| Concerning the Guidelines for Measures on Smoking in the Workplace |
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Latest Amendments |
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LSB No. 0509001
May 9, 2003 |
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To: Chiefs of Prefectural Labour Bureaus
From: Director General, Labour Standards Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
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Concerning the Guidelines for Measures on Smoking in the Workplace
The Guidelines for Measures on Smoking in the Workplace (hereafter, Notification No. 75) (LSB No. 75), dated February 21, 1996, have urged workplaces to institute measures on smoking. These guidelines have produced certain results including an increase in the implementation of measures on smoking at worksites, etc.
The Health Promotion Law (Law No. 103, 2002), which came into effect on May 1, 2003, stipulates that managers of offices and other multi-user facilities are required to take measures aimed at preventing passive smoking. Furthermore, in June 2002, the Bureau of Health’s Committee on Assessment Criteria for Effectiveness of Measures on Smoking in Designated Areas submitted new criteria for smoking in designated areas.
There is evidence, etc., that the negative health effects of passive smoking includes various symptoms such as tearing of the eyes, nasal obstruction, headaches, etc., and physiological responses, etc., such as breathing constriction, high pulse, vasoconstriction, etc. Consequently, more appropriate measures are required to prevent passive smoking.
Accordingly, further measures must be taken to prevent passive smoking as part of measures on smoking in the workplace, from the perspective of protecting workers’ health and creating comfortable working environments. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has established new Guidelines for Measures on Smoking in the Workplace (Attached Document No. 1; hereinafter referred to as the “new guidelines”). The new guidelines should be thoroughly understood and, in cooperation with prefectural governments, etc., all parties should be made aware of the guidelines.
Following is a summary of the main areas that have been expanded in the new guidelines. Furthermore, it is requested that the Explanation of Guidelines for Measures on Smoking in the Workplace (Attached Document No. 2) and the Guidelines for Measures on Smoking in the Workplace should be treated as one document.
This notification replaces Notification No. 75. |
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| 1. |
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Regarding equipment measures, Notification No. 75 stipulated the installation, etc. of designated smoking rooms or smoking corners (hereinafter referred to as “designated smoking areas, etc.”). However, the new guidelines recommend the installation of designated smoking rooms that prevent the escape of tobacco smoke to non-smoking areas whenever such installation is possible, in order to reliably prevent passive smoking. |
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| 2. |
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Regarding “effective ventilation equipment” to be installed in designated smoking areas, etc., Notification No. 75 stipulated either a method that intakes tobacco smoke and exhausts it directly outside the building before it is dispersed, or a method (air purifier) that filters tobacco smoke and disperses the filtered air into the room. The new guidelines recommend measures on smoking using a method that intakes tobacco smoke and exhausts it directly outside the building before it is dispersed, due to issues with the inability of air purifiers to remove gaseous elements.
The new guidelines further specify that, in situations where air purifiers are installed as a last resort, special consideration shall be given with respect to ventilation.
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| 3. |
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Regarding standards for air environments in the workplace, the new guidelines further stipulate that necessary measures are to be taken to maintain a 0.2m/s or higher velocity of air flow from a non-smoking area to a designated smoking area, etc., at the boundary between both areas in order to prevent the smoke and tobacco odor from the smoking areas, etc., from escaping to the non-smoking area.
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| No. 100362 |
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