HAC uly 1998 AirM AIVC 11696 The illusion of clean a1-1

eing cool is largely a pre­ B occupation of the young, even though some of the older generation - who should know better - still try their best to compete. Keeping cool is another thing entirely and, with global warming making things hotter for us, those restaurants, pubs and clubs which take steps to keep their clientele cool, soon see the benefits in increased numbers and higher takings. Very often, however, keep­ ing cool simply means cooling the air, moving it around with money. Until the experiment is ceiling fans or even leaving a The health debate over the effects of passive tried jn a representative num­ door open somewhere to pro­ smoking is the biggest single issue facing the ber of outlets in the UK, the vide a draught. Cooling the air effect of a policy like this can­ can also create the illusion of ventilation industry. Bud Marconi believes that not be guessed at - in the Unit­ c lean air circulating, but this is it highlights the need for a positive attitude ed States, however, a study all it is - anillusion. shows that a smoking ban in Even where air conditioning towards clean air policies. bars has no adverse effect on plant is installed, it only cools trade. the air and doesn't clean it as (This finding is disputed by well. Ideally, a combination of the .Atmosphere Improves r air conditioning and ai clean­ Results campaign - See HAC,· ing provides the bestsolurion in smokers as well. Even more non-smokers caused by breath� May 1998 page 6) any environment, especially alarming is the assertion that ing other people's smoke. The study examined bars in where staff are ex posed to the the effects of passive smoking Much of the information seven locations in California dangers of passive smoking. on non-smokers - such as the available tends to concentrate which had smoking bans, and The dangers of passive increased risk of heart attacks on situations where passive compared these with bars that smoking are considerable, espe­ or the exacerbation of asthma - smoking affects either children had no smoking ban. Sales tax cially to waiting and bar staff can be very sudden, compared through their parents, or non­ data from 1991 revealed no and others working for hours in with the same effects on active smoking spouses and their economic i m pact as a result of close proximity to customers, smokers which can take much smoking partners. It seems log­ the smoking bans. The authors many of whom will be happily longer to develop. ical, therefore, to assume that in of rhe study (SA Gla1m. and RA puffing away on cigarettes. Action on Smoking and many instances waiting and bar S mith/American Journal of If the staff are smokers, then Health (ASH) calculates, for staff can, in fact, suffer Public Health - 4. l l .97) also the dangers are compounded if example, that there are at least increased danger as they are updated an earlier study exam­ they are also exposed to con­ 2 million incidences of illness in likely to be in a more heavily ining restaurants, and again centrated bouts of passive rhe U1 every year caused by smoke-laden atmosphere for showed no economic impact. smoking. Recent research pi1s�ive smoking. This includes longer periorls of rime. With onlv 28% of UK adults results have shown, however, rhousands of prem� rure deaths Inevirably, we arc foced with smoking, compared with 80%

that passive smoking is also a from heart ;1tt;1cks ;1nd several rhc argument that non -smoking who drink, the chiim b1· Clive 1irnjor health hazard for non- hundred from lung cancer in bars, pubs and clubs W(>t1ld lose Bates, Director of ..\SH, that: 110_ Air Movement HA<::; July 199_8

