Providing a smoke free environment

Home visits

Taunton Dean Borough staff members will carry out visits in your home to provide you with a service you may have requested or to establish facts as part of an investigation.

We are politely asking you to consider the needs of our staff and provide them with a smoke free environment. Second-hand smoke, or passive smoking as it's sometimes called, has been found by the Government Scientific Committee on Tabacco and Health to be detrimental to people's health.

It can cause heart disease, stroke and lung cancer in adults. Being exposed to second-hand smoke even for a short time can cause eye irritation, headache, cough, sore throat, dizziness and nausea.

Employers have a duty in common law to take reasonable care to protect the health of employees. Taunton Deane Borough Council is required by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure that employees and others are not put at risk. During the visit we are requesting that you do not smoke in the room where the meeting is taking place.

If a smoke free environment cannot be provided, the Council's smoking policy supports staff to adjourn the meeting and offer alternative options, for example, you may be asked to attend a meeting at one of the Council's offices rather than a home visit. This may mean a delay to the service you are being provided with.

Council offices

All our council offices are smoke free.

Further information

There is further information about Smoke free Somerset on our website.

External links

For advice or further information about becoming smoke free visit the Smokefree England website or the Somerset Smokefree Alliance website.

Downloadable documents

Smoke free home visits information sheet (133 KB)

Contact

Human Resources
Tel: 01823 356452
Email: personnel.assistants@tauntondeane.gov.uk