The deadly workplace hazard that doesn’t rate a mention

crikey.com,  December 18, 2008

SmokeFree Australia coalition co-ordinator Stafford Sanders writes:

Thousands of Australian workers are being exposed daily to deadly carcinogens. That's right, in their workplaces -- despite OH&S laws. And there's more: employers and worksafe authorities have known about this preventable exposure for years, but turned a blind eye.

Public outcry! Government crisis, opposition attacks, inquiries, heads roll, ministers resign, compensation packages. Page One headlines for months.

Oh, but I forgot to mention: the substance involved is... tobacco smoke.

Ohhh, it's only tobacco. Ho hum. Scratch that inquiry. Revoke those resignations. Can that compensation. Hold those headlines. It's only tobacco.

There's the rub. We've got so tired of tobacco, so hardened to its multitudinous harms, that the eyes of politicians and journalists glaze over at first mention of the T-word.

But the above scenario still holds. Workplaces like some states' "high roller" gambling rooms are Dickensian nightmares of dense smoke in total confinement -- recipes for cancer, chronic heart and lung disease and much more.

In states like NSW, this extends to many small non-government businesses never brought under smokefree laws, and many prisons and mental health facilities, where smoking remains in the 'too hard' basket. Result: Dickensian ditto.

Other workplaces are less enclosed, but far more numerous. Smoking-permitted "outdoor areas of pubs, clubs and eateries -- often more enclosed than open -- serve thick smoke right up the noses of patrons (including children) and workers -- including waiters scurrying in and out of the hazardous fumes shift after shift, entertainers, cleaners, pokie techs -- all supposedly entitled by law for decades to safe workplaces, like the rest of us.

But so far, only Queensland has taken its OH&S responsibilities seriously, separating all smoking areas (except its "high roller" room) from working areas -- which includes anywhere there's eating, gaming or live entertainment.

Other jurisdictions have variously allowed tobacco-friendly hospitality/gambling heavies to dictate their public and workplace health policy -- or lack thereof.

These interests have fought for years to delay and weaken smokefree laws. They claim permanent licence to squeeze pokie profit from nicotine-addicted heavy (including problem) gamblers -- not caring how many workers or patrons suffer in the process. They regularly feed naïve journalists with unfounded or exaggerated scare stories about industry hardships "caused" by smokefree laws -- strategically overlooking massive health savings, economic context, and the dubious ethics of milking addicts.

And what are the worksafe authorities doing? Smiling benignly. Despite asserting that "every NSW workplace must be safe", WorkCover NSW cajoles employers to "manage" these poisons -- rather than eliminate them, as they’d demand for many less harmful substances.

Public opinion strongly favours tighter laws -- surveys showing mounting impatience with half-baked, confusing wallspace formulas. Public support is not the problem -- money muscle is.

That muscle is still bending pollies' arms. Progress on smokefree laws has stalled, only worst-practice NT is making new noises about cleaning up its shocker of an act. Threatened workers and health groups seeking an audience continue to be snubbed -- senior ministers meeting only with those in the business of sucking blood money from death and disease.

Oh well, it's only tobacco.

Stafford Sanders is co-ordinator of the SmokeFree Australia coalition of eleven employee and health groups  at  www.ashaust.org.au/SF’03