No Smoking at Work Policy

Transcription

1 1 Introduction Responsibilities...2 Appendix 1: Health Risks from Smoking...4 Appendix 2: Guidance and Support...5 Outside Organisations Which Can Help Staff Cease Smoking...5 Appendix 3: Rules for Smoking Outdoors on County Council Sites...6 Specific Rules for Smoking Outdoors on the County Hall Campus...6 Author and contact: Personnel & Training/Occupational Health and Safety. Reviewed 12/2006. Czone format 8/08 The County Council has a responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of its employees at work and recognises that their well-being is important. Therefore, employees should be aware of the risks associated with smoking to themselves and others. Key points This policy imposes a total ban on indoor smoking in all County Council offices and other workplaces, including pool vehicles. It is the responsibility of all managers to ensure staff act in accordance with this policy and the attached rules for smoking on County Council sites. Smoking is regarded as an addictive illness and guidance and support will be provided for those wishing to stop. Copies of all the Health and Safety Policies/Guidance can be found on Czone Winter 2006 Page 1 of 7

2 1 Introduction 1.1 This policy imposes a total ban on indoor smoking in all County Council offices and other workplaces, including pool vehicles. 1.2 In view of the role of School Governors and the special circumstances relating to the residents in Social Care establishments, both are exempt from the overall ban but are required to determine their own local policy to reflect, as far as practicable, the spirit of this corporate document. 2 Responsibilities 2.1 Chief Officers will: ensure that arrangements are in place for implementing this policy, where necessary by applying departmental specific guidance; have systems in place for the periodic monitoring of the implementation of this policy. 2.2 LMG and other Line Managers will: implement and monitor this policy and associated documentation within their area of responsibility where relevant, determine and implement local smoking policies taking into account their special circumstances in relation to service users agree with any smokers the maximum number of outside smoking visits during the working day. This would be subject to renegotiation if there was any evidence that work performance was being adversely affected ensure that local arrangements are in place that require employees to account for the time lost due to smoking breaks taken during working hours ensure that where workplaces cannot be left unstaffed, smoking arrangements include provision for adequate cover ensure that when specific terms of this policy are breached by an employee, they are dealt with in accordance with the following process: Stage 1: those responsible locally for policy enforcement, e.g. Kier Facilities Management at County Hall, seek to resolve the issue informally so as to avoid further breaches Stage 2: if Stage 1 does not achieve compliance, the matter must be referred to the employee s Line Manager. The Line Manager should also seek to resolve the matter by way of an informal discussion. A record should be kept on the employee s supervision file of the outcome of the discussion. Summer 2006 Page 2 of 7

3 Stage 3: if Stage 2 also fails to achieve compliance, or there is a repetition of a Stage 2 breach within 12 months, the matter must be dealt with formally in accordance with the County Council s Disciplinary Procedure inform smokers of the support available to them should they indicate a desire to stop smoking (Appendix 2). 2.3 PAT Occupational Health and Safety Advisers will: promote and monitor the application of this key safety policy, and provide guidance and awareness of the health risks associated with smoking (see Appendix 1) provide guidance and support on the various support mechanisms for giving up smoking 2.4 Employees will: adhere to the Rules for Smoking Outdoors on County Council Sites (Appendix 3) make up any time lost due to smoking during work time, either by adjustment to the flexible working hours record sheet or, where flexi-time is not applicable to the role, by local arrangement with the Line Manager ensure that any arrangements for ensuring staff cover during smoking breaks are complied with. Summer 2006 Page 3 of 7

