In accordance with the newest amendment to health protection act against negative consequences of smoking of tobacco products put into effect on April 8, 2010, and the Central Sanitation Agency statute on this matter, smoking tobbaco in the workplace became restricted to specially designated areas equipped with sufficient number of ashtrays. Due to this change in law, new market began to emerge, offering products such as industrial strenght fume absorbers, and smoking cabins. What are the potential benefits of these products in terms of reducing effects of second hand smoke? Can these solutions actually be profitable?
Shocking statistics
Sadly, one out of three Poles aged over 15 admits to habitual smoking of cigarettes. Studies show that people with steady employment tend to smoke more than their unemployed counterparts. Heaviest smokers can be found among blue collar workers and private sector enterprise. As demonstrated by these data, the issue of smoking in the worplace is clearly an important one.
Staying in a smoke filled room is proven to have adverse effets on anyone. It is especially bothersome to non-smokers, who are forced to involontarily inhale to two types of tobacco smoke: mainstream and sidestream. Not everyone realizes that almost 70 percent of harmful carbon monoxide is actually emitted from the burning end of a cigarette in so-called sidestream smoke. This type of smoke is what can cause most potential damage to non-smokers.
Perfect solution?
In an effort to meet the issue of smoking in the workplace head on, manufacturers involved with supplying smoking rooms that were already in existance, struggled to come up with a solution that would satisfy the needs of smokers and business owners alike. Soon enough, a new and innovative product emerged on the market – a smoking cabin. An example of a company currently cashing in on this trend is Palarnie.pl, an eco-friendly enterprise offering a variety of solutions aimed at minimizing the adverse effects of smoking in the workplace.
Smoking cabins can be adapted in order to meet individual needs of each customer. Available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, they can fit anywhere from 3 up to 28 people at a time. The installation process is extremely easy and, depending on size of the cabin, usually takes between 4 to 8 hours. The aluminium frame is assembled first, then the vent, and, at the very end, safety glass walls are put in place. Each cabin is assembled from individual units, which means it's expansion is possible at any time. Different color schemes are available, too.
Filters to clear the air
Smoking cabins are equipped with a series of industrial strenght filters, which, according to the manufacturers, absorb 99.997% of harmful fumes as well as bacteria and allergens. They also reduce the unpleasant smell associated with cigarette smoke. The filtrating system self-activates upon entering. The cabin then starts to extract the fumes by engaging it's system of vents and underpressurizing the air inside.
Functional filters guarantee air completly free of harmful substances. Cabins offered by Palarnie.pl are equipped with a prefilter, electroMax filter, HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter, carbon filter, and air ionizer.
At what cost?
The price of each cabin is individually calculated depending on the needs of the client. The average cost of a cabin designed for 3-5 people is around 15-20 thousand PLN. Additional costs include maintainance, which, depending on number of smokers, is needed every 2-3 months. Maintainance includes replacement of filters, cleaning of the cabin, replacement of air vents and waste management.
Smaller cabins use around 370 W of electricity, bigger ones up to 740 W. All require an electrical plug with the power of 230 V.
Cabins for everyone?
Smoking cabins solve the problem of harmful fumes and unpleasant smell. However, it is a solution that each company needs to consider in terms of individual needs. Any decision to implement it, needs to take into account company politics, size of the existing office space, number of smoking employees and their opinions on this matter. It is necessary, though, to conform to measures of standing law, and in this case smoking cabins can help. As calculations on Palarnie.pl website show, installing a smoking cabin can actually save money too, by reducing time needed by employees to smoke a cigarette, therefore increasing their productivity.