Occupational Health and Safety - Essay Example

Occupational health and safety regulations are designed to eliminate or at least reduce Risks of injury or illness caused by work related duties. Some jobs inherently entail more Risk of injury or even death, despite safety measures and workplace procedures that are Designed to reduce risks. A lifeguard at a local pool is subject to fewer hazards than a career diver. The lifeguard may risk drowning in the event that a rescue goes wrong. other long term hazards are melanoma from continued exposure to harmful UV rays and skin irritations such as athlete’s foot. A diver is subject to much more risk. The depth of lakes or seas, with various currents, undertows and unseen terrain create more risk for drowning. Bends or equipment failure are commonly known hazards. Uncommon risks include attacks from sea or lake animals, boating accidents and unreported chemical spills. “An accurate assessment of all hazards may not be possible because they may not be immediately obvious or identifiable” (NIOSH homepage). Marvin Schneiderman suggests that those who work with carcinogenic chemicals are entitled to the same chances for survival past age 65 as school teachers. In fact, he states that the chances of survival for school teachers should be a goal for all occupations. Opponents like economist W. Kip Viscusi believe that attempts to create such equality for all jobs or occupations are not necessarily achievable. It is suggested that costs and benefits of such actions should be considered. The willingness of employers to pay for such efforts should also be taken into account. Viscusi’s view suggests that inequality of workplace safety is a result of a free market economy and attempting to provide equality would disrupt many markets. Viscusi’s stance makes many assumptions. First, it suggests that preventing hazards is often costly. Second, it assumes that costs associated with providing safer working conditions are an organization’s priority. It fails to take into account other factors that may create financial difficult or mar the reputation of an organization, when a serious injury or death occurs. Negative publicity may affect an organization’s ability to conduct business. Contracts can be lost, insurance rates can drastically increase, shortages of workers may occur and fines may be imposed. Such costs may actually be higher than the implementation of safety measures. Viscusi also feels that the individual worker should bear the cost and responsibility for his or her own safety. I agree with Schneiderman’s ideas of fairness and equality, his view assumes that all job risks can be reduced. It does not take into account that some jobs which require more physical strain, coordination and contact with machinery come with certain risks that can not be eliminated completely. It also makes the assumption that workers are ignorant to workplace hazards and not aware of inherent risks. It is doubtful a firefighter will admit that he or she expected a job with little risk. Safety equipment, training and procedural planning all reduce risks to firefighters. However, at the site of an emergency or fire none of the planning or equipment can prevent the possibility of explosion, back draft, water shortage and behavior of those being rescued. They are all external factors that the fire department has no control over. Likewise, for profit businesses can be affected by external factors. “Studies at the national level show that the great majority of economic costs are external to firms” (Dorman). Given the fact that external factors often create the most economic cost, Viscusi’s argument that costs for providing safety may destroy a free market does not work. It is the external factors, those that can not be prevented, that pose the most risk to markets and businesses. The unforeseen may also increase risks of certain occupations, thus disputing Schneiderman’s example of teachers’ increased likelihood of surviving past age 65. External factors such as community demographics and individual values may change the risk for some teachers. Those working in urban areas where money is short and crime is high may suffer from untimely deaths in their own neighborhoods, by students with emotional problems, or from unhealthy working conditions. Older school buildings in poor neighborhoods may not have funds for rehabilitation. Asbestos is a hazard in many older school buildings. The study that Schneiderman uses as a basis for his assertion was conducted in 1971, when all countries were less populated. It was conducted by a US scientist in Wales and England. There is way of knowing the reason such locations were chosen. Facts might very well be different for teachers in large urban areas such as London, New York, Los Angeles and others information to determine risks and probabilities would be to sample teachers in many different locations, working with varied external factors. No information was provided on how much exposure to ‘beta-naphthylamine’ would be required to cause cancer. Since 1971 safety equipment has greatly improved. The same statistics may not be applicable today. Despite the difficulties in applying either side of the argument, unnecessary workplace injuries and deaths do occur. In Japan, where many foreign workers do not wait for work permits, accidents and deaths go unreported. This gives the impression to government officials that the businesses are safe. For small and mid-sized businesses in Japan, paying into the worker’s compensation program can be too costly. Racist attitudes of Japanese residents and government toward foreign workers encourages such business practices. “The Japanese still pride themselves on their uniqueness as a homogeneous nation and resist the idea of accommodating any ethnic minority. The number of illegal workers in Japan continued to rise yearly” (Bailey 2). Such practices are not common in the US, though they do occur. One well known issue involving night workers at Wal-Mart was a clear violation of workplace safety laws. Workers were locked in by the main entrance, while emergency exits were locked with chains, to prevent workers from leaving at all. On one occasion and employee suffering from a heart attack died while waiting for medical help. “An overnight stocker at a store in Savannah, Ga., collapsed and died in 1988. Paramedics could not get into the store soon enough because the employees inside could not open the fire door or front door, and there was no manager with a key” (Greenhouse 3). Wal-Mart has been the defendant in many labor related lawsuits. It has paid millions in settlement payments and lost wages. The costs for ignoring