Citation

McGarity TO. Hastings Cent. Rep. 1984; 14(4): 38-45.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1984, Institute of Society, Ethics and the Life Sciences)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

6237075

Abstract

"Hazard communication" rules issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in November 1983 require employers to label and post data for hazardous chemicals, disclose the use of such substances, and permit employee access to exposure records. McGarity examines the moral and practical implications of these rules, considering the competing interests of workers' rights, state regulators, the economic cost to industry of providing information, and the protection of trade secrets. He concludes that the OSHA rules resolved many issues in favor of employee autonomy and efficiency, but that the trade secret issue unduly favors employer autonomy and paternalism. Trade secret restrictions also place an added burden on the occupational physician.

Language: en