Major Hazzard
Achiever
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2014
- Messages
- 1,281
My company uses a H&S advice service.. thier latest newsletter is about vaping.
On balance I don;t think it's bad advice.. but I'd appreciate any thoughts you had.
I didn't like the reference to the WHO article but cannot find a link to the rebuttal someone did.
http://www.jwcope.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/E-Cigarettes.pdf
MAY 2015 NEWSLETTER – E- CIGARETTES
What are E - Cigarettes?E-cigarettes are an alternative to conventional cigarettes, which emit avapour that users inhale or ‘vape’ and this is produced from a heatedsolution containing nicotine.
Is it OK to use E- Cigarettes in enclosed areas in the Workplace?Users will say ‘yes’ as they are not real cigarettes and do not produce thesecond hand smoke that has been proven to cause lung cancer in nonsmokers.
Users may expect employers to approve their use as a methodof weaning employees off conventional cigarettes. Employers howevermay not wholly agree.
So are E Cigarettes safe?A 2014 report prepared for Public Health England concluded that thehazards of using e-cigarettes and being exposed to second-hand vapourare likely to be extremely low.
A World Health Organisation paper similarlyconcluded that e-cigarettes were less harmful than conventionalcigarettes, but cautioned that the vapour emitted by e-cigarettes is notmerely ‘water vapour’ as frequently claimed, but a vapour containing‘nicotine and a number of toxicants.’
Should I ban E- Cigarettes in the same way as conventionalcigarettes?That is entirely up to the individual employer. E-cigarettes are comingunder increased scrutiny because of emerging concerns as to the healthbenefits for users and those exposed to second-hand vapour, so you maydecide you have a duty of care to your employees to ban them. Someemployers will have a policy to ban E- Cigarettes to avoid any confusionover exactly what employees are smoking. Employers could argue thatE- cigarette users should not need to use their E- cigarettes any moreregularly than conventional smokers so the policy would be outside atbreak times but not in the designated smoking areas so as to protect themfrom the harmful effects of second hand smoke.
Do I need to do anything?Yes – if you want to ban the use of E- Cigarettes in the same way asconventional cigarettes. You must amend your existing smoking policy toreflect the ban. Recent advice from the Employment Tribunal is thatunless a Company smoking policy specifically bans the use E- Cigarettes,then disciplinary action against an individual could be unfair.For sample wording to include in your smoking policy see ……
Sample Wording:
Although Electronic Cigarettes do not contain tar, it is assumed that they are less harmful than tobacco products. However until extensive long term research proves conclusively that electronic cigarettes are not harmful to the uses, or to other persons who may inhale the expired vapour, the use of electronic cigarettes shall be treated the same a smoking cigarettes or other tobacco products.
Electronic cigarettes may only be used outside; however this need not be in the designted smoking area so as to protect users from the harmful effects of second hand smoke.
On balance I don;t think it's bad advice.. but I'd appreciate any thoughts you had.
I didn't like the reference to the WHO article but cannot find a link to the rebuttal someone did.
http://www.jwcope.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/E-Cigarettes.pdf
MAY 2015 NEWSLETTER – E- CIGARETTES
What are E - Cigarettes?E-cigarettes are an alternative to conventional cigarettes, which emit avapour that users inhale or ‘vape’ and this is produced from a heatedsolution containing nicotine.
Is it OK to use E- Cigarettes in enclosed areas in the Workplace?Users will say ‘yes’ as they are not real cigarettes and do not produce thesecond hand smoke that has been proven to cause lung cancer in nonsmokers.
Users may expect employers to approve their use as a methodof weaning employees off conventional cigarettes. Employers howevermay not wholly agree.
So are E Cigarettes safe?A 2014 report prepared for Public Health England concluded that thehazards of using e-cigarettes and being exposed to second-hand vapourare likely to be extremely low.
A World Health Organisation paper similarlyconcluded that e-cigarettes were less harmful than conventionalcigarettes, but cautioned that the vapour emitted by e-cigarettes is notmerely ‘water vapour’ as frequently claimed, but a vapour containing‘nicotine and a number of toxicants.’
Should I ban E- Cigarettes in the same way as conventionalcigarettes?That is entirely up to the individual employer. E-cigarettes are comingunder increased scrutiny because of emerging concerns as to the healthbenefits for users and those exposed to second-hand vapour, so you maydecide you have a duty of care to your employees to ban them. Someemployers will have a policy to ban E- Cigarettes to avoid any confusionover exactly what employees are smoking. Employers could argue thatE- cigarette users should not need to use their E- cigarettes any moreregularly than conventional smokers so the policy would be outside atbreak times but not in the designated smoking areas so as to protect themfrom the harmful effects of second hand smoke.
Do I need to do anything?Yes – if you want to ban the use of E- Cigarettes in the same way asconventional cigarettes. You must amend your existing smoking policy toreflect the ban. Recent advice from the Employment Tribunal is thatunless a Company smoking policy specifically bans the use E- Cigarettes,then disciplinary action against an individual could be unfair.For sample wording to include in your smoking policy see ……
Sample Wording:
Although Electronic Cigarettes do not contain tar, it is assumed that they are less harmful than tobacco products. However until extensive long term research proves conclusively that electronic cigarettes are not harmful to the uses, or to other persons who may inhale the expired vapour, the use of electronic cigarettes shall be treated the same a smoking cigarettes or other tobacco products.
Electronic cigarettes may only be used outside; however this need not be in the designted smoking area so as to protect users from the harmful effects of second hand smoke.
