Safe Smoking Practices Toolbox Talk

Smoking on or near a jobsite can create serious fire hazards when it happens in the wrong place. Cigarettes, matches, and lighters can ignite trash, cardboard, dry grass, sawdust, insulation, fuel vapors, solvents, or other combustible materials.

This talk focuses on using approved smoking areas, disposing of smoking materials correctly, and preventing small careless actions from causing a fire. Every worker is responsible for following the site smoking rules.

Why This Matters

• A cigarette butt can stay hot long enough to ignite dry materials after a worker walks away.
• Smoking near fuel, paint, adhesives, solvents, or gas cylinders can lead to fire or explosion.
• Improper cigarette disposal can start fires in trash cans, dumpsters, planters, or dry vegetation.
• Smoke and open flames can create extra risk in areas with poor ventilation or dust buildup.
• Following smoking rules helps protect workers, equipment, materials, and nearby occupied spaces.

Common Hazards

• Smoking outside approved areas or near building entrances, scaffolds, trailers, or storage zones.
• Throwing cigarette butts into regular trash, dumpsters, floor openings, trenches, or landscaping.
• Smoking near fuels, propane, oxygen cylinders, aerosols, solvents, adhesives, or paint products.
• Lighting cigarettes near hot work, welding areas, dust collection points, or combustible debris.
• Leaving matches, lighters, or cigarette butts on dry grass, wood scraps, cardboard, or plastic wrap.
• Smoking inside partially enclosed rooms where vapors from coatings, cleaners, or sealants may collect.

Safety Checklist

Before Work Begins

• Know the site smoking policy and where approved smoking areas are located.
• Check that approved smoking areas have proper butt cans or metal disposal containers.
• Make sure smoking areas are away from fuel storage, gas cylinders, trash piles, dry vegetation, and building openings.
• Confirm fire extinguishers are available where required by the site plan.
• Remove cardboard, rags, sawdust, plastic, and other combustibles from smoking areas.
• Tell new workers and visitors where smoking is allowed before they start work.

During Work

• Smoke only in approved areas and never inside active work zones unless the site allows it.
• Use proper cigarette disposal containers every time.
• Do not toss cigarette butts on the ground, into trash cans, or from upper floors.
• Keep lighters, matches, and cigarettes away from flammable liquids, vapors, and gas cylinders.
• Make sure cigarettes and matches are fully out before leaving the smoking area.
• Report overflowing butt cans, missing containers, or unsafe smoking behavior right away.

Crew Talking Points

• Where are the approved smoking areas for this job?
• Are cigarette disposal containers available and being used?
• Are any smoking areas too close to combustibles, fuels, dumpsters, or building openings?
• How should workers handle smoking rules when visitors, delivery drivers, or new crew members arrive?
• What should the crew do if someone is smoking in an unsafe area?
• Speak up now if any smoking area needs better signage, cleanup, or safer placement.

Stop Work If

• Someone is smoking near flammable liquids, fuel, gas cylinders, vapors, or combustible storage.
• Cigarette butts, matches, or ashes are found in regular trash, dumpsters, or dry materials.
• A smoking area is missing approved disposal containers.
• Smoke, fire, or burning smell is noticed near trash, materials, equipment, or vegetation.
• Site smoking rules are unclear or workers are using unapproved areas.
• Smoking could expose workers to fumes, vapors, dust, or other ignition hazards in the area.

Final Reminder

Smoke only where it is allowed, put butts in the right container, and keep all smoking materials away from anything that can burn.