Ethics Dilemma - The Industrial Hygiene Report
The ethics dilemma published by the Joint Industrial Hygiene Ethics Education Committee (JIHEEC) in the June-July Synergist places an industrial hygienist by the name of Javier on the horns of a dilemma. Javier is a consultant for a non-union machine shop and has been contracted to perform a limited industrial hygiene survey to insure compliance with OSHA standards in a machine shop using water based metal working fluids – specifically sample for oil mist. During his survey Javier observes that the shop has not implemented many of the “best practices” for machining with metalworking fluids and has identified at least one worker concerned that his recently acquired asthma may be related to his metal working fluid exposure. Not surprisingly, the air sampling results Javier gets back are well below the OSHA PEL. When Javier starts to write his industrial hygiene report he is confronted with an ethical dilemma about the type of report to submit.
Read the Full Description of the Dilemma
If you would like to learn more about this dilemma you can read the full description on the Joint Industrial Hygiene Ethics Education Committee web pages (look under committees) Please read the entire dilemma if you would like to participate in this blog
When Javier starts to write his industrial hygiene report he is confronted with an ethical dilemma about the type of report to submit. Should he:
1) Limit the report to a discussion of his sampling methods and results, noting clearly that this was the scope of the contract.
2) Include an additional section in his report that encourages the employer to implement multiple interventions so that machining with metalworking fluids “best practices” are met.
3) Provide the employer with best practice guidance resources as a report attachment- without making reference to the specific interventions he would propose.
4) Take a different approach: _____________________________________?
Comments
This is a scenario that many if not most all practicing IHs experience in some form or anotherand is agood example of the right vs. right dilemma.
Posted by: John Burke | August 18, 2008 03:00 PM
I don't see how this is a dilemma. He was hired to monitor for oil mist. The workers are over exposed. The observations of the work site are germane. Including the information on observations in the main body of the report or in a separate section is irrelevant. He's signing the whole report. Recommendations should be included in every report where applicable. "Control" is one of the basic tenets of IH.
Posted by: Keith | September 9, 2008 03:04 PM
Keith,
If you are interested in hearing what the Joint Industrial Hygiene Ethics Education Committee thought about this dilemma you can listen to a podcast on their committee page. (http://www.aiha.org/Content/InsideAIHA/Volunteer+Groups/JointIndustrialHygieneEthicsEducation.htm)
Posted by: TCOuimet | September 17, 2008 05:52 PM