ETHICAL ASPECTS OF OSH

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Presentation outline:
• Ethics
• Ethics and Engineering
• Basic concept of ethics in OSH
• Duties and obligations of occupational health professionals
• Conditions of execution of the functions of occupational
health professionals

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Ethics
• The science of human character or the science of moral duty
by Rushworth Kidder.
OR

• A set of concepts and principles that guide us in determining

what behavior helps or harms sentient creatures by William
and Linda.

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How Ethics Fits into Engineering
Engineers . . .

Build products such as cell phones, home

appliances, heart valves, bridges, & cars. In general
they advance society by building new technology.

Develop processes, such as the process to convert

salt water into fresh water or the process to recycle
bottles. These processes change how we live and
what we can accomplish.
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The damage to the Fukushima I Nuclear
Power Plant (Fukushima Dai-ichi)
has led people worldwide to rethink the
ethics of nuclear power.
Notice the issues that come up in these discussions:
ISSUE #1: HEALTH AND SAFETY

RISKS: Danger to current and future

generations from leakage of radio-

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isotopes used in nuclear power.

Plutonium-239 (half-life = 24,110 yrs) is a

particularly toxic radio-isotope.
Normally, 10 half lives are required before
a Pu-239 contaminated area is considered
safe again, in the case of plutonium,
roughly 250,000 years.

So if Pu leaked, -- say, due to an

earthquake -- it would cause a
health risk for roughly 8000
generations!!
Issues (cont.):

ISSUE #1: HEALTH AND SAFETY RISKS,

FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

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a) The possibility of medical science
discovering a cure for cancer sometime in
the current or next centuries adds
uncertainty to the long-term health risks
of leakages of radio-active isotopes.
Issues that come up in these discussions:

CONSEQUENCES OF
ALTERNATIVES TO NUCLEAR
POWER.

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ISSUE #2: DEPLETION OF RESOURCES:

Fossil fuels, oil, natural gas and coal, are

non-renewable. These resources also
affect the goal of health because of their
impact on pollution and climate changes.
 Basic principles
1.The purpose of occupational health is to serve
the health and social well-being of the
workers individually and collectively.
Occupational health practice must be
performed according to the highest
professional standards and ethical principles.
Occupational health professionals must
contribute to environmental and community
health.
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 Basic principles
2. The duties of occupational health
professionals include protecting the life and
the health of the worker, respecting human
dignity and promoting the highest ethical
principles in occupational health policies and
programmes. Integrity in professional
conduct, impartiality and the protection of the
confidentiality of health data and of the
privacy of workers are part of these duties
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 Basic principles
3.Occupational health professionals are experts
who must enjoy full professional
independence in the execution of their
functions. They must acquire and maintain the
competence necessary for their duties and
require conditions which allow them to carry
out their tasks according to good practice and
professional ethics

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Duties and obligations of occupational health
professionals
• Aims and advisory role
• Knowledge and expertise
• Development of a policy and a programme
• Emphasis on prevention and on a prompt action
• Follow-up of remedial actions
• Safety and health information
• Commercial secrets
• Health surveillance
• Information to the worker
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Duties and obligations of occupational health
professionals
• Information to the employer
• Danger to a third party
• Biological monitoring and investigations
• Health promotion
• Protection of community and environment
• Contribution to scientific knowledge

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Conditions of execution of the functions
of occupational health professionals
• Competence, integrity and impartiality
• Professional independence
• Equity, nondiscrimination and communication
• Clause on ethics in contracts of employment
• Records
• Medical confidentiality
• Collective health data
• Relationships with health professionals
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 Conditions of execution of the functions
of occupational health professionals
• Relationships with social partners
• Promoting ethics and professional audit

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