Workplace Smoking Rules in Oklahoma

General provisions. Oklahoma prohibits smoking in designated nonsmoking areas in public places, at meetings of public bodies, in state-licensed nursing facilities or in a state-licensed child care facilities during the hours of operation. A nursing facility may designate smoking areas for residents and their guests if the designated areas are in separate rooms not used by residents.

Employers covered. Employers with one or more employees.

Written policy requirements. Employer policy not specified.

Posting requirements. Signs are to be posted to prevent smoking in nonsmoking areas.

No smoking areas. Smoking is prohibited in designated nonsmoking areas, which are enclosed, indoor areas owned or operated by a state or local governmental agency and used by the general public or serving as a place of work for public employees or a meeting place for a public body, including an office, educational facility, health facility, auditorium, arena, meeting room or public conveyance; an enclosed, indoor area that is not owned or operated by a state or local governmental agency that is used by the general public and that is an educational facility, a health facility, an auditorium, an arena, a theater, a museum, a restaurant (with a seating capacity of 50 or more), a bar, a concert hall or any other facility during its use for a performance or exhibit of the arts.

In addition, the responsible person should ask smokers to refrain from smoking upon the request of a client or employee suffering discomfort from the smoke or who has a hypersensitivity to smoke.

Designated smoking areas. A health facility or education facility may prohibit all smoking or may designate smoking and nonsmoking areas within the facility. An educational facility in which children in grades kindergarten through 12 are educated may also prohibit tobacco products in the buildings and on the grounds of the facility. Smoking areas may only be designated for adults and must be separately ventilated. If a smoking area is designated, the educational facility must also designate a nonsmoking areas in the facility that may be used by school personnel for breaks, lunch and similar activities.

A restaurant may have designated smoking and nonsmoking areas or may be designated as being totally smoking or totally nonsmoking area.

Existing physical barriers and ventilation systems must be used to minimize the effects of smoking in both smoking and nonsmoking areas. In single-workroom areas, a section must be set aside as a nonsmoking area.

Permitted smoking areas. Excluded from the smoking laws are private, enclosed rooms or offices occupied exclusively by smokers, even if the room or office may be visited by nonsmokers; rooms being used for private functions when the seating arrangements are under the control of the function sponsor; licensed premises that are part of a bowling alley; or a state-licensed racetrack or a separate or enclosed bar area of a licensed premise that has as its main purpose the selling or serving of nonintoxicating beverages for consumption on the premises.