Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon, OX14 3JE
Email: comments@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01235 520202

Vale of White Horse District Council

Advice for businesses on the smokefree law

To help businesses comply with the new smoking legislation the Vale together with other Councils in Oxfordshire produced a Smokefree handbook for businesses. This handbook includes:  

• A summary of the law, and particularly how it affects businesses
• A good practice checklist
• Smokefree policy template
• Contact details for further advice.

The handbook can be downloaded from the right of the page.

More advice for businesses can be found on this page of the Smokefree England website.

What do employers and managers have to do to comply with the law?

• Display no smoking signs in smokefree premises and vehicles – see below for more details about this
• Take reasonable steps to ensure that staff, customers/members and visitors are aware that premises and vehicles are legally required to be smokefree
• Remove any existing indoor smoking rooms
• Ensure that no one smokes in smokefree premises or vehicles

No smoking signs  

For businesses the main new requirement of the law is that all smokefree premises must now display a prominently visible sign at every public entrance to the premises.

The sign must: 

• Be A5 in size,
• Display the international no smoking symbol at least 70mm in diameter
• Must contain the words “No smoking. It is against the law to smoke in these premises”.

A no smoking sign simply displaying the international no smoking symbol in colour (minimum 70mm in diameter) is sufficient at entrances to smokefree premises which are for staff only (on the basis that the premises displays at least one A5 sized sign with the correct wording as set out in the regulations).

Smokefree vehicles must also display a no smoking sign which carries the international no smoking symbol and is no less than 70mm in diameter. The sign does not need to include any wording. The sign must be clearly visible on entering the vehicle.

Signs can be downloaded from this page of the Smokefree England website.

Smoking shelters

Some employers may wish to provide smoking shelters for their smoking employees or customers. However, employers are under no obligation to provide either smoking shelters or smoking breaks for employees.

Shelters must not be enclosed or substantially enclosed. To comply with the legislation, at least 50 per cent of the perimeter under a roof or ceiling must be space. Doors, windows and passageways are not included when determining whether a premises or part of premises is enclosed/substantially enclosed.

In most cases, erecting any form of smoking shelter will require planning permission or listed building consent. See our Planning pages for information about how to apply for planning permission or listed building consent.