June 2000
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Delphi Question: FL smoking follow-up
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Question #449 (received 14 March):
The Delphi questions and follow-on discussion of smoking at
FL have been read with great interest. While the new signs and
attention given to the matter are greatly appreciated, they have
not been particularly effective. Some smokers routinely disregard
the spirit of the signs, electing to continue puffing close to the
entrances. We should recognize that the actual number of feet
[between the door and the smoker] is not significant. Rather, the
goal is to avoid an accumulation of smoke and cigarette byproducts
in the small area where everyone must pass.
Receptacles for cigarette butts appear to remain close to
entrances despite a prior statement that they would be moved. The
weather must obviously be factored into their location, so perhaps
there should be no receptacle at all in a given region if one
can't be located in a sheltered place. Maybe a different style of
receptacle would be more weather-tolerant and could be located
well away from any entrances.
Consider the awkwardness that occurs when smokers choose to
puff near entrances. It is often challenging to be entirely
pleasant and exchange a greeting while holding one's breath.
Admiration is due to those who can.
It may be too early in the evaluation period to gauge the
overall effectiveness of the signs and relocation or removal of
receptacles. Being complacent about enforcing the new policy is,
however, in error.
With genuine sensitivity for the nicotine addicted--but no
less for the rest of us secondarily affected--UCAR should pursue
this issue to a complete and satisfactory solution. Can we count
on that? Is it necessarily even in UCAR's interest to try and
accommodate smoking on the premises at all?
Response (April 26):
New smokers' urns with weather shields have been ordered for
each entrance at FL. They will have a small sign attached that
lays out the directive of remaining 20 feet from the building. The
urns will be shipped at the end of April and should arrive the
first week in May. We hope that this will help the problem and we
will continue to evaluate it. If the problem continues, we will
consider what other alternatives there are.
At their 21 April 2000 meeting, the President's Council
discussed a ban on smoking on UCAR premises and determined it not
to be appropriate at this time.
--Katy Schmoll, UCAR vice president for Finance
and Administration
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Questions and suggestions from the staff to management may be
submitted in confidence to the coordinator, Janet Evans (ext.
1114, ML room 517). They should be submitted in written form,
preferably via interoffice mail in a sealed envelope marked
confidential; they must be signed. Detailed procedures for
submitting questions are given in the UCAR Policies and
Procedures Manual,
section 4-1-2. Questions and answers of general interest
to staff are submitted to Staff Notes Monthly by Janet.
They may be edited for publication. For more information,
including links to questions and answers published in Staff
Notes Monthly and a log of all questions submitted since 1995,
see the
Delphi Service Web page.
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Edited by Bob Henson,
bhenson@ucar.edu
Prepared for the Web by Jacque Marshall