Outdoor Smoking Room Specs

Smoking has become an increasingly anti-social habit, but providers of public facilities such as care homes, hotels, bars and restaurants can greatly increase their revenue by providing comfortable, clean outdoor smoking rooms for their customers. Smoking ban criteria vary across the United States, but most hotels do not provide an indoor smoking room. The sociability of smoking is directly related to how customer-friendly the outdoor smoking facility is, so it is worth investing in creating an attractive, functional space.

Planning Permission

• Seek planning permission before erecting an outdoor smoking room.

  Planning permission may be needed if the smoking room will be a new structure in the outdoor space, regardless of whether it is outside your own home or outside a building that provides a service to the public. The local authority serving the area will advise on this.

Signs

• The outdoor smoking room should have signs designating it as a smoking area. It should not be used for other purposes, such as storing refuse or recycling materials.

Air Exchange

• An enclosed shed or garage cannot be used as an outdoor smoking room. According to Forest website, "outdoor smoking shelters must have at least half the area open to the elements to avoid being termed an enclosed space."

Fire Safety

• Cigarette bins are essential for outdoor smoking rooms.

  The outdoor smoking room should have a metal cigarette bin for discarded cigarette ends. This must be emptied regularly and safely, ensuring that there are no live cigarette ends that would cause a fire if the contents are disposed of with household waste.

Access and Mobility

• The outdoor smoking room should accommodate the disabled.

  The outdoor smoking room must be accessible to someone who is disabled, with regular health and safety checks carried out to identify any trip hazards or other dangers.

Lighting and Heating

• For hospitality businesses such as bars, cafes and hotels, providing a comfortable space for smokers will greatly enhance your revenue. Adequate lighting and heating in the outdoor smoking room can turn it into a pleasant, comfortable space where smoking as a social activity can take place. This is also important for services such as residential care homes, where the service users need to feel comfortable and at home, despite having to go outside for a cigarette.

Dimensions

• Small establishments can get away with smaller smoke spaces, but larger spaces should be provided for busy buildings, especially workplaces, where employees often take their smoking breaks at similar times.