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Patrons bemoan poor air quality while dealers worry about their health
THE smoking areas in casinos are coming under fire.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has received more than 30 complaints from patrons, mostly about poor air quality and gamblers lighting up in non-smoking areas.
But it is not just patrons who are complaining. Some dealers who have to work in smoking areas of the casino are also complaining of ill effects from second-hand smoke.
A spokesman for the NEA acknowledged that there had been complaints about smoking violations when the casinos first opened, but that the integrated resorts (IRs) had taken some measures since, including displaying “No smoking” signs more clearly and reducing the number of entrances and exits in smoking areas.
The IRs have been left out of moves over the years to curb smoking in indoor public places. A ban against smoking in nightspots took effect in July 2007 and, in January last year, lighting up within 5m of entrances and exits of buildings was prohibited.
The IRs, however, were allowed to draw up their own house rules. The NEA said that it was a common practice for casinos in many countries to set their own rules on smoking and non-smoking areas.
As a result, casino employees are among the few indoor workers here who are exposed to second-hand smoke at work.
At Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), more than 60 per cent of the casino is smoke-free. At Marina Bay Sands (MBS), just one of the four floors devoted to gaming is for non-smoking patrons.
One patron who visited RWS’ casino, Ms Goh Lee Hwa, recently wrote to The Straits Times, saying she saw cigarette butts everywhere, and asked why smoking was allowed there.
Another, Madam Lee Geok Lan, 70, complained that signage was poor and that she could not find the non-smoking area.
Staff, meanwhile, are also getting smoke in their eyes. Several expressed unhappiness over having to put up with second-hand smoke for long hours each day.
A typical shift for a dealer lasts eight hours, with a break every one to two hours. This means that a dealer could spend about six hours each day shrouded in smoke.
The dealers are rostered on a daily basis, so some may spend several days working in a smoking area before moving to a non-smoking one.
Though some have quit, many others are putting up with the situation for fear of losing their jobs, and have not raised the matter with the management.
One MBS dealer who does not want to be named said she had a lingering cough from inhaling second-hand smoke.
“I was on medical leave three times within the first month of work,” she said.
Others said working in the smoking areas could be quite unbearable as the gaming tables were small and surrounded by smokers.
When asked if the issue of second-hand smoke came under the Workplace Safety and Health framework and what employees could do, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said: “MOM encourages employees who have concerns about their work environment to raise them with their employers to work out practical solutions.”
When contacted, MBS said “all employees working in the casino were informed that their work environment will have smoking components”.
Its spokesman went on to say that employees should talk to their managers should they feel unwell from second-hand smoke.
He added that MBS was “committed to managing air flow and air quality” and had invested in air treatment and filtration systems that are similar to those used in hospitals.
RWS also said it was “constantly monitoring, and implementing ways to improve the air quality of the casino, to ensure a pleasant gaming experience for its patrons as well as a good working environment for team members”.
However, one MBS dealer who quit less than two weeks into the job, citing second-hand smoke as one of the reasons, claimed she was not told that she would have to work in an environment filled with smokers.
“In the work agreement, they did not state whether we would be working in a smoking or non-smoking environment... this is about our long-term health. I think everyone is concerned,” said the woman, who is in her 30s.
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