Ethics - Articles - Page 2

Thought Leadership

A tangled web: subjective perspectives, risk assessments and ethical dilemmas

Part 1 of 3

April 27, 2021

In this three-part series, the role of personal perceptions and the influence of invalidated information on them used in risk assessments will be explored. Part 1 discusses how perceptions are developed.

Missed opportunities and a path forward (it took a pandemic)

Cory Worden M.S., CSHM

March 22, 2021

As humans experienced the first global pandemic since 1918, it also experienced a multitude of missed opportunities that would have mitigated the frequency and severity of COVID-19 exposures and infections. Contrary to many messages communicated by politicians, the pandemic is not a political issue. Instead, it is a hazard, subject to scientific hazard control.

Thought Leadership

Whistleblowers, past and present

How to avoid repeat mistakes and understand ethical dilemmas

Cory Worden M.S., CSHM

January 17, 2021

In this series, the concept of and need for whistleblowers is explored along with historical and present-day cases.

Avoiding repeat mistakes: Whistleblowers, ethics, risk management and due diligence

Cory Worden M.S., CSHM

December 4, 2020

In this series, the concept of and need for whistleblowers will be explored along with historical and present-day cases. In this part one, the concept of whistleblowers, OSHA’s language regarding them and types of whistleblower reports are explored.

The politics of the profession

When to keep secrets, zip the lip or bend rules

Dan Markiewicz MS, CIH, CSP, RMP

August 29, 2017

My job was on the line. Within minutes after the CEO chewed my ear, I arranged a confidential meeting with the operating company president. I briefed him on the situation, described changes that must occur, and I promised to protect his plant management the best I could.

The dangers of groupthink

Thea Dunmire JD-CIH-CSP

May 18, 2016

We all want to be part of the crowd. We want to belong. From an ethics perspective, conforming to group norms can be good but it can also be very, very bad.

Telling "The Truth"

One of the ethical principles everyone knows is “Tell the Truth"

Thea Dunmire JD-CIH-CSP

March 14, 2016

Easy to say, often hard to do. It is even difficult to know what “the truth” is in some cases. Most of us mean to tell the truth but we may not always accomplish this.

The ethics of saying NO

Thea Dunmire JD-CIH-CSP

August 5, 2015

Yesterday, I was contemplating my “to do” list trying to figure out how I was going to get everything done. I soon realized it was not possible – there simply were not enough hours available to do it all.

Fear of "What if..."

Thea Dunmire JD-CIH-CSP

February 19, 2015

The fear of “what if” is a significant driver in making ethical decisions. This fear can lead to positive results • Fear of getting in an accident – can prevent drinking and driving • Fear of getting caught – can prevent falsifying information • Fear of hurting someone else – can prevent unsafe behavior.

When employer and employee expectations conflict…

Thea Dunmire JD-CIH-CSP

January 14, 2015

One of the more difficult situations in which to make an ethical decision is when more than one person is potentially impacted by your action and their expectations of how you should proceed are in conflict.