Posted By Nick Incles Could anyone give me any information on future workplace smoking ban at our place of work we are starting a smoking ban committee to see which route we have to take and the best way to go about it. Do we have to get rid of the designated smoke room by law or is it a choice we have?

Posted By Cathy Ricketts http://www.iosh.co.uk/fi.../Abreathoffreshair%2Epdf Visit some of the links from this document - also ROSPA had an article in a recent newsletter on this subject - smoking rooms are out (I'm going to enjoy this one - sorry smokers I am trying to be very supportive and I know how important the nicotine is to reducing the stress levels!!) there are a number of exemptions including prisons, and hotels

Posted By Mike Herbert I too am looking at this to be ready for when the ban comes in. We have a no smoking policy in place already in our offices and policing this is not a problem. Staff, smokers and non alike, accept this. BUT.... The people we work with (social care)have a number of complex problems including severe substance misuse and alcohol problems. We try to help these people overcome their problems hopefully to the benefit of society as a whole and having those backgrounds it is inevitable that smoking is a big part of the 'therapy' (and frankly a small part of their larger problem). The consequences of them smoking in our premises (usually one room)are our next problem. To ban it would mean that the clients will congregate on the street outside which may breach some conditions of our leases and lead to potentially violent situations. We need to facilitate these people being able to continue smoking in some way in order that we may continue to engage with them to move on from their existing problems. In some cases we can put in the bus shelter idea but in others the existance of a smoking room may be vital to continue our work effectively. As an ex smoker myself it is easy to be sanctimonious and say 'tough - its banned' but this is a real problem and i would be interested in any creative means of legitamately getting through this. By the way, the health of our staff is of paramount importance as an employer and a subject we do not take lightly. Sorry to hi-jack your thread a little but it may lead to some interesting solutions. Thoughts anyone? thanks mike

Posted By J Knight Hi Calum, I was assuming in my thread that 'windows' would be just holes, rather than being filled with glass, but that's not clear from what I actually wrote, John

Posted By ENGLAND WILL WIN THE WORLD CUP. We have also offered to help people give up smoking, but unfortunatly not everyone wants to give up.As a company do we have to suply a shelter for those people who will still need the intake of nicotene?

Posted By J Knight Well, first mention of the world cup here; personally I find that snooker just goes completely over my head. In response to your query ENGLAND WILL WIN etc, employers are under no obligation to provide facilities for smokers at all. Yes, I know that the guidance to the Workplace regs talks about suitable facilities for smokers and non-smokers, but subsequent ETs etc have found that employers do not have to cater for smokers; indeed, many NHS premises are non-smoking up to the car park boundary. I'm not saying you shouldn't, as that's a matter for individual employers to decide, all I'm saying is that you don't have to, John

Posted By ENGLAND WILL WIN THE WORLD CUP. We have a committee that include smokers,non smokers and those like myself people who have recently given up smoking.http://www.ash.org.uk/html/factsheets/html/fact14.html the link I have posted has some useful information.