IOSH fully supports smoking ban
June 22, 2007
A source at IOSH’s Fire Risk Management Specialist Group emphasised that IOSH fully supports the smoking ban, which has enormous health and fire safety benefits, but there is concern as to where businesses might locate smoking shelters.
In addition, the safety body is advising health and safety managers to be aware of likely places where smokers might go "for a crafty cigarette".
Sandy Black, Chair of the Fire Risk Management Specialist Group, gave the example of the Bradford City Valley Parade disaster, which occurred in May 1985, as an example of the devastating and tragic effect that carelessly dropped smoking materials can cause.
Sandy Black said, "A fire can go from being something fairly minor, to a raging inferno in a very short space of time."
In the case of the Bradford fire, in which 56 people died and over 200 were injured, it is believed the fire started when a spectactor disposed of smoking materials, which fell into a pile of rubbish under the stand.
IOSH said that banning smoking in enclosed spaces should reduce the risk of fires inside the premises, but that does not mean employers can forget about smokers and the environment they smoke in.
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