How can a van be considered your place of work?

Question

If the guy is in his own vehicle, how is he infringing on anyone else. This whole anti-smoking thing has become absurd. Stuffing yourself with fast food isn`t exactly healthy either. Is eating fish and chips or a Big Mac in your car going to be a punishable offence next.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1468749.ece

Answer 1

lol, well staff who work at NHS hospitals are not permitted to smoke in their own cars (if parked in the hospital car park, as this is deemed the workplace) while on their breaks - if caught they face a disciplinary.

Answer 2

They need to be stopping the b******s that are smoking with children in the car before anyone else!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 3

My employer made it perfectly clear that ANY vehicle - owned by them or by their staff - is considered to be an extension of the workplace and the smoking ban was to be enforced there.

Latest EU legislation now calls for us to ask people we are visiting in their own homes to not smoke whilst we are there for the same reasons.

Staff can smoke during their lunch break off of work premises - and they can only use their designated lunch break  and if caught out they get written warnings and can be dismissed.

Managers failing to adhere to this have been subject to disciplinary action.

And just so you know you could be fined if you eat or drink (including fish and chips or a burger) whilst driving and for using a mobile phone.

Answer 4

When I lived in Germany plenty of erm 'ladies' used vans as a place of work

they used to put a lit candles on the dash board to show they were open for business...........

Answer 5

Should have known this came from the Sun.

As a matter of fact this van, contrary to what Mr Murdoch says, IS the man's workplace as he uses the van for his work. Therefore he is breaking the law, simple even for Sun readers.

As for the Big Mac question; Eat c**p and you deserve what you get.

Answer 6

Well it's only a matter of time before they stop me washing my hair in the car.

Answer 7

i agree with all of you..soon be charging for fresh air...this country is a shambles..and Im british,through x through..mary.c.

Answer 8

I swear the whole world has gone mad.

I heard they have even banned ambulance drivers from smoking when they have blue lights on! FFS if they aint stressed enough!

whatever next? Coppers banned from drinking vodka at the wheel?

Answer 9

If yousell or distribute merchandise from your van thats a place of work. To your second question, this the government sticking there noses into public business instead of running the country the way they should. It's the federal government getting too involved. Breathing the air can also kill you, Pollution from cars, trucks, buses and factories.

Answer 10

The police probably had arrest quotas to make. He should consider a lawsuit, or at least write a letter to someone in power in his town. Oh, and probably eating fast food will be a punishable offense next.

Answer 11

Absolutely! The anti smoking, anti drinking, anti enjoyment lobby go way over the top !          By the way, I do not smoke and am a moderate drinker, well sometimes !

Answer 12

All part of Browns vision for this country. It would have been a bad day for the person who issued me with a ticket and I'd now be spending some time at one of Her Majesty's establishments.

Answer 13

It is a clear breach of the law (Regulation 11 of The Smoke-free (Exemptions and Vehicles) Regulations 2007 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/uksi_20... However, this is one of many examples of that age old saying - The Law is an a.ss.

Edit: Posting a link to The Sun, The Daily Mail, etc. simply gives certain people an excuse to denigrate those publications rather than give a coherent answer. As well as The Sun, this story was also published in The Contract Journal http://www.contractjournal.com/Articles/... The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/25... and by The Press Association http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5... ........and lots of others.

Answer 14

I have my own business and I use my car to transport my equipment to and from my various places of work and if anyone dares to try and fine me for smoking MY tobacco in MY car I will punch their lights out.