Anti-rokers willen ondernemers voor gerecht dagen
De Engelse anti-rokersorganisatie ASH heeft een aantal grote pub-ketens aangeschreven om hun aansprakelijk te stellen voor schade die door medewerkers wordt geleden als gevolg van omgevingsrook.
De horeca in Engeland volgt een zelfreguleringsschema dat ook voor de Nederlandse horeca als voorbeeld heeft gediend. De teleurgestelde anti-rokersvereniging wil nu blijkbaar haar frustraties kwijtraken die zijn opgetreden na haar mislukte pogingen om tot een totaal rookverbod in de Engelse horeca te komen.
Pubs, clubs and restaurants in Britain were today warned they faced the threat of compensation claims from workers whose health is damaged by passive smoking.
Anti-smoking group ASH sent registered letters to 170 leading firms in the hospitality trade making it clear legal action will be taken on behalf of staff.
The group announced a tie-up with law firm Thompsons as part of a campaign to urge workers who believed their health had been harmed by inhaling smoke to seek compensation.
Fewer than 30 pubs in the UK were smoke-free and most restaurants allowed their customers to smoke, according to ASH.
The British government has been urging employers to improve conditions for non-smokers, such as segregating smokers into special areas and fitting ventilation systems.
But ASH said these measures would not properly protect vulnerable workers from inhaling “second-hand smoke” and called for all workplaces to be smoke-free.
