co-worker has noticed multiple times that the boss habitually violates safety
protocols while using a particularly noxious pesticide. The boss is careless
handling the pesticide container and keeps leaving the open container around.
When left open for too long, the pesticide releases vapors that cause dizziness
and nausea. When the co-worker brings this to the boss’s attention, the boss
becomes very defensive and threatens the co-worker with job termination if he
does not keep quiet. His argument is that leaving the bottle open has never
affected him adversely and so he feels it is not an issue at all. In reality
however, the boss’s negligent behavior is a direct violation of Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines and safety measures. To make
matters worse, the boss enters in the daily safety sheet that “the product
has been handled by him with care.”
Based on the above-mentioned scenario:
•Describe the OSHA guidelines for health and safety and
explain why they were established, and when.
•Describe the course of action you and your co-worker would
take in the above-mentioned scenario. Bear in mind that whatever decision you
choose to make should be in accordance with the OSHA guidelines and safety
measures as well as legal and ethical business procedures. Also, for
hypothetical purposes, assume that getting the boss fired is not an option.
•Describe the effective strategies you would bring about in
the organization to avoid further violating the OSHA guidelines and safety
measures.
•Explain your step by step plan of action while trying to
show the boss the various ways in which his illegal practices would prove to be
detrimental to the organization in the long run.
•Explain how you would negotiate with your boss to agree to
bring about ethical business practices which are in accordance with OSHA
standards to replace his current, illegal and unethical methods.
•Explain how you would sell the alternatives to your boss if
they are more resource exhaustive than the current decisions taken by him.
•Remove yourself from the scenario, take an objective look
at a person in a similar situation. Identify the areas in which the person
would commit mistakes in decision-making in this scenario. Describe the effects
of these mistakes.
•Provide an alternative business decision which solves or
avoids each of these mistakes. Give reasons for your proposed alternatives
being superior business decisions compared to the mistakes committed in their
place.