"What seems to happen is that or grease from fooe prepara­ non-smokers who were previ­ tion. ously put offby clouds of smoke Savings like this can more would replace the smokers that than pay for the running costs decide to stay away, " could also of an air management system. be applied to the UK. Having the right equipment In contrast, although not is one thing, ensuring its effec­ comparing like with like, smok­ tiveness is another. To some ers' champion FOREST high­ extent this can be eased by des­ lights the case of the NHS ignating Non-smoking areas, Trust, which was forced to then ensuring the air cleaning reconsider its policy when rev­ system is concentrated in those enues dropped following a areas where smoking is allowed. smoking ban in its staff can­ By doing tl1is, smoke is not teens. This led to increased fire dragged unnecessarilv inro risks through staff finding other uon-smoki.ng areas, a l though places to smoke, and the narur­ the system as a whole will be al resentment felt by the staff working to benefit the aanos­ was exacerbated by the ban cov­ phere in the whole area. ering non-smoking when in lnevitably, the quc tion of uniform. · liti!ftobacco industry is under siege smoke laden atmospheres for - and deservedly so. Indidduals, hours on end. and whole groups of people, a.re Manufacturers of air clean­ Aircleaners ing equipment have a vested expensively heated, and will should be interest in this whole subject, as create a situation of 'under left any smokyatmosphere cries out pressure'. This mean the heated constantly for products which work in tan­ air that has been taken out is running as part of any dem with an air conditioning replaced by cold air draughts . long·term system, giving thecustomer and from outside - causing cus­ air hygiene the staffthe best of both worlds tomer discomfort. strategy - the - a comfortable temperature Air pressure has to equalise energy penalty Is combined with clean air circu­ itself, in the same manner that about the lation. water finds its own level. A same as that The fact that products like 12in. extract fan will take out of a domestic this are relatively inexpensive to around l ,200m' an hour, which fridge buy, install and maintain, really is a lot of air to replace - and' does put the onus on the leisure don't forget the dust and dirt industry to take the initiative inevitably drawn in with the and look at their premises from cold air. the point of view of the total A true air management sys­ environment and not just from tem in terms of customer com­ the standpoint of whether or fort, has to be a combined oper­ not their customers are com­ ation of air cleaning, fresh air to the atmosphere. The per­ lodging claims against employ­ fortable. intake and temperature control. ceived costs of leaving such ers who they feel allowed them Air cleaning units do not We use the word 'true' units running also sits uncom­ co be unnecessarily expo ed co replace oxygen used by the rather than perfect, simply fortably with some venue own­ the effects of passive smoking. room's occupants, so, despite because such set-ups which ers. And claims are alread�· being filtering out unwanted elc­ provide, clean and temperature In fact, energycosts wit� air settled in the plaintiffs' favour; menrs, the air passing through controlled air, can still receive cleaning units can be very low. US flight attendants, for exam­ such UJ1its is simply fed back criticism. A common complaint At lower speed ranges the some ple, settled. their claims in a into the environment. is that bars and clubrooms units use les than I OOW an high profile case recentl�·· For successful air manage­ remain smoky, despite the fact hour - about the same as a ln this countrywe tend to be ment, all venues need some that fresh air is being circulated domestic refrigerator - which is less confrontational, but that i · form of air intake. The use of a and dirty air efficiently treated why the units hould be left changing rapidly. Already the fan to bring oxygen into the and returned. constantly running. opinion is being expressed that, atmosphere and to create 'over Unfortunately, here we By leaving the air cleaning with the knowledge no,,- avail­ pressure', is an effective unveil a second area of misun­ system active, ir will remove able of the dangers that exist method. In other words, a situ­ derstanding. So long as the any gaseous 1mterial l.eft over from passive smoking, the like­ ation where the pressure in the people are still smoking in a and will also collect much of the lihood is that successful litiga­ room is higher than outside, so room, it is extremely difficult particulate matter that would tion is not far offhere. air tends to push outwards for the air in that room to be otherwise settle on paintwork, One year ago, the Associa­ through cracks in the floor, 100% cleaned. furniture and curtains. tion of Licensed i\Iultiple around windows and doors. Similarly, the air in a bar will Keeping dust and dirt off Retailers launched its ..\tmos­ Compare this with another remain smoky for some time, furniture and furnishing fabrics, phere Improves Results (AIR) common system - the extract even after the last smoking cus­ reduces cleaning and replace­ campaign to demonstrate that fan. This will certainly drag tomer has left. Consequently, ment costs; redecoration cycles the licensed trade can regulate c · s tobacco smoke away but, at the air cleaning units need to ·con­ can be extended as well, simply itself rather, than having leg i ­ same ti me, will remove air tinue working even though no because ceilings and walls are lation imposed upon it. ln c�rn­ which, in winter, has been · new pollutants a re being added not being stained by tobacco ta r trast to the figures produced !32 Air Movement HAC July 1998 from research based (,.n San are year 2000 compliant, will Francisco, restaurants in -.New not be covered for consequen­ York where anti-smoking mea­ tial loss. In thesame way, insur­ sures have been enforced, ·::Ja,im ance companies could put pres­ to have lost as much as 15 % of sure on employers to ensure their trade. they put in place proper poli­ Where self-regulation has cies to protect non-smokers been taken up in this country, from Environmental To bacco 75 % of pubs with non-smok­ Smoke (ETS), otherwise it ing areas claim their food sales could result in the insurers have improved, whilst 64% being liable in damages." claimed they had increased The body of evidence that is overall turnover. With food building up only goes to lend becoming increasingly impor­ support for air management tant to pubs (and, according to policies t0 become an integral · recent reports, the q�ality· of part of the building plans and . many 1s fast approaching that employment conditions of the of good class restaurants) it is leisure industry. Whether self­ aJso bringing more children regulation will stave off legisla­ into restaurant areas, and they, Trlon has Installed an elecli'ostadc air deaner In TraderVic's restaurant at the London Hilton tion will only be resolved in the as is now' accepted, are very Hotel The Unitdeans the air extracted from the restaurant and has helped improve the long tenn, but, whatever hap­ susceptible to the dangers efficiency of the Hotel's maintenance operadon, the company says. Enquiry NQ 210 pens, it would be a denial of posed by passi. ve smoking. human rights for smokers to be Hence, a smoking policy that denied access to the facilities benefits them is also going to that would exist for non-smok­ bias parents in favour of are, or may be, exposed to Safety Executive to take action, ers. Taking this argument to premises that have a properly harmfulsubstances." first by the employers prepar­ the next stage could give rise to formulated smoking policy. He cites cases going back as ing a COSHH assessment pur­ a ban on drinking - and the A smoking policy, even far as the early I 980's where suant to regulation 6 of the results of this type of legisla­ when it is extended to certain judgements maintained that, 1988 regulations and then by tion were evident in America bar areas doesn't have a detri­ where there is developing acting on it and putting into during the l 930's. mental effect on custom. In knowledge, (the. defendant) effect protective measure. The The facts are that we are fact, by offering the best of must keep reasonably abreast HSE should also insist that all going to have to ljve with smok­ both worlds, many are attract­ of it and not be too slow to employers whose employees ing for' the foreseeable fut:Ure - ing new customers and again, apply it. . may work in a smoke polluted in which case putting in place boosting turnover. His opinion also deals with atmosphere have prepared and, the means of dealing with its Whatever policy is institut­ new knowledge, including that if necessary, acted on such an effects is the only sensible ed, the law can still intervene, relating to passive smoking, the assessment. approach. and ASH commissioned an role of the Health & Safety "Apart from that it appears · Ignore it at your peril - it is opinion from John Melville Executive, and an employer's to me that insurance companies not going to go away. Williams QC which was pub­ responsibility to individual have a role to play in promot­ lished late last year. In it he workers. In conclusion, Mr ing safety, including protection states what has been known for Melville Williams states : · :: from atmospheric pollution, by some time, that, ".Knowledge, "Looking at the situation their premium or claims policy. • Bud Marconi is managing as a condition of liability or generally it seems to me the It has recently been announced director of Aircare Europe. responsibility, is critical in prime obligation rests on that companies which do not many areas of law where people employers and the Health & ensute· their computer systems Enquiry Nl! 211