4 Appendix 1: Health Risks from Smoking The effects of tobacco smoking have been the subject of research for well over 30 years. The weight of evidence is such that there is a correlation between active smoking and an increased risk of developing a wide variety of different diseases, the most significant of which include coronary heart disease, stroke, asthma and lung cancer. Mainstream smoke inhaled by a smoker contains over 4000 chemicals (both particles and gases), including chemical irritants and almost 70 carcinogens (cancer causing substances). In the UK over 364,000 people are admitted to hospital each year, 7,000 per day with smoking related illnesses. 114,000 smokers die prematurely each year, as a result of smoking related disease. That is one fifth of all annual UK deaths. Tobacco is the only legally available consumer product which kills people when it is used entirely as intended. A major review by the Government appointed Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health in 1998 concluded that passive smoking, the involuntary inhalation of smoke from other people s cigarettes, is a cause of lung cancer. Those non-smokers exposed to passive smoking over a period of time have a 20-30% increased risk of developing lung cancer. The most significant of a range of other increased risks includes increased risk of respiratory infection and coronary heart disease. These effects are seen in the non-smoking relatives of smokers and in the non-smoking colleagues of smokers at work. In 2003 an estimated 617 people died from the effects of passive smoking at work, 54 of these were long term employees of the hospitality industry. Another 11,000 deaths were attributable to passive smoking exposure in the home in adults aged 20 to 65. This accounts for around 2% of the current annual toll from all smoking related deaths in the UK In addition to the health risks described above, other problems are associated with smoking:- - 12% of all accidental fires in buildings are caused by smoking materials and matches; - smokers have almost 50% more road traffic accidents than non-smokers; - smokers have 50% more sickness absence from work than non-smokers. Summer 2006 Page 4 of 7

5 Appendix 2: Guidance and Support The World Health Organisation has defined addiction as "the compulsion to take a drug, on a continuing basis, in order to experience its effects or to avoid the discomfort of its absence". Tobacco smoking seems to fit these criteria. The County Council, therefore, considers that smoking is an addictive illness and that it should provide support and guidance to those employees who wish to stop. Any employee who wishes to stop smoking is advised to contact the Occupational Health Team. The team is able to provide comprehensive information about the risks of smoking, advice about different ways of stopping smoking and confirm what services are available at any particular time to assist employees who wish to give up smoking. If staff would prefer to seek help outside the County Council, a list of appropriate organisations is given below. Outside Organisations Which Can Help Staff Cease Smoking Many General Practitioners offer advice to patients about stopping smoking. Some also provide stop smoking groups. The Stop Smoking Teams linked to local Health Promotion/Development Units will also offer help and can provide a wide range of information leaflets and videos. They may also be able to provide information about methods of stopping smoking which involve hypnotherapy or acupuncture. The telephone numbers of the Stop Smoking Teams are:- BRIGHTON EASTBOURNE & HASTINGS CROWBOROUGH, UCKFIELD, PEACEHAVEN, NEWHAVEN & LEWES Summer 2006 Page 5 of 7

6 Appendix 3: Rules for Smoking Outdoors on County Council Sites The purpose of the indoor ban is to fulfil the County Council s responsibility to provide a healthy and safe working environment, and to seek to protect staff against any risks from passive smoking. This protection is lessened if smoke drifts into the building through doors and windows. Staff smoking outside buildings will ensure that they do not do so in places where smoke could enter the building. The risk of smoke entering the building may be heightened in warm weather when occupants may open more windows; Doorways are natural places for staff to congregate to smoke as this can help to minimise time away from the workplace. However, this can present an adverse public image, allow smoke to enter the building when doors are opened; result in a noise nuisance in the area and staff may have to walk through a smoky area to enter the building, and depending on the particular locality may compromise confidentiality. For these reasons Staff will not stand in doorways and building entrances in order to smoke; Smoking produces ash and cigarette butts, which is unsightly when concentrated in particular areas. Staff smoking outdoors will use any receptacles provided and in any event will not leave cigarette butts on the ground. There will be areas of some County Council sites where, because of the processes carried out, fresh air from outside the building is required to be drawn in at all times. For this reason smoking will not be allowed in such areas and notices to this effect should be displayed. Visitors to County buildings are also subject to the No Smoking Policy and are required not to smoke within buildings. Visitors will be given information about the policy and these rules at reception. These rules have been developed as a positive response to concerns raised around staff smoking immediately outside County Council buildings, and Chief Officers will ensure that they are followed. Failure to do so will result in appropriate management action, which in persistent cases may involve the use of the County Council's disciplinary procedure. Specific Rules for Smoking Outdoors on the County Hall Campus As outlined above, staff must not stand in doorways and building entrances in order to smoke. In particular staff must not, for reasons of adverse public image; smoke outside the Main Entrance, outside the north entrance to North Block or outside the Summer 2006 Page 6 of 7

7 north entrance to West Block. Similarly, staff must not smoke immediately outside the Print Room. Staff must only smoke in Smoking Shelters or areas specifically designated by the Facilities Management User Group. Summer 2006 Page 7 of 7