Purdue University Calumet
College of Technology
Department of Construction Science and Organizational Leadership
Organizational Leadership and Supervision (OLS)
OLS 30000: Safety and Health in Engineering Technologies
Assignment 2 – Mil-Tech – Ethics in Safety
This assignment has two parts: Part 1: Your responses to two questions and Part 2: One page report.
Missing ANY component will lead to “0” point for an entire assignment. Therefore, please read instructions carefully.
TASK: Read “Mil-Tech” case study found in your textbook within the ethic chapter. Upon completion of reading, each student is to submit a paper answering the following questions in a CONSTRUCTIVE manner.
QUESTION 1) Discuss what it is you think might happen with each of the following actions that Garcia attempts. (Provide your response in a paragraph format for each action):
1) Garcia goes to his boss and explains that he has become aware of the company’s intentions to use the more toxic paint. He expresses his concerns on three points (a) the potential impact on exposed employees; (b) the potential liability beyond Workers’ Comp and; (c) the fact that he was not included in the discussions about this material. (Be sure to support your thoughts.)
2) Garcia gets rebuffed when he takes this information to his boss, so he decides to go to the union and tip them off as to the company’s plans. (Be sure to support your thoughts.)
3) Garcia decides to go to OSHA and inform them of the company’s intentions to use the more toxic paint without properly training the employees and informing them of the potential hazards. (Be sure to support your thoughts.)
QUESTIONS 2) If you were Garcia, what would you do or what kind of approach would you take? Be sure to apply information you obtain from the lecture/textbook to support your approach. In other words, describe HOW and WHY you would approach as you indicated in your document.
Based on our lecture, each student will need to prepare one page report of what you have done/identified under Part 1 above. First, select a type of one page report (Refer to One Page Report lecture). Second develop one page report.
SUBMISSION of Part 1 and Part 2: Once you complete both Part 1 and Part 2, please submit both documents as one document (See below) through appropriate assignment link (Where you obtain this instruction) in the Blackboard as an attachment.
One Document. Each student should have two document (Part 1 and Part 2). When you ATTACH your document (or submit through the Blackboard), please combine them as one document. If Part 2 is in horizontal format, you must learn how to make Part 1 being vertical and Part 2 being horizontal.(You can do so using Page Break function within MS Word.)
NOTES:
· Make sure your document has proper file name.
· Sending your assignment as an email attachment is NOT accepted.
· Not following the format will lead to 0.
· Not including requested item(s) will lead to 0.
· Going “Above and Beyond” such as including additional relevant information will lead to extra credit(s).
If you have any question, please feel free to contact your instructor.
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Ethics in Environmental Health and Safety
OLS 30000: Safety and Health in Engineering Technologies Shoji Nakayama, Ph.D.
Revised 01/05/15
What are ethics? The application of morality within a context
established by cultural and professional values, social norms, and accepted standards of behavior.
Ethical questions are rarely black and white, but typically fall into a gray area.
Ethics Defined
The concept of ethics means: “…written and unwritten codes of principles and
values that govern decisions and actions within a company.”
Workplace ethical dilemmas are more complex than ethical situations in general.
Ethics Defined (Cont.) Ethics in U.S.
For the most part, industry in the U.S. operates in the scope of accepted legal & ethical standards.
Be aware of the ethical dilemmas and know how to deal with such issues.
Employee decisions to behave ethically or not are influenced by many individual & situational factors.
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Example – Software Misuse
You are browsing the internet and see some software that may be useful in your job. Do you download the software to your PC at work and start to use it in your job?
POTENTIAL ANSWERS: Check the company’s Internet Policy to see if this software falls within
a category that is permitted to be downloaded. Download the software and use it. Download the software at home, and bring it to work. Never use software off the internet. . Never turn down a freebie.
Social factors influence ethical behavior: Gender, Role differences, Religion, Age, Work experience, Nationality, Influence of other people who are significant
in an individual’s life.
Ethical Behavior in Organizations
Creating an Ethical Environment
A company that promotes, expects, and rewards ethical behavior can answer “yes” to these questions:
Do employees have the right of due process? Do employees have access to an objective grievance
procedure? Are there appropriate safety & health measures to
protect employees? Are hiring practices fair and impartial? Are promotion practices fair and objective? Are employees protected from harassment based
on race, gender, or other reasons?
Example – Falsifying Records
Your coworker A recently announced that he has completed his academic requirements for his MBA. This achievement makes him eligible for advancement at your company. Due to the location of your work areas, you overhear a conversation where he indicates that a falsified transcript and diploma was all it took to fool his bosses and coworkers. What do you do?
POTENTIAL ANSWERS: Confront the coworker with your knowledge and tell him he should
correct the record. Notify your Human Resources department anonymously so your
coworker won’t know you reported him. Discuss the situation with your manager. Keep it to yourself-he’s doing a good job. Inform personnel that you need to update your education profile.
