2. • Written set of guidelines issued by an organization to its members
to help them conduct their actions in accordance with its values &
ethical standards
• Guideline—recommended practice that allows some discretion in
its interpretation, implementation or use
• Conduct—general behavior expressed in actions, reactions or
inactions of an entity
• Values—Important, enduring beliefs / ideals shared by members of
a culture pertaining to that which is good & what is not; exert major
influence on behavior of an individual & serve as broad guidelines
in all situations
• Ethical Standards—principles that when followed, promote values
such as trust, good behavior, fairness and/or kindness
What is a code of ethics?
3. • Adopted by an organization to assist those in the organization
(generally the decision-makers) to understand the difference
between “right” & “wrong” & to apply this understanding to
their decision-making
• May set out:
– General principles about organization’s beliefs on matters
such as mission, quality, privacy, environment, etc.
– Delineate procedures to determine if a violation of the
code has occurred, & if so, what actions to be taken /
imposed
What is a code of ethics? (cont.)
4. • Based on ethical relativism — anything can be
construed as good or bad under the assumption
that the judgment is relative to the situation in
which we find ourselves
• No absolute standard — we may still disagree
among ourselves regarding “the right thing to do”
What is a code of ethics? (cont.)
5. “The single largest problem in ethics is the
inability to recognize ethical issues.”
Rushworth M. Kidder, Ethicist
Association Management
October 1999
What is good ethical behavior?
6. • Increased competitiveness in business
• Changing social values
• Cultural shifts (new role models)
• Globalization and decentralization of Business
- Global Supply Chain
• Technological advances
• Cultural misunderstanding
Factors That Increase the
Likelihood of Ethical Misconduct
7. • Competition with peers 39%
• Lack of training in ethics 36%
• Poor implementation of design 35%
• Lack of communication skills 33%
• Pressures not related to job 15%
• Pressure caused by economic implications of result
• On the job Pressure
Causes of IH Ethical Dilemmas
New Jersey 1994*
9. • You witness what you believe is a clear
violation of the code by one of your
professional peers who is a CIH.
Scenario
10. • A. Contact ABIH, ACGIH, and/or AIHA and report the
incident;
• B. Submit a written allegation of a breach of ethical duty
or professional responsibility to the chair of the JIHEEC;
or
• C. Explain to the peer that they are violating the code
and give them an opportunity to correct the situation
before taking further action. If it remains unresolved
then you could submit a written allegation of a breach of
ethical duty or professional responsibility to ABIH.
Do You:
12. • A hygienist in India is to assess employee exposure to airborne
asbestos. The main purpose of this assessment is for regulatory
compliance. The India limit for exposure to (Chrysotile) asbestos is
1.0 fibers/cc whereas the ACGIH limit is 0.1 fiber/cc. The hygienist
finds the measured exposure as 0.5 fibers /cc and reports to his
management. The management is happy over the outcome
because the measured exposure is in compliance with the country
limit and the matter is closed. The hygienist knows that the 0.5
fiber/cc exposure, although in compliance with the country limit, is
not protective enough.
• What is the hygienist supposed to do?
Unethical or Incompetent?
13. • A hygienist in China is measuring worker exposure to trichloroethylene
using an activated charcoal tube and sending the sample to a local lab.
The local lab is government approved and uses sorbet tubes with only
one section (no back up section because it saves a second analytical
determination). The result obtained (from analyzing only the front
section) could possibly be lower than the actual concentration but is
acceptable to the local authorities because the method (using only the
front section) is acceptable in China. The company that employs the
hygienist is satisfied with the outcome because it is in compliance
based on the country method.
• Is the hygienist being unethical in not insisting on the use of proper
NIOSH method?
Unethical or Incompetent?
14. • Inform the management that the exposure is “over the
limit” considering more protective and acceptable ACGIH
TLV limits and shut up?
• Insist that the management follow the lower ACGIH limit
which is considered more protective in the profession?
• Accept the management’s decision (that compliance with
the country limit is good enough and do nothing?
• By doing nothing (beyond showing compliance with the
country limit), is the hygienist being unethical?
Unethical or Incompetent?
15. MAKING CLEAR DISTINTINCTIONS
Criminal vs. unethical behavior
Is threatening a State Governor by a CIH for
not supporting health and safety legislation
the State unethical ?
17. ‘With each new report of lead detected on a made-in
china toy, Americans express outrage: These toys could
poison children. But Chinese workers making the toys
and countless other products for America - touch and
inhale toxic and carcinogenic materials every day all
day long’
Loretta Tofani
Salk Lake Tribune
Global Supply Chain
Broken Links
18. • Health and Safety has changed and started to
embrace social issues
• And while the public is very sensitive to
traditional concepts of health and safety, the
ongoing debate on corporate responsibility is
broadening the definition of Health and
Safety beyond fatalities and lost time injuries
Corporate Social Responsibility
A New Blueprint for Health and Safety
19. • Can we really influence ethical conduct of suppliers?
• Is it unethical for a major company to have vastly
different levels of IH and safety practice between its
own facilities vs. at supplier facilities that
manufactures products under company brand
names?
• Is it unethical for a company not to have a clear CSR
policy and practice?
Industrial Hygiene Ethics beyond the
practice of IH profession
Global Supply Chain
20. The Industrial Hygienist himself is ethical and complies with the
professional code of ethics but his company is engaged in some
questionable business practices. These include kickbacks,
accepting gratuities from suppliers, and exaggerating EHS
accomplishments in their annual SEC filing.
• What should the hygienist do?
• Is he being unethical by ignoring his company policies which
he knows are contrary to his own code of ethics? Can he be
sanctioned for not doing anything?
• How does the hygienist reconcile his/her own code of ethics
with the company’s practices?
Scenario
21. ‘A hygienist works for a multinational company that has outsourced
most of their hazardous tasks, including electroplating and
degreasing, to a small local company that has no IH capability. At the
suggestion of the multinational company, the supplier has agreed to
implement basic HS measures but in reality does not have the
knowhow or the will to control exposures. The result is the exposure
of workers to hazardous concentrations. The multinational company
hygienist reports to his corporation but the company tells him,” We
can only warn the supplier. They are not our employees so there is
nothing we can do.”
• What should the hygienist do? Is doing nothing a violation of his
professional code?
Global Supply Chain
22. • Is it unethical for a company to outsource hazardous
tasks knowing that the workers will be exposed to
hazardous concentrations at the supplier’s facility?
• Is it unethical for a company to have vastly different
levels of IH controls at their own facilities and that of
the supplier who makes their brand name products?
Cultural Dilemmas
After careful consideration, much deliberation, & solid legal advice, the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) decided to develop a new, enforceable Code of Ethics for all ABIH-certified professionals, applicants, & examinees. The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), AIHA’s Academy of Industrial Hygiene (AIH), & ACGIH® have created a set of principles that will complement the enforceable Code of Ethics for AIHA, AIH, & ACGIH which they will share. Though the Member Ethical Principles document was developed in cooperation with ABIH & is based on the same concepts as its newly-approved & enforceable Code of Ethics, the joint principles are not enforceable; rather, the document represents shared member ethical principles. These principles were available for member input & were approved by both the AIHA & ACGIH Boards of Directors
