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Posted By Paul
It seems that H & S is divided on this matter.
Agree also with Tabs statement.
We are in this game in reality, to prevent our companies from insurance claims, if people choose to smoke it is by choice, if a site is a non - smoking site, this is a H & S regulation to be abided by at a place of work after work you do as you please.
But my point was does smoking as a H & S professional make you look more unprofessional is this question answered?
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Posted By Anderson8
Do you not think you could ask that question for any job or profession Paul?
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Posted By Simon Marshall
does being an overweight, red faced, out of breath, out of shape H and S professional make u look unproffesional?? again why limit this to smokers? smokers always get discriminated against
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Posted By Paul
Anderson8.
You are surely right on that point.
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Posted By Peter F.
I fail to see how smoking makes you look unprofessional and how it even has an impact on how you are seen.
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Posted By Decimomal
Going off topic I know, but Paul wrote "We are in this game in reality, to prevent our companies from insurance claims".
Really? And I thought our priorities were about protecting our workforce from harm and ill health!!
I think if I shared Pauls concept it would be time to hang up my clipboard.
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Posted By Peter F.
I have just started wearing glasses, do you think I will be taken seriously as a H&S professional? Answers on a post card please
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Posted By Anderson8
No!
Only joking lol
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Posted By Decimomal
Depends on whether they are beer glasses or wine glasses - whichever they are make sure you don't end up making a spectacle of yourself!!
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Posted By Peter F.
Oh I see just mock me, Thanks.
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Posted By Peter F.
Well not to clearly obviously
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Posted By Edward Shyer
Are we as Health and Safety Professionals (either as smokers or not)ever taken seriously. The minute we turn our back people will carry on as they did before our arrival.
Regards Ted.
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Posted By James Denman
There is a difference between looking professional and being good at your job.
So surely we should be more concerned with get the job right, and anyone who might regard someone as less professional because they smoke isn't worth worry over.
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Posted By Paul
To respond to Decimomal comments
If you look at previous comments, I have posted, you may understand that protecting our people from accident / injury is what I and my work colleagues are here do.
But if you do not believe that the company you are working for is not looking to lessen their chances of been open to insurance claims then you are really off the point.
And as for the clipboard I am a HSE professional that does not just tick the boxes.
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Posted By James Denman
Well said!
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Posted By Peter F.
This post has no meaning or sense to it so on saying that 'I'm out'
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Posted By water67.
Amazed at the number of responses to this nonsense.. what has this to do with this forum..but then again i am adding to the responses..hmmm memo to self..
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Posted By Decimomal
My clipboard comment was an attempt at 'humour' (how do you do those smiley things?)
I do agree that we are all on the same side when it comes to safety (and health of course),and accept that part of our remit is to protect the employer from insurance claims and enforcement/prosecution, it is all par for the course.
Yours, smniley, smiley Decimo.
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Posted By seanc
I smoke, but i am only semi-professional, do i count?
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Posted By Jez Corfield
Smoking is a personal choice, nothing to do with work. If it is (fire and secondary smoking) then there are plenty of measures to prevent the hazards. If a H&S pro was smoking in the fuel store or in the childrens nursery they should be struck-off. Otherwise it is nothing to do with work or how people are perceived.
What next: H&S people shouldnt ride motorbikes, should always wear a helmet on a cycle, shouldnt play contact sports. Maybe they should conspicouosly eat 5-a-day around the site?
Jez
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Posted By Dave Wilson
I smoke what do you want an opinion on?
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Posted By Ken Taylor
Whilst being a smoker, and not engaging in the habit where it would present an evident fire/explosion risk or be illegal, would be unlikely to be seen as unprofessional for those engaged in the more traditional health and safety job, as the original posting referred to 'health and safety professionals' I would say that for those with a more specific responsibility to promote health it would be better for their credibility to be seen as not being smokers.
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Posted By Paul
Decimo :-) we are all on the same side :-)
For Dave Wilson the opinions to which this post generated are self explanatory.
I am asking that as HSE stands for 1st health what DO OUR FELLOW WORK COLLEAUGES IN THIS INDUSTRY AND MEMBERS OF THE WORKFORCE PERCEIVE PERSONS THAT SMOKE TO BE LESS PROFESSIONEL IN THE PROMOTION OH HEALTH.
I am in agreement with Ken Wilson's post.
For Peter F. I hope you can make sense or take some meaning from this post, as what the post was opened and intended for was discussion, for HSE pro's opinions, on how fellow HSE personnel that smoke are perceived.
As can be seen this post has generated many differences in opinion on this subject matter.
Thank you for your contributions
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Posted By Paul
Sorry I am in agreement with Ken Taylors post.
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Posted By Garry Mcglaid
I,d be more concerned with safety proffesionals that dont know their backside from their elbow. A trend that is on the up as far as i am concerned.
Who cares if someone smokes, is fat, has a social life that god forbid exposes them to risks, (im married does that count).
If you really think the people we are trying to help give a flying toot if we smoke or not, than your deluded.
I can just imagine Hitler thinking back in Berlin, that Churchill fellow is a smoker, i take it his defences must be weak due to his lack of proffesionalism, lets attack!!!
Btw i am a non-smoker, but we are going to dissapear up our backsides with this silly arrogant attitude. Get back to doing what we are paid for.