Planned management· of smoking in public places

The air filtration industry has a prominent role to play in pro­ of the air filtration industry and combat the view taken by some moting active, informed, smoking management policies that businesses of air filters as a distress purchase. The fact is that have air Sftration as their key feature. businesses reliant on contact with the public b.ave a commercial One significant factor in achieving consensus in the 'great imperative to enhance their air filtration techniques. Good air smoking debate' is the professionalism of the air filtration quality is important o both non-smokers and smokers," says Mr industry. White. "We have the technology, we have the carbon-based prod­ "We have also got to widen the circle of management ucts, and most importantly we have the know-how to ensure inv:olved in ma iaging ai filtration issues withi each company that air filtration plays a key part in helping t successfully and encourage them to take a holistic approach. At present we resolve disagreement about smoking in public places," says Nor­ are, too often, ·eeing areas of responsibilities divided. man White, marketing manager of lnterfilta. "This migh lead to a personnel manager promotingsmoking "If nothing is done, then we are being cavalier with the restrictions,bu t failing to liaise with the facilities manager who nation's health. but experience has proved in Canada and else­ may only have unventilated rooms available for use as smoking where that seeking to criminalise and drive smoki1lg tobacco areas." underground does not stop people smoking." "All that happens is that they will find unsuitable places in REFERENCES: which to smoke which causes further problems and risks Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) because these are difficult to monitor." "Passive Smoking - summary of new findings". November 1997. The best way forward, in his opinion, is the introduction of Price : £2.50 prudent measures to manage smoking in public. This will include the concept of defined smoking and no smoking areas. Health & Safety at Work - the effects of the latest developments "The fact is that we have got to continue to raise the profile J. Melville Williams, QC. Price £15