Comments on: Occupational Health News Roundup http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/occupational-health-news-roundup-63/ A water cooler for the public health crowd Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:40:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Tasha http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/occupational-health-news-roundup-63/#comment-38188 Tasha Thu, 01 May 2008 21:28:42 +0000 http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/?p=891#comment-38188 I absolutely agree. Although, as Celeste pointed out earlier, nothing seems to get employer's attentions quicker than an article in the Wall Street Journal. We risk diluting that effect when we point fingers at OSHA instead of at the employers who are ultimately responsible. I absolutely agree. Although, as Celeste pointed out earlier, nothing seems to get employer’s attentions quicker than an article in the Wall Street Journal. We risk diluting that effect when we point fingers at OSHA instead of at the employers who are ultimately responsible.

]]> By: Liz http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/occupational-health-news-roundup-63/#comment-38187 Liz Thu, 01 May 2008 18:43:00 +0000 http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/?p=891#comment-38187 Good point, Tasha. You're right that there's a widespread belief that companies will cut corners (on product safety as well as worker safety) if they think they might be able to get away with it. One response, of course, is to make it harder for them to get away with it through more inspections and heftier penalties. I wonder if it requires some kind of broad cultural shift in expectations, too - it doesn't seem like there's as much outrage as there should be when corporate corner-cutting gets exposed, because we seem to be hearing about it all the time. Good point, Tasha. You’re right that there’s a widespread belief that companies will cut corners (on product safety as well as worker safety) if they think they might be able to get away with it. One response, of course, is to make it harder for them to get away with it through more inspections and heftier penalties. I wonder if it requires some kind of broad cultural shift in expectations, too - it doesn’t seem like there’s as much outrage as there should be when corporate corner-cutting gets exposed, because we seem to be hearing about it all the time.

]]> By: Tasha http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/occupational-health-news-roundup-63/#comment-38186 Tasha Thu, 01 May 2008 18:22:06 +0000 http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/?p=891#comment-38186 There was one thing that bothered me about the Salt Lake Tribune article. It talks about Ron Hayes, the director of FIGHT who lost his son in a workplace fatality. The article states that it took two years for OSHA to issue a formal apology for his sons death. However, it offers this in such a connotation as to imply that OSHA is responsible for his son's death. Now, don't get me wrong... I believe that OSHA (particularly federal OSHA) is not doing it's job up to par in many areas. However, in our criticism of this agency, we should not lose sight of the fact that it is the <B>employers</B> who are ultimately responsible for an avoidable workplace death. The employer is the one who should be taking the initiative to provide a safe workplace and prevent accidents before they happen, and it is the employer who should be issuing the formal apology if they do. We should always prepare for the worst (employers not doing their job), but hope for the best (employers actively engaged in safety issues). I know that many of us believe that some employers will forfeit safety for production and profit, but <B>I refuse to accept this as an acceptabe status quo</B>, and this is not an excuse to shift the blame away from the employer to OSHA. There was one thing that bothered me about the Salt Lake Tribune article. It talks about Ron Hayes, the director of FIGHT who lost his son in a workplace fatality. The article states that it took two years for OSHA to issue a formal apology for his sons death. However, it offers this in such a connotation as to imply that OSHA is responsible for his son’s death.

Now, don’t get me wrong… I believe that OSHA (particularly federal OSHA) is not doing it’s job up to par in many areas. However, in our criticism of this agency, we should not lose sight of the fact that it is the employers who are ultimately responsible for an avoidable workplace death. The employer is the one who should be taking the initiative to provide a safe workplace and prevent accidents before they happen, and it is the employer who should be issuing the formal apology if they do.

We should always prepare for the worst (employers not doing their job), but hope for the best (employers actively engaged in safety issues). I know that many of us believe that some employers will forfeit safety for production and profit, but I refuse to accept this as an acceptabe status quo, and this is not an excuse to shift the blame away from the employer to OSHA.

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