[Passive smoking at the workplace--injurious to health? (author's transl)].

Abstract

The question as to whether passive smoking at the workplace is injurious to health is dealt with. With the aid of the bibliographic standard literature on industrial, social and preventive medicine, all experimental investigations of this subject and published since 1970 were considered. The important results and findings are presented in tabulated surveys broken down by the substances contained in smoke. The present results of investigation are discussed with respect to a practical workplace model whose air-hygienic conditions are determined by legal prescriptions for workplaces. The measured concentrations of the particulate mass and of the most important individual constituents of smoke, carbon monoxide, nicotine and aldehyde make it highly unlikely that passive smoking at the workplace causes injury to health if the prevailing regulations governing the workplace are complied with. Particular attention has to be given to the occupational problems existing in night bars, restaurants and discothecs.