Rank: Forum user 
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Hi
I'm reseaching into the regulations regarding seating within a designated smoke shelter located away from the building adjacent to the staff car park. We currently have plastic garden chairs in the shelter and a wooden picknic table outside the shelter on the grass bank
Nothing has been raised in the Anual Fire Risk Assessment either
Any opinions would be helpfull
Thanks
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Rank: Forum user 
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No seating is allocated in any of the companies that I have worked for. The obvious reason is further liability but providing seating may in certain circumstances also be seen as promotion of such an activity and may result in workers exceeding designated breaks.
I appreciate that this is not the case in many businesses however it is a common occurrence.
As long as you are meeting the welfare requirements set out under the regulations then it maybe an idea to remove seating from such areas?
I have seen refuse bins that are located at designated smoking areas flare up that require firefighting measures and these were supposed to be designed to withstand such an event.
Caution should be exercised, regarding allocation of furniture etc at smoking areas but I caertainly feel that it would promote health by removing seating as workers may smoke less (especially in the winter).
Further comments will follow with further experiences from other professionals.
Hope this helps.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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There is no legal requirement to provide furniture / shelter but for consistency a location where smoking is permitted should be designated (even if this says off our site on the public highway).
As a smoker the weather and lack of employer provision ala furniture/shelter does not prevent me going out in the pouring rain when my nicotine addiction becomes too great and I find myself long overdue a break from the PC.
What you will find is that the smokers will take their breaks (brew / lunch) at the smoking point as they are not permitted to smoke in the employer provided canteen/mess room within the building. So just to be controversial as an employer have you provided adequate welfare provision if x% of your workforce go to their car / smoke area to take breaks?
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 2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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There is no legal requirement to provide furniture / shelter but for consistency a location where smoking is permitted should be designated (even if this says off our site on the public highway).
As a smoker the weather and lack of employer provision ala furniture/shelter does not prevent me going out in the pouring rain when my nicotine addiction becomes too great and I find myself long overdue a break from the PC.
What you will find is that the smokers will take their breaks (brew / lunch) at the smoking point as they are not permitted to smoke in the employer provided canteen/mess room within the building. So just to be controversial as an employer have you provided adequate welfare provision if x% of your workforce go to their car / smoke area to take breaks?
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2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Provide seating, I wouldn't supply a shelter, mark a circle on the ground and allow them to stand in it as the designated area or go to thier own cars if not to far away.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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What you have to remember here is smoking is not an allocated break. If people decide to smoke then there is a designated area provided where they can stand and do this. You have to remember that smoking is a choice, no-one is making them smoke.
By putting chairs out you are basically making it into more of a social area, and allowing people to linger and/ or add other activities to this, such as eating their lunch - though, even when I smoked, I wouldn't have eaten my lunch around others smoking. I would eat my lunch and then go out for an "oily-rag" afterwards. Welfare facilities are provided. If people choose not to use them then thats their lookout.
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1 user thanked WatsonD for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Originally Posted by: Invictus  Provide seating, I wouldn't supply a shelter, mark a circle on the ground and allow them to stand in it as the designated area or go to thier own cars if not to far away. Glad to see the spirit of tolerance is alive and well (!) Edited by user 09 March 2017 15:21:15(UTC)
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Rank: Super forum user
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Originally Posted by: biker1 Originally Posted by: Invictus Provide seating, I wouldn't supply a shelter, mark a circle on the ground and allow them to stand in it as the designated area or go to thier own cars if not to far away. Glad to see the spirit of tolerance is alive and well (!)
Biker1 being an ex-somker I am very tolerant but being an ex-union rep. who argued for employees to be allowed the same time as smokers (who virtually went out when they wanted) to go out stand around and have 10 minutes in the fresh air and have to battle for it I am not.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Originally Posted by: biker1 Originally Posted by: Invictus Provide seating, I wouldn't supply a shelter, mark a circle on the ground and allow them to stand in it as the designated area or go to thier own cars if not to far away. Glad to see the spirit of tolerance is alive and well (!)
He allowed a circle on the premises, some company’s don’t even allow that :o)
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