Pressure
on the Government to regulate smoking in the workplace is to be stepped up in
April.
The
TUC, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) and Action on
Smoking and Health (ASH) are to hold a major campaign conference, ‘Don’t Choke
on the Smoke’.
The
three organisations will be calling on the Government to accept the
long-delayed Health and Safety Commission’s Approved Code of Practice, or ACoP,
on passive smoking.
Similar
research has recently led Ireland to announce a ban on smoking at work,
following similar bans in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and the USA.
TUC
General Secretary Elect Brendan Barber said: "Britain is falling behind on
smoking at work. We will soon have the most confusing laws, the smokiest
workplaces, and the most passive smoking diseases. The Government could stop
this relentless slide to last place in the clean air stakes by accepting the
code of practice drawn up by its own advisers."
Marsha
Williams of the anti-tobacco campaigning group ASH said: "There is now
broad societal consensus that smoking should be restricted at work. Simply put,
passive smoke is a killer and if ministers do not move quickly to effectively
ban smoking in all workplaces the reality is that workers will continue to
die."
The
conference takes place on Wednesday, 9 April at the TUC’s London headquarters.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
