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Health and Safety in the Workplace. Ronald F. White, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy College of Mount St. Joseph. Introduction. The Deadliest Catch OSSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Healthy Workplace. How healthy is healthy? What is the standard?
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Health and Safety in the Workplace Ronald F. White, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy College of Mount St. Joseph
Introduction • The Deadliest Catch • OSSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Healthy Workplace • How healthy is healthy? • What is the standard? • Knowledge of Health Risks • How much research into health risks? • Imperfect information • Unknown Health Risks • Health Risks • Physical Health • Exposure to disease causing agents • Lead, mercury etc. • Exposure to communicable diseases • Influenza, • Mental Health • Exposure to mental health risks • Depression
Safe Workplace • How safe is safe? • How does one set safety standards? • Too high • Too low • Industry Specific Standards • Accidents vs. Negligence • Responsibility • Accidents • Corporate Responsibility • Employee Responsibility • Governmental Responsibility
Issues • State Paternalism • Stockholder Theory • Stakeholder Theory • Risk Taking • Vulnerable groups • Are employees vulnerable groups? • Voluntary assumption of risk v. involuntary assumption • Rights of individual • Right to know vs. right to be protected from hazardous work • Right to refuse • Duty to provide information v. duty to protect • Rights of Corporations • Coercive Offers • Responsibility • Corporate • Employee • Government • Monitoring and Enforcement • Trade-off between Safety and Costs • Effectiveness of Monitoring • Underfunded Governmental Agencies (OSHA) • Cultural Relativism
Discuss the Health and Safety Risks of the Following Occupations • Policemen • Firemen • School Teachers • Day Care Workers • Steel Workers • College Professors • Health Care Workers