Smoking - What are the OHS risks?
The potential risks to an individual's health caused by smoking are well-documented, including increased risk of death or illness from numerous cancers, heart disease, stroke, emphysema and other respiratory diseases.
Smoking also causes blindness, dental problems, erectile dysfunction, reduced fertility in women, SIDS and pregnancy complications.
Environmental tobacco smoke
Employers often allow employees to take informal breaks to smoke outside buildings they occupy. As a result, other employees, contractors and third parties may be exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). This may be when they are entering and leaving the building, or it may be inside the building if smoke enters through doors and/or the air conditioning.
Exposure to ETS – also known as passive smoking – happens through breathing in other people’s tobacco smoke. It comes from the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and from the smoke breathed out by a smoker.
Evidence on the detrimental effects of ETS has continued to accumulate over many years. The National Health and Medical Research Council has reviewed scientific evidence concerning the possible health effects of exposure to ETS and concluded that exposure to ETS can cause lung cancer and may also cause coronary heart disease.
Exposure to ETS
Risks to be considered may include:
- employees smoking in a place where smoke could enter the building through the air conditioning system or doors
- employees smoking in areas where other employees, contractors and third parties enter or exit a building and other frequently used passageways
- the types of work being done by employees (e.g. a security guard working near an entry/exit)