Are you ready for the return of the haze?

The air quality in Singapore has been hovering in the 'unhealthy' range this week, sparking concerns about what to do should the haze get worse in the coming days.

On Wednesday, haze covered Singapore as the three-hour Pollutant Standards Index read 102 by the end of the evening. At the end of Thursday evening, the PSI was recorded in the 95-99 mark.

According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), a PSI reading over 100 refers to unhealthy air quality, while between 50 and 100 is deemed moderate. The NEA said in its advisory that the haze was due to smoke being blown to Singapore by prevailings winds from Kalimantan.

The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, has written to the Indonesia Minister of Environment Balthasar Kambuaya, to "express Singapore’s deep concern over the transboundary haze from Indonesia that has affected Singapore".

The NEA recommends reducing outdoor activities and physical exertion, especially for pregnant women, children and the elderly.

So, what can you do to help?

Last year, when the PSI readings hit an all-time high of 400, the government came out with a number of guidelines and advice for employers to help keep workers aware and safe. These are worth keeping up to date with, should this round of haze worsen.

Read the guidelines from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Manpower here.

READ MORE: 6 ways to survive the haze

Some companies are already taking precautionary measures to ensure staff aren't affected by the air pollution.

A number of construction companies told TODAY that have an abundance of masks in stock for workers, and they have started to schedule more frequent breaks for staff.

The National Taxi Association (NTA) also made a decision to give out 1,000 care packages to its taxi drivers at Changi Airport, after the PSI hit 100 on Wednesday.

The paper also reported a 30% jump in sales of N95 masks across NTUC Unity pharmacies.

Whatever you decide to do, it's worth thinking about just how poor air quality can affect your workers, whether it's during their commute, lunch breaks or actual working hours.

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