Workplace Smoking Safety Procedures

Secondhand smoke is the same thing as passive smoking. The smoke that people exhale while smoking cigarettes, and that comes from the end of a lit cigarette, can harm a person who is not smoking but near enough to inhale the carcinogens. According to the American Cancer Society website, in 2006, the U.S. Surgeon General’s report stated that no level of exposure to passive smoking is safe. Because of this and other research, many workplaces prohibit smoking indoors. Helpful procedures exist to rid the exposure of secondhand smoke to innocent co-workers who abhor the smell and health risks from passive smoking.

Proper Ventilation

• Workplaces that have indoor smoking areas must maintain the ventilation system so that the least amount of passive smoke is transported to other parts of the building. This is not very effective in ridding the area of the smell and residue from smoking, but it does somewhat cut down the risks associated with passive smoking.

Smoking Areas

• Many places of business designate special outdoor areas where employees can smoke while on their breaks or at lunch. The American Cancer Society suggests that having outdoor smoking areas at least 20 feet from the entrance of a building may lead toward smoke-free workplaces in the future. The reasoning is that these types of areas are inconvenient to reach while on a short break, often there is no shade in the areas and many do not have seating or shelter from rain. Smokers may decide it is not worth the inconvenience to smoke during working hours. Often, government or health care related occupations no longer allow employees to smoke anywhere on the premises. Steps like these protect individuals who do not smoke from the health risks. Therefore, the fewer employees who smoke, the fewer absences there will be due to health complications from smoking.

Proper Disposal

• Outdoor smoking areas need to have a disposal system in place for the ashes, butts and debris, such as matches, associated with smoking. This will prevent trashcans or other containers from catching on fire and debris from littering the environment. Employers should designate someone to maintain the area. Implementing strict rules that make it clear the smoking area is not a right but a privilege and without proper maintenance, the privilege could be revoked.

Company Vehicles

• Most companies restrict smoking while in a company vehicle. Smoking while in the vehicle leaves it smelling unclean, causes the employees to reek of cigarette odor and eventually will depreciate the value of the vehicle.