Clearing The Air

Air quality testing of secondhand smoke in bars & restaurants and how the results compare to OSHA air quality standards

OSHA itself has stated regarding secondhand smoke:

"Field studies of environmental tobacco smoke indicate that under normal conditions, the components in tobacco smoke are diluted below existing Permissible Exposure Levels (PELS.) as referenced in the Air Contaminant Standard (29 CFR 1910.1000)...It would be very rare to find a workplace with so much smoking that any individual PEL would be exceeded."

-Letter From Greg Watchman, Acting Ass't Sec'y, OSHA, To Leroy J Pletten, PHD, July 8, 1997

Multiple AQ test results from around the globe confirms secondhand smoke is NOT a workplace health hazard:

This University of Washington study tested 20 Missouri smoking establishments and found that secondhand smoke levels in ALL 20 bars & restaurants tested ranged from 110 to 877 times SAFER than OSHA workplace air quality standards require.
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2010/09/new-st-louis-aq-study-published-by.html

This Johns Hopkins University study tested Baltimore smoking establishments and found that secondhand smoke levels in ALL of the bars & restaurants tested ranged from 30 to 238 times SAFER than OSHA workplace air quality standards require.
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/11/johns-hopkins-air-quality-testing-of.html

This British Medical Journal published study tested European smoking establishments and found that secondhand smoke levels in ALL of the bars & restaurants tested ranged from 4 to 5,000 times SAFER than OSHA workplace air quality standards require.
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/04/bmj-published-air-quality-test-results.html

This American Cancer Society sponsored study tested Western New York smoking establishments and found that secondhand smoke levels in ALL of the bars & restaurants tested ranged from 532 to 25,000 times SAFER than OSHA workplace air quality standards require.
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2004/04/american-cancer-society-test-results.html

This St. Louis Park, MN. Environmental Health Dept study tested 19 Minnesota smoking establishments and found that secondhand smoke levels in ALL 19 of the bars & restaurants tested ranged from 15 to 500 times SAFER than OSHA workplace air quality standards require.
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2006/02/air-quality-testing-and-secondhand.html

WHO report on secondhand smoke
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2008/03/british-medical-journal-who-conclude.html

How does secondhand smoke in the workplace compare to welding smoke in the workplace?

Welding smoke is far more hazardous than secondhand smoke. Yet air quality testing shows that welding smoke is regulated to safety standards by OSHA, so lawmakers allow OSHA do do its job rather than ban it.

Secondhand smoke on the other hand, though proven to be 15 – 25,000 times SAFER than OSHA workplace air quality regulations, requires government intervention according to Nicoderm funded activists and some lawmakers…….This double standard however, and the air quality testing above prove that a special interest agenda might be the real motive behind the demand for bans.

Otherwise, if health were the real concern we would show some consistency, either by allowing workplace (OSHA) air quality regulations in our bars and restaurants.......or by imposing a ban on all other potential workplace air quality hazards.

Smoking cigarettes can be hazardous to the smoker, no argument there. However, secondhand smoke is not the deadly hazard pro-smoking ban groups claim. Which should lead one to question what is the real agenda, and why the hype?

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2006/12/here-is-research-study-which-pro.html

posted by marcus aurelius @ 9:02 PM