In an effort to provide a safe and healthy work and study environment for employees, students and visitors at Memorial University, smoking was prohibited on property occupied by Memorial University effective August 1, 2013. Memorial’s Smoking Policy states that “the entire University community will ensure the implementation of, and compliance with, this policy”.
Since then MUNFA has received numerous complaints from ASMs stating that their health has been put at risk by second-hand smoke (SHS) entering their offices or when they enter buildings through doors around which smokers congregate.
The MUNFA representatives on the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC) have repeatedly raised our concerns with the administration about the risks to our members’ health but are not aware of any efforts of the University Administration to address these concerns or enforce the Policy.
We are asking all who have been exposed to SHS while on campus to contact the MUNFA office at munfa@mun.ca and indicate which area(s) of the campus they find the problem to be most pronounced. Once armed with this information we hope that we will be able to convince the administration to take the problem of SHS seriously.