Substance not Image (Motto of the day)
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Posted By Paul
Garry not deluded - and know my backside from my elbow intimately.
As for the reference to Hitler and Churchill - a bit of best of British there - and does not substantiate what was the question - was Churchill thinking of the troops Health and safety at Dunkirk as he smoked a large cigar -in his defence it was the war to end all wars?
So the comment remains open...
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Posted By ITK
Opinions on Health and Safety professionals that break the speed limit...
ITK
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Posted By Mick154
My granddad worked in the pit from being 14years of age, took snuff, tobacco twist, smoked Capstan Full Strength, ate fat, and unhealthy foods, drank like a fish. On his retirement Blacker-hill pit near Barnsley at the age of 65, they gave him a gold watch for long service and a certificate from the NCB for his commitment to work which showed that he had no days off work with illness. Nor did he have days of through national service.
So if its good for him, who am i to disagree.
If it is that bad for you then full ban nationwide. I smoke and i work, i am professional about my duties and conform to employer and regulations when it comes to smoking restrictions.
I know my own risk assessment for my activities, not only at work but in my private life. And i am happy with the outcome and can manage through my own controls for the risk.
If you would like me to stop smoking then first i ask you to first enforce the regulations on those that made then i.e. parliament, whereby the MPs can smoke in the house of Westminster, and incidentally stop the getting a reduce price on purchases from the bar in side there. And as a foot note, no doubt the clam them on expenses.
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Posted By J Knight
Interesting that the overwhelming adverse effect that smokers identify from smoking in this thread is that it can kill you; statistically that is true, but because it's statistical people take a stand and play the odds. But there's something else smoking does, which really isn't a matter of statistics, it is inevitable and unavoidable. Smoking really limits your life. One thing it does is always reduce your levels of fitness, in all cases, all the time. 'Ah', you might say, 'I smoke and I'm fit'. That may be true, but what is also true is that if you stopped smoking you would be fitter (other things being equal), without a doubt.
Smoking is also a psychological limitation; what happens when we run out of fags? How do we feel about going out and forgetting our cigarettes?
I don't care much about 'professional' or otherwise, and it is perhaps about personal freedom, but stop thinking about how smoking might or might not kill you in the future, think instead about the ways it limits your life right now, today, this afternoon, tomorrow. After all, nobody ever stopped doing something to prevent a stranger dying of cancer in 40 years time.
I'll get off my soapbox now,
John
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Posted By Buzz Lightyear
I've just come back from a couple of days working away and have been pleased to see so many defensive remarks from the pro-smokers!
Just to respond to Mr Worth's 'Bad Science' remark. I read in an article (I think it was in SHP) a couple of years ago written by research scientist conducting tests on nanoparticles and found that when smoker technicians entered the lab it messed up their test results because of the contamination of nanoparticles coming from the smoke contaminated clothes. So, yes may be this is bad science - I don't know because I cannot evidence this with a peer-reviewed academic paper. Perhaps I should stick to calling them 'respirable dust particles' and 'vapours'. Still doesn't make it any less carcinogenic and smelly!
Re Eddie's quote from part of my sentence; 'smell causing cancer?' - well of course not but the same cocktail of vapours and particles that land on your olfactory organs in the nose is the same cocktail that contains the carcinogens' I'll have to be more precise and long winded with future comments!
Mick154, my Grandad died one year after retirement from eosophageal cancer. He smoked about 60 a day. My wife's uncle, a heavy smoker just died aged only 59 of lung cancer. As you expressed, there are also individual cases of healthy smokers. However, it's the overwhelming epidemiological evidence that matters.
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Posted By garyh
Must be standing too close to the fire then! (boom boom!)..........surely this should have said "safety officers who smoke (tobacco)" .........
Groan. I am frequently dismayed at the poor spelling and grammar of people on this forum who then talk about "professionalism".
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Posted By Paul
GaryH
I am sure people understood the reference to smoking tobacco.
As the many posts been entered directly reference smoking of tobacco.
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Posted By James Denman
garyh,
With comments like yours it is no wonder that some think H&S people are anally retentive job worths!
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Posted By Paul
Here, Here, James Denham, I am in agreement.
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Posted By Garry Mcglaid
Oops !! I have spelled proffesional / professional wrong.
Cancel my IOSH membership, strike my qualifications.I spelled a word wrong.
I am not worthy of this elite forum.
I have always thought picking on spelling and grammar mistakes on a forum to be the actions of the weak minded, however i am far too professional to say such a thing.
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Posted By Mark Bart
Lets all just light up!! Sorry that should read lighten up.
Smoking or drinking or being fat do not impact on someones approach to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace. And thats what were talking about 'a workplace'.
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Posted By holyterror72
Drinking may if you are an aloholic. Lol!
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Posted By Mark Bart
Fair comment drinking may!!!
Must go now off to the pub!
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Posted By Benjamin76
This is why people should never forget to put the word 'occupational' in front of health and safety.
This forum should be kept to things that genuinely affect a workplace...like bicycle helmets in Holland!
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Posted By IOSH Moderator
... cough ...........
This topic has now strayed well away from its original purpose and is now locked.
Thank you for all the contributions
Moderating team.
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