ACOSH has worked intensively to encourage the Casino to expand its non-smoking policies. Burswood Casino received an exemption from the Regulations to allow smoking, which meant Burswood employees were at a far greater risk than other Western Australian workers of suffering the harmful effects of passive smoking, known as Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS).

We are happy to report Burswood Casino announced, on 26 March 2001, the extension of its smokefree areas to cover all gaming tables and most poker machines, but this will not include its International Room. While this groundbreaking step is an important one, ACOSH is concerned that smoke will remain a threat to workers and patrons in smoking areas and drift to non-smoking areas.

In 1999, ACOSH joined with the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers' Union (LHMWU) to test the impact on workers of completing shifts surrounded by smoking patrons. Professor Bill Musk, from Sir Charles Gardner Hospital, conducted testing before and after shifts, including blood samples and lung function tests. The tests showed a significant reaction to smoke among the workers in terms of lung function and cotinine levels.

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