UICC GLOBALink
The International Tobacco-Control Network


Smoke Free Workplaces:
Improving the health and well-being of people at work
10-11 May 2001 Berlin

     

Conference recommendations

The Conference «Smoke Free Workplaces: Improving the health and well-being of people at work» was held in Berlin between 10-11 May 2001. More than 200 delegates representing policy makers, health professionals, companies, trade unions, non governmental organisations and national and international institutions from 26 countries attended the event.

 

The Conference delegates adopted the following resolution:

 

Smoke free workplaces are a necessity for preventing premature disability and death.

 

For smoke free workplaces four subjects are of particular interest:

  • Health risks from active and passive smoking
  • Legislation and legal practice on smoking at the workplace
  • Best practice of policies and programmes
  • Cost-benefits of workplace smoking policies, the costs of implementing workplace smoking policies are outweighed by the benefits. 

 

There is ample scientific evidence that people who are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) are exposed to health risks. ETS contains many chemicals that irritate the eye and upper respiratory tract and cause inflammation.  In the long term ETS can lead to lethal diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease. ETS further increases the risk of developing bronchial asthma and pneumonia. It is estimated that ETS causes 22.000 deaths per year in the European countries. Furthermore, tobacco smoke increases the risk of diseases due to other occupational risk factors (e.g. asbestos, vibration) and may influence the results of biological monitoring at the workplace (e.g. for smokers exposed to cadmium, benzene et cetera). Smoke free workplace policies reduce cigarette consumption and increase “quit” rates. This underlines the need for action.

 

The majority of the adult population spends about one third of each day, five days a week at work, for most of their working life (around 40 years). The presence of tobacco smoke in the work environment therefore has serious and significant consequences for these individuals. More workers, also in the hospitality industry, are exposed to the carcinogenic constituents of tobacco smoke in the workplace than to any other carcinogenic chemicals in their working environment. The Assembly recognises that tobacco smoke constitutes a prime health threat in the workplace.

 

The conference has provided a platform for discussion relating to the strengths and weaknesses of the current workplace smoking prevention policies within Europe. Examples of best practise in Europe were identified. The conference concluded that these examples should become the norm. Workplace smoking prevention policies can only be enforced with appropriate regulation and legislation at state level.

 

Policy Recommendations

 

To give a new impulse to the establishment of smoke free workplaces, the Conference recommends that governments recognise ETS as a major threat to the health of European employees and take the following action:

 

Health risks from active and passive smoking

 

  • Tobacco smoke in the workplace is toxic. As such, it should be categorised in respect to its severity of health risk by relevant national and/or European institutional bodies.
  • Employees should be protected from exposure to ETS by creating smoke free workplaces.
  • There is no safe level of exposure to ETS. Ventilation can not ensure  smoke free workplaces and is therefore not a policy option.
  • Occupational physicians should be active in tobacco control in  the workplace

 

Legislation and legal practice on smoking at the workplace

 

·         Comprehensive European and/or national legislation should be used or introduced to create smoke free workplaces. This legislation should in no way be pre-emptive and should include:

·         Provisions allowing employees to file complaints about workplace hazards, including tobacco smoke, anonymously.

·         Provisions allowing non governmental organisations to initiate legal action against employers alleged to be in breach of the law; and to be awarded costs and damages in the event of favourable judgements.

·         Smoke free workplaces should be enacted through Occupational Health and Safety legislation.

·         Member States of the World Health Assembly should ensure that current negotiations for the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control include provisions to protect workers from environmental tobacco smoke.

 

Best practice of policies and programmes

 

·         Companies and trade unions should initiate and support smoke free workplace policies.

·         The aim of smoking policies should be totally smoke free workplaces, but transitional arrangements may be necessary such as smoking rooms.

·         Information on best practise should be made available internationally. 

·         Effective intervention models should be developed, using the criteria for workplace health promotion of the European Network for Workplace Health Promotion:

·         Non smoking policies should be part of the corporate culture and ethos and be proactively promoted.

·         Employee representatives should play an important role in the development and implementation of workplace smoking policies.

·         Smoking cessation support should be provided to smokers, including evidence based behavioural and pharmacological treatments.

·         Tobacco products should not be sold in the workplace.

·         ETS should be included as a risk factor in all workplace risk assessments.

·         All workplaces should adopt a workplace smoking policy which prioritises the needs and rights of non-smokers above those of smokers, the policy should be enforced and any breach should be subject to normal disciplinary procedures.

·         All employees should receive information on the health consequences of smoking.

·         Adequate funding should be assigned for implementation and campaigns in workplaces to ensure public acceptance.

 

The conference participants call upon national governments and the European Union  to implement strong legislation. We also call upon companies, trade unions, employer organisations and intergovernmental agencies to develop effective workplace smoking policies and programmes. These responsibilities must be taken on board in order to ensure the right to clean air for every employee.

 

Berlin, May 11th  2001