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Example – Work Environment and Solicitation
The company has a policy against solicitation and posting of notices. However, you are aware that others do occasionally sell things at work. This week, the administrative assistant for the vice president of your group is selling candy to raise money for her kids’ school project, and she has the candy on the counter with a sign asking people to buy. What do you do?
POTENTIAL ANSWERS: Nothing. Since no one is being forced, its an individual choice. Ask her if she is aware of the nonsolicitation policy, and politely explain what it is and what you have been told about it.
Do not buy the candy, and quietly discourage others from buying any. Discuss it with your Human Resources representative to determine what to do.
Fat the candy, then explain the company policy.
Role of Professionals
National Society of Professional Engineers Code of Ethics: Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and
welfare of the public in the performance of their professional duties. Code of Ethics
American Society of Civil Engineers Code of Ethics: Engineers shall recognize that the lives, safety, health
and welfare of the general public are dependent upon engineering decisions ….
Role of Professionals (Cont.)
American Society of Safety Engineers Code of Ethics: Duty to serve and protect people, property and
environment. Exercise duty with integrity, honor and dignity.
Board of Certified Safety Professionals Code of Ethics: “Certificants shall, in their professional safety activities,
sustain and advance the integrity, honor, and prestige of the safety profession by adherence to these standards.”
Role of Safety Professionals
We represent a significant role –
Deciding what is ethical is easier than actually doing what is ethical. of ethical behavior. the right decision
when facing ethical questions. Helping employees follow through and
actually undertake the ethical option.
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Legal vs Ethics
The concepts of legal and ethics are not the same thing—just because an option is legal does not necessarily mean it is ethical.
Illegal = Unethical Legal = Ethical
There are some legal but unethical standards, etc. A person’s behavior can be well within the scope of the law and still be unethical.
Examples – Legal but ? Sell a packaged safety program – may not work Sell a safety system that has not been correlated to
actual results. Not inform executives of their liability under current civil
and criminal law Force company to implement safety system that have
been proven effective Not staying current – even though our code addresses
this Disregard input of those in the organization – employees
who know both the problem and the answers. Incentive program Company have published data that do not include
incidents that other include (CTDs, back strains, etc)
Apply the morning-after test. Apply the front-page test. Apply the mirror test. Apply the role-reversal test. Apply the commonsense test.
Guidelines for Determining Ethical Behavior (Cont.)
A four-question test to determine if a given decision is ethical:
1. Is the 2. Is the decision 3. Will the decision generate goodwill for my
organization? 4. Is the decision beneficial to all stakeholders?
Guidelines for Determining Ethical Behavior (Cont.)
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Approaches to Ethical Dilemma
Three approaches to the role of the safety and health
professional.
Company’s Role in Ethics
A company creates an ethical environment by establishing policies and practices that ensure
all employees are treated ethically and then enforcing these policies.
Employees must be able to trust their company to conduct all external and internal dealings in
an ethical manner.
Setting an Ethical Example
In addition to an ethical internal environment, and handling external dealings in an ethical manner, companies must support safety & health professionals who make ethically correct decisions. Not just when such decisions are profitable, but in all
cases.
Handling of Ethical Dilemmas
How, when, should you proceed when confronting an ethical dilemma? Apply the various guidelines for determining what
is ethical. Select one of the three basic approaches to handling
ethical questions. Proceed in accordance with the approach selected,
and proceed with consistency.
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Questions to Ask When Making Decisions
Has the problem been thoroughly, accurately defined? Would other stakeholders (employees, customers) agree
with your definition of the problem? What is your real motivation in making this decision? What is the probable short-term result of your decision Who will be affected by your decision and in what way? Did you discuss the decision with all stakeholders (or all
possible stakeholders) before making it? Would your decision withstand the scrutiny of employees,
customers, colleagues, and the general public?
Language of Ethical Lapses
“ Everybody else does it!” “ If we don’t do it, Someone else will!” “ That’s the way it has always been done!” “ We’ll wait until the lawyers tell us it’s wrong!” “ It doesn’t really hurt anyone!” “ The system is unfair!” “ I was just following orders!”
Quote
“Nothing is more powerful for employees than seeing their managers behave according to their expressed values and standards; nothing is more devastating to the development of an ethical environment than a manager who violates the organization’s ethical standards.”
Dan Rice and Craig Dreilinger: Management. Consultants
Whistle-blowing
What can safety & health professionals do when their employer is violating legal or ethical standards?
What about those occasions when the safety & health professional is ignored or, worse yet, told to “mind your own business”?
Whistle-blowing: It’s an act of informing outside authority of alleged illegal or unethical acts on the part of an organization or individual.
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Problems with Whistle-Blowing
American society has an interesting attitude: Even when the illegal or unethical practice in question
threatens the safety & health of employees, some people still don’t like whistle-blowers.
Retribution. Damaged relationships and hostility. Loss of focus. Scapegoating.
OSHA and Whistle-Blowing
Illegal to discharge/discriminate employee
http://www.whistleblowers.gov One more reason safety & health professionals
should encourage their employers to develop comprehensive safety & health policies.
