Are We Safe? Essay Example

Introduction

This paper posits to examine how workers and employers deal with looming job hazard situations. Wooden factory is a very busy workplace. There is no time to carry out some important safety precautionary measures. This makes wooden factory a looming disaster. The situation is actually a job hazard situation. Scores of workers are hurt and killed at the workplace each day in the United States. A job hazard analysis is one of the most suitable ways to determine and ensure safety at the work place. A job hazard analysis is an element of the bigger commitment of a safety and health management system. Management can utilize the result of a job hazard analysis to eradicate and avoid hazards in workplaces. This is liable to result in lesser worker injuries and sicknesses; safer, more effectual work processes; less workers’ compensation overheads; and improved worker productivity (OSHA, 2002).

Owing to the fact that the management at Wooden is reluctant to deal with the problem the most appropriate place to report the matter is OSHA. The primary reason of reporting to OSHA is informed by the fact that the management at wooden factory is not only reluctant to deal with the problem, but also the owner is intimidating the employee who seeks his intervention.

On the other hand, it may be difficult to report the matter based on the fact that Littlebury is a small town, and one would be seen as a trouble maker. This is because; the factory employs most of the people in the town. Initiating measures that would result in its closure albeit temporary or raising such an alarm would be treated as unwelcome in this town.

Reluctance to report this situation would result to a major hazard taking place in this factory.  Not only is there anticipation of a fire outbreak from some workers, but there is also the danger of an outbreak of respiratory illnesses. This is as a result of the thick layers of wood dust that is found on all of the equipment, flat surfaces and ceiling rafters.

Reporting the situation to the relevant authorities is the best thing to do. However, this may amount to whistle blowing in the sense that the management of Wooden factory is reluctant to deal with the situation. Whistle-blowing must not be undertaken in an unreliable manner. A whistleblower should consider that his action will have terrible consequences on the company. Therefore, a strong moral justification ought to be present for blowing the whistle. The employees should be explicitly advised that they must blow the whistle only a last resort. The employee ought to convince himself that, a severe injustice is taking place and it has not been resolved. This should be despite using all suitable channels permissible by the Company. The Whistle-blower must morally justify that his strategy by engaging ethical principles, theories, and other pertinent facts have not produced desired outcomes. A fine whistle-blowing strategy must have two phases. The first “context” generates a culture of trust, ethics, and responsibility that encourages internal employee disclosure. The second one is the customary “process” that managers can pursue when employees make disclosures to them (Ranasinghe, 2007). Therefore in the case of Wooden factory, whistle blowing would be morally justifiable. This is because; the owner, area manager, and the safety coordinator are reluctant to take any appropriate action to arrest the situation at hand.

References

Ranasinghe, 2007. Whistle-Blowing – A Failure of Organizational Culture. The Sunday Times Online. Retrieved May 29, 2011, from   http://sundaytimes.lk/071118/FinancialTimes/ft307.html

OSHA, 2002. Job Hazard Analysis. Retrieved May 29, 2011 from http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3071.pdf