API 51–100

The guideline classifies API 51–100 as “Moderate” and recommends preparatory measures at this level. Employers should identify susceptible employees and outdoor work that may need to be reduced, decide when outdoor work should stop, and keep sufficient disposable N95 respirators in stock. They should also consider improving air-cleaning efficiency for indoor workers and communicate the measures taken to employees.

For employees carrying out outdoor work, the guideline calls for respirator fit testing and says they should know when to stop that work.

Risk assessment and employer duties

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, employers have a duty to protect employees’ safety and health at work. The guideline says that when API exceeds 100, employees may face increased safety and health risks from poor visibility and the adverse effects of haze. Employers should conduct a proper risk assessment and implement appropriate measures to minimise or mitigate identified risks, including deciding when work should stop.

The guideline also states that if haze poses an immediate danger to workers’ safety and health, and measures have not been taken to mitigate the risks, DOSH may order the affected work to stop.

The document reminds employers of their duty under Section 15 of the Act to provide and maintain a work environment that is safe, without risks to health, and adequate in relation to employees’ welfare at work. On conviction for failing to comply with Section 15, an employer may be liable to a fine of up to RM500,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both.

Precautions as API levels rise

At API above 200, the guideline says outdoor work involving strenuous activity should be avoided.

At API above 300, employers should conduct risk assessments to determine whether outdoor lifting operations involving tower and mobile cranes should cease. The guideline identifies foreseeable poor visibility as a risk that could compromise the safety of people at work. Such operations should only proceed when appropriate precautions have been taken to reduce the risk.

At API 301–400, classified as “Hazardous,” the guideline advises avoiding strenuous outdoor work and providing suitable respirators to employees who carry out outdoor work. It also says susceptible employees should remain indoors and avoid strenuous activity, and that risk assessments should consider visibility hazards.

At API above 400, classified as “Very Hazardous,” the guideline says outdoor work should be avoided. For emergency and essential services that must continue, it calls for risks to be mitigated, including by providing suitable respirators to employees doing outdoor work. The guideline also notes that haze at this level may be life-threatening to ill and elderly people; healthy people may experience adverse symptoms that interfere with normal activities.

Working from home and commuting

The guideline does not set out a general remote-work policy. Its commuting advice is specific: when the API is above 400, employees are advised to use public transport. The document does not provide broader commuting guidance.

What employers should take away

Employers should be ready to identify susceptible employees and reported symptoms, decide which outdoor tasks may need to be reduced, set criteria for stopping work, fit-test respirators for outdoor workers, maintain N95 supplies, consider indoor air-cleaning efficiency and communicate protective measures. As API levels rise, they should apply the precautions specified in the guideline and use risk assessment to decide whether work can continue safely.

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