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TAKING ACTION FOR SMOKEFREE WORKPLACES |
ARE YOU BEING EXPOSED TO SECONDHAND SMOKE IN YOUR WORKPLACE? Call us NOW on (02) 9334-1823
There are many ways in which
you can make a difference in getting workplaces smokefree.
Of Australian states and
territories, all but NT have now set end-dates for
smoke bans in atleast totally enclosed areas of licensed
venues.
But some states (ACT, Vic, NSW, SA, WA) need to be encouraged to make smokefree venues what they say, not undermined by partly-enclosed exemptions. See END THE UNHEALTHY LOOPHOLES
NSW
NSW has now banned smoking
from totally enclosed areas of pubs and clubs - a welcome improvement. However, smoking
drags on in many areas of pubs and clubs - some of them mostly-enclosed and
staffed.
You can send emails or
take other action to make the bans clear and complete: go to ASH
Australia action email (NSW). See also:
The new
laws and how to complain: See
new Cancer
Council NSW webpage
NSW Department of Health Hotline (02) 9391 9111
Call
them your local pub or club is not complying with the new bans.
Why not seek a meeting with a
relevant Minister or Shadow Minister or your local MP? Our latest Tobacco
Facts for MPs NSW (Autumn 2006) on the call for quick and total indoor
bans in NSW licensed venues is a good resource for taking to
meetings with decision-makers.
OTHER STATES AND TERRITORIES
See where the states/territories
are up to with their laws
Similar bans to those in NSW are in place (from July '07) in Victoria,
with the same need to separate smoking from working and eating areas - as
they are in Queensland. Tasmania's laws are almost as good as
those in Queensland.
SA, WA and ACT have incomplete bans in place, and still need to
effectively separate smoking from working areas.
In the NT, the government has spoken of the need to make pubs and clubs
smokefree but has set no deadline. Send them a message at ASH
action email (NT) - urge the Territory government to set a realistic early
end-date and make the indoor bans total - not a messy partial fiasco.
Emphasise recent health
evidence.
ALL JURISDICTIONS
Stress
issues relevant to your local electorate, and the surveys showing strong public
support for stronger control.
You could also use this information to write a letter to your Premier, Chief Minister, Health Minister, minister responsible for Workcover/Worksafe (often the Commerce or Industrial Relations Minister) or local MP. Make the point that we want the indoor bans clear, total and quick - for the benefit of workers, patrons and proprietors alike. Public health and work safety should not be compromised.
Political donations from tobacco
interests
Political donations
from tobacco companies and other groups opposed to smokefree workplaces
all give large donations to the big political parties. See for example, roundup of NSW political donations on the NSW
Greens website. MPs should be questioned and challenged about
accepting funds from tobacco interests.
Using the media
You can write letters to newspapers (see ASH
advice) or contribute to talkback radio programs.
Speak up about the rights of
employees to work in safe smokefree workplaces. It’s a fundamental consumer right not to
have something harmful imposed upon you by another person. Make yourself aware
of the evidence – that passive smoke is harmful, that smoke bans won’t cause
loss of business or jobs, and that the law and public support
is on your side.
Making
a complaint
None
of us likes to complain – and we shouldn’t have to, if all employers were
doing their duty. What
action can you take if you are exposed to tobacco smoke toxins at work?
There
are several actions to consider, including:
Raising
your complaint with management and a union or OHS representative - as there are
legal obligations for all workplaces to be safe.
Writing
a letter of complaint to the WorkCover / Worksafe Authority in your State or Territory.
In some but not all jurisdictions, WorkCover inspectors have powers under OHS laws to visit
workplaces to advise
on legal obligations and if necessary, issue orders and fines for either
breaches of a smokefree policy or failure to implement one.
Obtaining
more information about your legal rights by referring to the recent Cancer
Council NSW Publication: "When
smoke gets in your eyes....a guide to passive smoking and the law"
Consulting
with a solicitor about taking legal action, if mediation fails to remedy a
breach of workplace safety laws. Legal advice may be obtained
from a specialist in personal injury or the Australian
Plaintiff Lawyers Association.
How to create a smokefree workplace
Australia:
Going
smokefree: workplace recommendations
From the Cancer Council NSW - how to implement a smokefree workplace
policy.
US: Making
your workplace smokefree: a decision-maker's guide
From the US National Center for Chronic
Disease Prevention and health Promotion. Lots of very good background and tips,
some of it a bit US-specific.
Encouraging compliance with
smoke bans
See these tips
for proprietors (from the US but equally relevant here).