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APearson  
#1 Posted : 16 May 2019 07:27:00(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
APearson

Do you have to provide a location  for smokers outside with a suitable cigarette bin, if so how far does it have to be from a building

thank you

Amanda

WatsonD  
#2 Posted : 16 May 2019 08:19:59(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
WatsonD

No you don't HAVE to provide a location for smokers to smoke. However, if you have many smokers on site you may like to provide them with a suitable place.

There is no ruling on how far the bin needs to be away from the building as far as I am aware. We have onces which are fixed to the walls of the building. The issue here is more to do with ensuring they are regularly emptied as they can, and in the case of ours, have caught alight.

Do you have a person who you can charge with emptying this bin? If not I would suggest you ask those who will use it to go on a rota to do so. It is their mess after-all.

thanks 3 users thanked WatsonD for this useful post.
A Kurdziel on 16/05/2019(UTC), APearson on 16/05/2019(UTC), SJP on 16/05/2019(UTC)
HSSnail  
#3 Posted : 16 May 2019 08:21:38(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
HSSnail

No you are not legaly obliged to provide a smokeing location. If you do and its a "shelter" ensure that it is open for a minimum of 50% of sides. In terms of location the smoke should not be able to get back into the building - so not next to an open window basicaly - there is no exact distance. You will however also have to consider what else you have on site - so for example you would not site the smokeing location right next to an LPG store.
thanks 2 users thanked HSSnail for this useful post.
A Kurdziel on 16/05/2019(UTC), APearson on 16/05/2019(UTC)
Hsquared14  
#4 Posted : 16 May 2019 13:24:22(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Hsquared14

There is no legal requirement under the Health Act 2006 see this (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/28/contents) and this (http://www.smokefreeengland.co.uk/) you don't have to provide a location but be aware that you may want to consider things like litter caused by smokers and smoking materials and provide suitable bins that will extinguish any smouldering materials automatically.  One other thing to think about is where on the outside of the building they smoke, you need to consider that at least one entrance to the building should be a smoke free zone because you need to provide non-smokers a route into the building that doesn't expose them to the smokers.  We had this argument because our smoking area is outside one of the three entrances to the building and had to be quite clear to the non-smokers that there were two other access points to the building that meant they could park their car and actually have a shorter walk to the entrance.  After that it was up to them to use an alternative entrance.

thanks 1 user thanked Hsquared14 for this useful post.
APearson on 17/05/2019(UTC)
hailss  
#5 Posted : 17 May 2019 19:05:03(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
hailss

Like others have stated no requirement.  We do at my Company and we like WatsonD stated have had a couple of near misses as they have not been fully extinguished before disposal.  You also need to think about this from other aspects such as apperance so we didn't want all the smokers going to the exit gate and hanging around smoking.  Time to get there then have their fag then walk back increased loss of productivety, doesn't look good from the perspective of the general public and also the potential for lots of cigarette ends to be chucked on the floor.  As a non smoker I don't really approve but I DO see the benefits of providing a smoking area for colleagues.

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