safety measures for Wal-Mart are clearly much higher than costs for adhering to safety laws. Wal-Mart clearly ignored laws meant to ensure safety of its employees and must have known that eventually legal action would be taken. In many instances managers claimed that all doors were locked to prevent shrinkage and prevent robberies, thus protecting their employees. This attitude reinforces Viscusi’s statement that companies “cannot provide jobs of equal safety for all any more easily that we can insure that all individuals will be productive on a particular job.” Comments from managers also included concern that employees would be less productive if allowed to leave on their own free will. In Wal-Mart’s case “the existence of external costs leads to a lower level of protection” (Viscusi). The claims of shrinkage problems and fear of robbery, both external costs, lead to a lower level of protection for employees working at night. What Wal-Mart may have overlooked is the external cost of negative publicity. Several employees said Wal-Mart began making sure that there was someone with a key seven nights a week, shortly after The New York Times began making inquiries about employees being locked in” (Greenhouse 2). Fear of other external factors such as negative publicity and law suits from the beginning would have created a higher level of protection for employees. Equal protection for all workers, regardless of occupation may not be physically attainable. However, like most businesses, Wal-Mart very likely failed to consider the economic costs of its actions. “Decision-makers are increasingly interested in measuring their net economic costs--the economic cost of preventive activities minus the economic costs avoided by prevention”(Dorman). Only after the company experienced first hand, the costs that could have been avoided by prevention, did it take decisive action. The actions of the nation’s largest retailer strongly support Schneiderman’s assertion that all workers should be equally protected. Injuries in the workplace increase costs for replacement labor, drive up insurance rates, and bring about a host of other financially driven issues. In the US, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) can issue citations, fines and in extreme cases, shut businesses down. Such extreme measures end up costing all stakeholders in a business: employees and their families, communities, investors and business partners. But agencies like OSHA are necessary because companies do tend to see only the bottom line of cost. There are organizations who contribute to society through donations, corporate sponsorship and adoption of environmentally friendly practices as “good corporate citizens.” There is a public perception that such companies. What we often fail to realize is that such corporations may still have poor worker safety programs. The cost of work related injury and time lost from work affect employees too. Worker’s compensation and disability insurance programs do not provide full wage compensation. For minor illness, insurance coverage may not offer any reimbursement of doctor visits and medication. While responsibility for wellness may also fall on the employee, there are many conditions in the workplace that may induce asthma and allergy attacks. Dusty stockrooms, poor ventilation and less than sanitary conditions can lead to repeated instances of minor health problems. Such conditions may also promote the spread of viral infections. While most minor illness does not lead to more serious problems in most cases, elderly workers and infants of the employees can experience severe complications. Schneiderman does not include the health of family members when he suggests the equal or nearly equal health for all occupations. Loss of a wage earner in a family can have a very negative effect on the health of all members. Lack of access to health care, less nutritional foods, fewer recreational activities and fewer educational opportunities can affect long term health and wellness. Equality in worker safety may be difficult to assess, due to lifestyle habits and activities that workers may engage in. Smoking and drinking alcohol to excess also increase the risk of workers dying before age 65. There is participation in risky sports or outdoor activities such as archery, shooting, climbing, hang gliding, diving, auto racing and many others. Workplace safety issues then do not apply. I agree with Schneiderman that an attempt to provide equal safety should be undertaken by all organizations. For those working on their own as contractors, there are standards set by trade organizations that many follow. Still there are always those risk takers who ignore safety. The only consideration for those contractors should be adherence to standards to prevent injury of others, such as fellow contractors and customers. Viscusi’s view explains why such agencies as OSHA exist. Many organizations would fail to provide even minimum safety measures for workers if not for some governmental supervision. Viscusi also fails to consider that not all safety measures can be manipulated by the individual. Equipment maintenance and safety features are left up to the employer. Viscusi’s focus on cost does also fails to consider emotional motivations that may drive managers and business owners to provide higher levels of worker safety. Human emotions such as remorse, sympathy, brotherhood and pride all fall outside the realm of cost, but can affect workplace health. Schneiderman’s idea of providing equal risk reduction is not necessarily achievable due to inherent risks with some occupations. Although I am a for any program that increases workplace safety, including oversight by governmental agencies, I cannot say that a firefighter and a hotel reservations worker will ever have an equal chance to live past age 65. Works Cited Bailey, Brian. “Japanese Laws and Policies Concerning Immigration.” Spring, 1996. p.2 Dorman, Peter G. “Three Preliminary Papers o the Economics of Occupational Safety and Health. April, 2000. Greenhouse, Steven. “Workers Assail Night Lock-ins by Wal-Mart.” New York Times. 18 January 2004. pp. 1-3. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. “Precautions for Workers in Disaster Recovery and Emergency Response.” 02 August 2007. Marvin A. Schneiderman, “cost-benefit, social values and the setting of occupational health standards” Legal and Ethical Dilemmas in Occupational Health, edited by Jeffery Lee and William Ron (Ann Arbor, MI: Ann Arbor Science, 1982) pp191- 206. W. Kip Visusi, “Setting Efficient Standards for Occupational Hazards” Journal of Occupational Medicine, vol 24 (1982): 969-976 Read More