40pc of companies breach smoke-free law

18 June 2004

AMSTERDAM — About 40 percent of inspected businesses in the Netherlands do not meet the government’s new smoke-free regulations which came into force on 1 January, leaving workers still exposed to cigarette smoke.

Every worker now has a right to smoke-free workplace, but the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (VWA) claims that the especially the retail, construction, manufacturing and transport smokers are breaching regulations.

The VWA — which investigates whether the regulations are being observed — inspected 1,500 businesses in the past year. Almost 600 were given a warning and 53 companies were fined. The fines can range between EUR 300 and 2,400.

In the past few months, the authority particularly inspected companies at which workers had lodged complaints, news agency ANP reported.

The VWA intends to expand its inspections from 1 July — 65 inspectors will randomly spot check thousands of companies to determine if they meet the new regulations.

Subject: Dutch news