More staff ‘vital’ to enforce smoke ban

HEALTH inspectors have warned that they have not enough staff or incentive to fully enforce the workplace smoking ban when it comes into effect later this year.

In a letter to the Department of Health, they say that existing vacancies for environmental health officers must be filled urgently and that additional posts must be sanctioned to cope with the extra workload.

The letter, written by their trade union, Impact, states: “Without additional staffing resources it is inevitable that the enforcement of new tobacco control regulations will be inadequate, or that existing environmental health services will be adversely affected.”

The national officer for the union’s health and safety division, Kevin Callinan, also warns in the letter that irregularities surrounding the payments for out-of-hours’ work by EHOs present another “obstacle to the effective enforcement of the workplace tobacco ban”.

There are 41 specialist posts for environmental health officers dedicated to tobacco control, but some are vacant and even with all posts filled, Mr Callinan said there would be insufficient personnel to inspect all the new premises included in the smoking ban.

Meanwhile, a survey has found that many hospitals are still allowing staff and patients to smoke in designated areas as the ban approaches, and that others are encountering difficulties implementing bans.

The survey, by the Irish Health Promoting Hospitals Network, is made up of 90 hospitals and other health facilities.

Network chairman Professor Luke Clancy urged patients and visitors to co-operate with hospital staff and management to ensure total compliance with the smoking ban.