Paul, it is alarmingly common for designated smoking areas to be placed on the opposite side of the yard from the buildings, thus creating a significant risk of colisions between vehicles and smokers.

I have just completed a fire risk assessment where staff were supposed to walk from a workshop, approx 250 metres to the smoking shelter. Guess what? Hardly anyone used it and evidence of smoking was found near a gas bottle store and other similar unsuitable locations. So in addition to the design of the shelter, it's location needs to be workable. A 500m round trip ain't ever gunna work!

As posters have alluded to, there are a few considerations: - Ensuring it meets the Smoke Free Regs (link already provided) - Ensuring that it doesn't introduce additional OHS hazards (pedestrian safety etc.) - Ensuring that it actually gets used. Within warehouse sites a suitable number of "shelters" (roof with 1 wall and 3 open sides) are provided in an area that is more than 6m from the building (for insurance purposes), located outside the canteen where there is no other combustibles / flammables nearby. As the shelter is easy to access (50m walk from the canteen) they get used. Rigid monitoring of external areas (as part of other operational / OHS monitoring) audits compliance.

Is helpful NOT. We banned it on all our sites and all smokers were told to go off the premises to do so. Quickly found to be unworkable and dangerous, as we found some refused to go outside and smoked in say a car park, and since at least one of our sites is next to a very busy minor road in East London we had to amend the smoking areas. If someone wants to die smoking i'd prefer it not down to us getting them run over by a London bus...

The suggestion at #5 to ban it from site, is almost certainly doomed to failure. I have lost count of the number of employers/premises that claim to be entirely no smoking, including my local NHS hospital site which I have yet to visit and not see either patients (often still connected to a 'drip') or staff, almost invariably both, having a fag. It would appear that many, perhaps with good intentions (I don't want to get into a discussion about that one) see this as a solution without thinking through how and whom they will get to enforce it. The reality is of course is that the policy exists on paper alone and not in reality (I believe the judge in the Barrow/legionella case alluded to similar). My own authority committed itself to a totally smoke free site some time ago, although this subsequently never happened. I was against it. As a LA we deal with numerous 'vulnerable' people in often very stressful or challenging situations e.g. homelessness. So. Someone has got to go and tell this person, whose 'life' is sitting there in 2 carrier bags (literally) that they can't have a smoke! Is it me? I don't smoke, never have, I don't like it but IMVHO, most total smoking bans are poorly conceived and rarely enforced.

SBH, I like your style... but in reality, you may as well say 'smoke wherever you want' because that's what you'll get! Unless you have the resources to thoroughly police a policy, it'll always be flimsy IMO. Simon

John, congrats.. but I feel exception rather than the rule!

I was accused once of deliberately using the risk assessment process to eliminate every possible location bar one, right outside HR's office. I was deeply disappointed because I had not actually thought of it myself and then it dawned on me that my boss had been extremely interested in the process and had actually come out with me to do the audit which was unheard of. Sly old fox.

Vital safety valve my A*** !! That is one hell of a 'cop-out' Best laugh I've had in a long time. This is the first time I've heard that smoking is a medical aid. Wife battering relieves stares at home?

We have a smoking shelter close to the building which is well used - except by those who want to have a coffee at the same time because it is a food manufacturing site and food and drink are not allowed in the car park to keep the rat population hungry. Those smokers with a beverage trot out to the pavement and stand in front of the neighbouring hedge. Of course the stubs are put in the hedge as are any disposable cups (and the CEO joins in too!!!) - but that's the subject of another rant!