English Smoking Ban

Smoke-free (Premises and Enforcement) Regulations and Smoke-free (Signs) Regulations for England come into effect at 6am on Sunday 1st July 2007. From this date smoking will no longer be permitted in any enclosed or substantially enclosed premises or vehicles that are open to the public including pubs, restaurants and all places of work (some exceptions apply including designated smoking rooms in hotels or residential nursing homes).

Should these regulations be contravened individuals can face on-the-spot fines of £50 which can rise to up to £1000 should the issue be brought to court. Employers/managers of the premises can also face a fine of £200 — this figures can rise to as much as £2500 if not paid within the correct timeframe.

Obligations:

Display specific signage at each entrance, in a prominent position visible to all employees, customers and visitors.

Premises signage must contain a smoking prohibition sign of A5 size or larger and contain the wording “No Smoking. It is against the law to smoke in these premises”. Alternatives to the wording can be used when relating specifically to the premises itself (e.g. replace “these premises” with “this restaurant”).

All public transport (including taxis, trains and buses) plus business vehicles that may carry more than one specified employee need to display a sign containing a smoking prohibition symbol of at least 70mm diameter in each compartment that could carry passengers (e.g. a black cab must have a sign in the front and the rear of the taxi)

Considerations

Multilingual signage ensure all your customers, visitors and employees are aware of the legislation by taking into consideration language differences.

Designated smoking areas and shelter for your smokers Seton smoking shelters provide a fully compliant weather-proof area for those who choose to smoke.

Creating a smoke-free policy and consulting workforce within your business prior to the implementation - ensure your employees are aware of the new regulations and how they will be implemented.

NB. These details were the likely proposals awaiting final confirmation. For draft legislation ›click here now‹