The National Clean Air Award is an initiative developed by the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.

It's the first UK wide scheme to reward employers who implement effective workplace no-smoking policies by giving them a prestigious nationally recognised award and providing guidance to help get their policy right.

Employers have a legal obligation to protect the health of their employees. In spite of this more than 3 million non-smokers are exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke at work. This leaves employers open to the risk of litigation.

Award Criteria

The Award is available as either:

Gold - for premises and grounds that are completely smokefree.

Silver - for premises where smoking is restricted to designated rooms, external smoking shelters or area to eliminate secondhand smoke exposure.

Some companies or organisations will need time to prepare for either the Silver or Gold award and can apply for 'A Commitment to Change' Certificate. This not an award but is provided for companies who wish to implement an effective no-smoking policy and want to demonstrate their commitment to their staff and customers.

Heart of Mersey (HoM) supports this initiative and endorses this award for businesses across Greater Merseyside.

More details from www.cleanairaward.org.uk