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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 at least 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
Cancer Council NSW calls for smokefree dining and drinking
3/6/10: The Cancer Council NSW has launched a campaign encouraging the NSW
government to take action in five key areas of cancer prevention - including
smokefree dining and drinking. The Cancer Council (whose national office is a
SmokeFree Australia partner), under the title "Saving life: why wouldn't
you?", has urged the state government to legislate to make all public
dining areas where food is served, and all licensed working areas including
current part-enclosed drinking areas, 100% smokefree. See
the campaign
and how to take action
Send emails to NSW political leaders calling for smokefree venues here
See also:
The NSW
smokefree laws and how to complain if you think a venue has broken them: See
new Cancer
Council NSW webpage
CALL the
NSW Department of Health Hotline (02) 9391 9111 if you suspect your
local pub or club is not complying with the new bans.
Or CALL the Department
of Gaming and Racing (02) 9995 0851 to
complain about smoky gaming areas - including outdoor pokies.
Why not seek a meeting with a
relevant Minister or Shadow Minister or your local MP? Search our webpages
for background - especially
END THE UNHEALTHY LOOPHOLES
OTHER STATES AND TERRITORIES
See where the states/territories
are up to with their laws
Queensland has the most comprehensive laws to protect people in
workplaces and public places from secondhand smoke.
ACT and NT also have smokefree laws covering staffed eating and
drinking areas on the way.
WA and Tasmania have partial legislation with exemptions for a
percentage of outdoor eating/drinking areas.
NSW, Victoria and SA have little protection in part-enclosed and
outdoor working areas, with NSW the weakest because of allowing these areas to
be filled with gaming machines and become even more crowded and intensively
staffed.
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. Work safety authorities should treat secondhand smoke like other high-level human carcinogens and toxins are treated - banished from all working areas.
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-related interests - including those in
hospitality and gaming.
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).