What Will You Learn?

• In many cases companies are not only ethically bound to ensure the safety of their workers-against all such hazards, but also legally and financially liable to do so. In most industrial settings safety precautions are highly regulated by federal and state agencies, a compliance regime that many business leaders resent. The stiff regulatory burden in part reflects the complex and serious nature of safety issues. Some believe that smaller companies, in particular, would have a hard time staying abreast of the myriad safety issues if not for legal requirements, which, according to the theory, educate employers about work hazards. However, the labyrinth of safety laws and regulations has also risen in response to the historical pattern of corporate resistance in adopting comprehensive, proactive safety policies and in providing adequate compensation once an injury has occurred. There is a marked tendency for businesses to do as little as possible in these areas until prodded by laws or organized labor.