COMPANIES across York, Selby and Easingwold are joining our campaign to banish smoking in the workplace.

York-based furniture company Whitby Oliver was one of the first companies to sign up for Yes to Clean Air, having already achieved smoke-free premises.

Retail manager Pat Beaumont said the nature of the furniture business meant that smoking had never been allowed on the shop floor.

However, workers smoked in staff rooms until the company decided to make its premises smoke-free about two years ago.

She said: "We had the odd grumble about it but to be honest nobody ever went out of their way to complain. People expect us to operate a smoke-free policy due to the nature of the business - you don't smoke where there is furniture because of the fire hazard."

Pat said the key to getting workers to accept they could no longer smoke inside was to involve them in the consultation process.

She said: "It's the way you do it; if you just go and say 'right you lot, you can't smoke inside on your lunch breaks any more and you have to go and stand in the cold to do it', then you might get complaints. You have to do it in the right way and a lot can be achieved by that.

"You always get a little bit of grumbling because they've been able to stay in the warm so they won't look forward to going out to stand in the cold but it settles down and we have never had any problems."

Selby and York Primary Care Trust and the Evening Press launched Yes to Clean Air earlier this month, to support organisations who want to form smoke-free policies.

Since then, businesses have signed up to achieve clean air status, while others have been in touch to say they are already smoke-free.

Organisations who achieve smoke-free premises will be presented with an award.

Smokers will be given help to kick the habit if they chose to.

If you would like information on Yes to Clean Air or you have already achieved smoke-free premises and would like recognition, fill in the coupon printed below.

Updated: 10:56 Wednesday, June 01, 2005