Smoking Policy
Smoking policy records whether smoking is fully prohibited or confined to designated, fire-safe smoking areas on the premises, as queried in property insurance proposal forms.
- Category
- Fire protection
- Data type
- Enumeration
- Risk drivers
- Severity, Frequency, Moral hazard
- Underwriting impact
- Premium, Condition/Warranty
Typical proposal-form questions
- Is smoking fully prohibited throughout the premises, or is it permitted only in designated outdoor or fire-safe indoor smoking areas?
- Are designated smoking areas equipped with non-combustible ashtrays, kept away from storage and combustible materials, and clearly signed?
- How is the smoking policy enforced and communicated to staff, contractors and visitors?
Evidence
- Written smoking policy
- Site plan showing designated smoking areas
- Signage and staff communication records
Why it matters for underwriting
Carelessly discarded cigarettes and improperly extinguished smoking materials remain a recurring cause of both accidental fires and, where discipline is poor, an opportunity that increases exposure to arson-related losses near combustible storage. A clear smoking policy, whether a full ban or well-managed designated areas, removes an avoidable ignition source from parts of the site where fire load, product sensitivity or business interruption exposure is highest, and its enforcement is often a visible proxy for general staff discipline around fire safety more broadly.
Capturing the attribute and evidence
Proposal forms ask whether smoking is banned entirely or confined to designated areas, and, where areas are designated, how they are equipped and positioned relative to storage and production areas. Underwriters look at the written policy, a site plan marking designated smoking locations relative to combustible materials, and evidence that the policy is actively communicated and enforced, such as signage and staff instruction records, rather than existing only as an unenforced statement.
Effect on coverage, premium and conditions
A full smoking ban, or designated areas that are well away from combustibles and properly equipped, supports standard rating and is viewed as a routine element of good housekeeping. A policy that exists only nominally, designated areas located near storage or production, or evidence of smoking materials found in unauthorised locations typically leads to a condition requiring stricter enforcement or relocation of smoking areas, particularly for occupancies with high fire load or business interruption sensitivity.
Mitigation measures
Where the policy is weak or poorly enforced, insurers and risk engineers typically recommend adopting a clear written smoking policy, relocating any designated smoking areas well away from storage and production areas, equipping them with non-combustible receptacles, and reinforcing compliance through signage, staff instruction and periodic checks.