BRENT HOSPITAL TITLE: SMOKE FREE POLICY GUIDELINES FOR BHCI

R.T. Lim Boulevard

Zamboanga City
SECTION: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

DATE ISSUED: 11/07/2016 POLICY NO.: BI HR 00007

PAGE: 1-2 REVIEWED/ REVISED:

Brent Hospital and Colleges, Incorporated hereby adopts a SMOKE FREE POLICY and a SMOKING
PROHIBITION in all areas of the school and hospital premises, buildings and grounds in order to ensure
a healthy and productive students and workforce. This policy finds legal basis from the Tobacco
Regulation Act of 2003 (Republic Act 9211) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Article 8 and its guidelines and the BCHI Policy Manual.
This policy also seeks to encourage employees and students to quit smoking for health reasons and to
protect them from exposure to second hand smoke in light of recent studies showing, among others, that:
Even small amounts of secondhand smoke exposure can be harmful to people's health and that
opening a window or using ventilation, air conditioning, or a fan cannot eliminate secondhand
smoke exposure.
Second hand smoke causes lung cancer, increases the risk of a heart attack, triggers asthma
attack, and causes acute respiratory effects.
Secondhand smoke, which has higher concentration of toxic chemicals than smoke inhaled by
smokers, is a known human carcinogen and an occupational carcinogen containing
formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide.

BCHI sets the following as guidelines of this policy:

1. Absolute Prohibition of Smoking.

Smoking shall be absolutely prohibited in or on the premises of the hospital and school grounds,
buildings, and other facilities. The entire BCHI areas shall therefore be considered as
"No-Smoking Area".

2. Smoking Area.
A "smoking area" refers to any place outside of the BCHI premises and/or properties for employees who
wished to smoke. This is to safeguard the hazardous effects of smoking on the smoker's health, and/or
secondhand smoke on the institutions students and employees.

4. "No Smoking" Signs

"No Smoking" signages in the conspicuous location within the institutions premises, grounds, shall be
posted and displayed prominently. The "No Smoking" signage shall be at least 8 x 16 inches in size and
the International No Smoking symbol (consisting of a pictorial representation of a burning cigarette
enclosed in a red circle with a red bar across it) shall occupy no less than 70% of said signage. The
remaining lower 30% of the signage shall show the following warning prominently: "STRICTLY NO
SMOKING

5. Remove Ashtrays
All ashtrays or any receptacles made for dispensing cigarette refuse shall be removed.

6. Smoking Prohibition in Vehicles

Smoking shall also be prohibited in BCHIs service vehicles and hospital ambulances.

7. Duty of the Dean of Discipline and Human Resource Office

It shall be the duty of the Dean of discipline and Human Resource Office to ensure strict compliance with
the requirements of the no smoking area policy as defined herein. Department deans and heads are
enjoined to ensure that all employees, students and transacting customers are made aware of this Policy
and the strict prohibition on smoking in all areas; and assign responsible persons to:
1) ensure implementation and compliance with this policy;
2) established procedures for reporting and dealing with violation; and
3) monitoring and reporting on rates of compliance and effectiveness of the policy.

Any violation of this policy shall be considered a ground for disciplinary action RA 9211 and those under
the BCHI Manual Category 1, item no. 8, as follows:

First Offense written notice

Second offence 1 working day suspension without pay

Third offence 3 working days suspension without pay

Fourth offence 10 working days suspension without pay

Fifth offense Dismissal

This policy shall take effect immediately.

Done this 7th of November 2016.

REV. ERNIE M. MORAL

Chief Executive Director