CODE OF PRACTICE FOR CONTROLLING THE EXPOSURE OF WORKERS IN HOSPITALITY WORKPLACES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA TO ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE

 

 

  1. Intent. The intent of this Code of Practise is to establish requirements for reasonable and practical engineering and ventilation controls to minimize the exposure of workers in hospitality workplaces to environmental tobacco smoke. These requirements must be met when a hospitality workplace contains smoking areas where employees are expected to work.
  2. General. Hospitality establishments designed and operated to the following requirements meet the spirit and intent of the Section 4.81 (b) of the WCB Regulation which states, "The employer must control the exposure of workers at any workplace to environmental tobacco smoke by restricting smoking to designated smoking areas or by other equally effective means".
  3. Classification. All workplace areas must be classified as either smoking or non-smoking and clearly labelled.
  4. Signage. A sign shall be posted outside each entrance to each smoking area. The sign shall state "This area may contain Environmental Tobacco Smoke" in letters at least 12 mm high. Exception: Instead of the specified sign, equivalent notification to workers in means acceptable to the WCB may be used.
  5. Separation. Solid walls, ceilings and doors shall separate smoking areas from non-smoking areas. Exception: spatial separation without solid walls, ceilings and doors is permitted where engineered systems provide unidirectional airflow from the non smoking to smoking areas or where a directional air flow monitor is installed to ensure that air is flowing from non-smoking areas to smoking areas when workers are present.
  6. Pressurization. Non-smoking areas shall be at a positive pressure with respect to any adjacent or connected smoking areas.
  7. Ventilation. Ventilation is defined as the total air supplied to the space and is comprised of outside air plus properly cleaned re-circulated air. The amount of outside air supplied may not be less than that specified in Section 4.72 of the standard. Minimum ventilation requirements for areas where smoking is allowed must be provided in accordance with Table 1. Exception: For hospitality workplaces not listed in Table 1 that allow smoking, minimum ventilation requirement must be provided in accordance with Equation 1.

    8. TABLE 1
    Table of Recommended Ventilation Rates in Smoking Areas of Various Hospitality Workplaces

    Smoking Area

    Ventilation Rate (CFM/person)

    Smoking Lounge

    60

    Bar, Cocktail lounge

    35

    Pub

    35

    Nightclub

    35

    Dining Room

    30

    Gambling Casino

    35

    Bingo Hall

    30

    Bowling Alley

    30

     

    EQUATION 1
    Method of Calculating Ventilation Requirements for Smoking Areas of Hospitality Workplaces Not Listed in Table 1

    V° /person = SM * SR *DR/3.6

    V° =

    Ventilation rate (liters per second)

    SM =

    Proportion of Smokers (%)

    SR =

    Smoking Rate (cigarettes/hr)

    DR =

    Dilution Rate (cubic meters of air/cigarette)

  8. Transfer Air. Transfer air from non-smoking areas may be used to provide the outside air requirements for ventilation of smoking areas. Transfer air must meet the requirements of Section 4.72 of the regulation.
  9. Recirculation. Mechanical air handling and natural ventilation systems may recirculate or transfer air within and between smoking areas, provided such air has been cleaned in accordance with Section 10 of this Code of Practice.
  10. Air Cleaning. Properly cleaned air may be re-circulated and used in conjunction with outdoor air to meet the ventilation requirements for smoking areas. The air cleaning system may be located in the mixed outdoor and recirculated air stream or in the recirculated air, e.g. a self-contained air cleaning system. Acceptable air cleaning systems i) passive filters of 95% or greater efficiency in the DOP test: ii) active field, non-ionizing polarized media air cleaners; iii) electrostatic precipitators. All air cleaning equipment must be applied, installed, operated and maintained according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. A 95% DOP filter is defined as a throwaway extended medium, dry-type filter in a rigid frame, having a minimum efficiency of 95% for 0.3 micron near-monodisperse dioctyl-phthalate (DOP) particles (or specified substitute).
  11. Exhaust Systems. Exhaust or relief air from smoking areas shall either be discharged directly to outdoors or cleaned for recirculation or transfer into a smoking area.
  12. Reclassification. A smoking area may be reclassified as a non-smoking area after intentional allowed smoking has stopped and residual ETS indicators meet the requirements of Section 13 of this Code of Practice.
  13. Compliance Monitoring. Respirable Suspended Particulates (RSP) maybe used as a surrogate indicator to determine levels of environmental tobacco smoke. As a general guideline, RSP levels should not exceed the outdoor level by more than 100 m g m3 in non-smoking areas and 300 m g m3 in smoking areas.