Global  Smoke-­‐free  Worksite  Challenge  Case  Studies  Bridgestone de Costa Rica S.A. (BSCR)  Company  Description    Company engaged in tire manufacturing Reason  for  establishing  tobacco  smoke-­‐free  environments  at  the  workplace:  

Smoking Regulation Law No. 7501 was in force in Costa Rica in the year 2001, allowing smoking in designated areas. The company was concerned, however, about worker health, leading it to seek advice from the Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (Instituto Sobre Alcoholismo y Farmacodependencia – IAFA). IAFA offered the company the development of the Tobacco Smoke-Free Spaces Program as an overall strategy to lead to voluntary certification as a 100% tobacco smoke-free company, in spite of the law. The program was aimed at promoting proactive actions among the population of Bridgestone de Costa Rica (BSCR) to turn the company into a Tobacco-Smoke Free Space with the goal of improving the quality of life of workers and their families, educating and raising awareness throughout the labor force (smoking and non-smoking) about the consequences of smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke. Furthermore, it would be possible to learn the prevalence of tobacco users in the company and motivate them to cease using it. Doing this would require training the health team and creating a Smoking Cessation Clinic within the company. The importance of drafting a corporate policy guaranteeing compliance with the smoking ban, both in enclosed and open areas, was also raised. Five months later, after working intensely on it, the company was certified as a 100% tobacco smoke-free company. We were certain of the need to develop the full strategy, as certifying for the sake of certifying, without proper awareness, would not yield the expected results. Specifics  on  the  tobacco-­‐smoke  free  environment  policy:    

It was necessary to set up a Smoking Ban Policy, issued by upper management, to insure compliance not only by workers and visitors, but by the company itself, articulating the following commitments: 1. No person (whether a worker at any level, intern, contractor, visitor or companion) may smoke at any location within the facilities or vehicles of Bridgestone de Costa Rica S.A. and/or where it has representation (such as stadium skyboxes, at the motorway, etc.). 2. The Company undertakes to guarantee its employees an environment free of Environmental Tobacco Smoke. 3. The Company shall assume the ethical and professional commitment to avoid making distinctions in hiring, regardless of whether the candidate is a smoker or non-smoker, and offer equal opportunities to all participants. 4. The Company undertakes to offer education, psychological, medical and financial assistance to those associates who voluntarily wish to quit the vice of smoking and follow through with it, adopting the program offered by the Company.

  5. Violations of this policy shall be considered a serious non-compliance and shall give rise to an administrative process that may be sanctioned including and up to termination without liability on the part of the employer.  Key  actors  committed  (from  all  sectors  or  some):  

Internal Actors: Human Resources was responsible for implementing the certification process (a 3-team, with the Workplace Physician and Psychologist among them). However, all organization processes, in all of their interrelations, were responsible for enforcing the defined guidelines, with the responsibility falling specifically on the Supervisors, Bosses, Managers and Department Directors. External Actors: IAFA. Actions  taken  to  support  implementation  of,  and  compliance  with,  the  policy  (law):  

Phase 1 Work team composition: A work team was formed, taking part in a 24-hour workshop on the 13th and 14th of May 2008, presented by IAFA professionals: “Guiding Your Patients Toward a Tobacco-Free Future”, whose purpose it was to acquire general knowledge on the subject of tobacco use and to guide the establishment of a support group for cessation within the company, open to all workers wishing to get help to stop smoking, as well as offering the necessary reinforcement once they are in cessation. Furthermore, under the guidance of IAFA, activities were coordinated and developed to create and promote spaces free from environmental tobacco smoke at all levels of the company and in all physical spaces, having the goal of improving the quality of life among the population of BSCR workers and their families. Phase 2 Creation of a Work Plan and performance of a diagnostic, promotion and communication: May 31st, World No Tobacco Day, was defined as the start date for the Tobacco Smoke-Free Spaces Program, and October 28 as the date on which the Smoking Area would be shut down, and the company would be certified as a 100% Tobacco Smoke-Free Company. Furthermore, the activities to be developed were defined through a Work Plan with its respective schedule whose first tasks included performance of a diagnostic, administering an anonymous yet mandatory questionnaire, ideally to 100% of the population (see exhibit) and having the following goals: a) Quantification of the smoking population. b) Definition of the company smoker profile, and assertively defining or re-defining the strategies to be followed. c) Identification of male and female smokers interested in receiving help to quit smoking. Phase 3

 Education, awareness and internal communications: The work team and IAFA are in charge of implementing the awareness strategy for all company associates. It was divided into two stages:

a) Information and education through chats with such subjects as awareness and motivation

on the subject. Activity offered to all Company associates, regarding the following subjects:

I. Tobacco Smoke-Free Spaces Program II. Tobacco Smoke Components

III. Consequences of Smoking IV. Passive Smoking

Breakfasts and raffles were also held as a stimulus for participating in the chats.

b) Informative and motivational e-mails were also sent, and supporting statements were

displayed in the dining hall on PowerPoint, such as: I. Strategies to quit smoking

II. 30 reasons to quit smoking III. What happens when you quit smoking? IV. Myths about tobacco use

Written materials, such as brochures drafted by the IAFA, were distributed and posters were placed. Phase 4 Closing of the smoking areas took place on October 28, 2008 along with publication of the Smoking Ban Policy. The closing date of the smoking areas was announced from the start of the Program, so a countdown began, placing the numbers reminding everyone of the days remaining before closure. It was also the most important day for the company and its employees, since an activity was held in which senior company management and District officials (such as the Mayor), National Health Authorities (Ministry of Health), the IAFA and workers were invited. IAFA awarded the Certification as a 100% Tobacco Smoke Free Company. Results  achieved:  

ü Smoking ban effective throughout the entire the company, and the closure of the smoking area.

ü Elimination of secondhand smoke. ü Reduction in the number of smokers and the amount of cigarettes among current

consumers. ü Assistance to smokers with tobacco cessation. ü Improvement of the quality of life of employees and their families. ü Respect for the right to breathe tobacco smoke-free air. ü Corporate smoking ban policy published on October 28, 2008. ü COMPANY CERTIFICATION AS 100% TOBACCO SMOKE FREE.

 Hurdles:  

None

Lessons  learned  (that  may  benefit  other  companies  and  other  countries):  

The decision to implement a tobacco smoke-free environment policy by the company’s management is a mainstay for a successful process, and to achieve the protection of worker health.

Worker education and awareness about the benefits afforded by a healthy workplace free from tobacco smoke is extremely important. Otherwise, any attempt to turn the company into a 100% tobacco smoke free could fail without their acceptance and support.

Overall  benefits  to  the  company:  

ü Reduction in production time missed due to smoking. ü Less workplace absenteeism due to diseases attributable to exposure to secondhand

smoke and tobacco consumption. ü Improvement in the quality of life of the associates. ü Corporate Social Responsibility. ü Awareness among the labor force about the benefits of quitting smoking.