Ethics for Health & Safety Professionals: Making the Right Choices
Through lecture and interactive discussion of case studies, we will examine the fundamental causes of our actions and examine the Code of Ethics for both health and safety professionals.
At the end of this course, students will be able to: Identify a conflict of interest; understand the difference between what is ethical, moral, and legal; set out the facts in a case/investigation; identify and select among alternative actions; reflect back. Special Emphasis on Industrial Hygiene, Safety and Health Care (including HIPAA).
Session 2 is interactive—you will participate in a work group. It is very important for Thursday’s session to have a working microphone for two-way communication.
Who Should Attend?
Industrial hygienists, occupational health nurses, occupational medicine physicians, safety engineers and specialists, environmental managers, other environmental and occupational health and safety professionals, union and worker health and safety representatives.
Agenda/Topics:
Is it a Moral Issue?
- Is there something wrong personally, interpersonally, or socially?
- Is there conflict that could be damaging to people? to institutions? to society?
- Does the issue go deeper than legal or institutional concerns?
- What does it do to people as persons who have dignity, rights, and hopes for a better life together?
Just the Facts
- What are the relevant facts of the case?
- What individuals and groups have an important stake in the outcome?
- What is at stake for each?
- Are there other important stakeholders in addition to those directly involved?
- What are the options for acting?
- Have all the relevant persons and groups been consulted?
- If you showed your list of options to someone you respect, what would that person say?
What are the Alternative Actions
- Which option will produce the most good and do the least harm?
- Which option respects the rights and dignity of all stakeholders?
- Even if not everyone gets all they want, will everyone still be treated fairly?
- Which option would promote the common good and help all participate more fully in the goods we share as a society, as a community, as a company?
- Which option would enable the deepening or development of those virtues or character traits that we value as individuals? as a profession? as a society?
Time for a Decision
- Considering these perspectives, which of the options is the right thing to do?
- If you told someone you respect why you chose this option, what would that person say?
Action then reflection
- How did it turn out for all concerned?
- If you had to do it over again, what, if anything, would you do differently?
Conflicts
- What are conflicts? How do you handle them?
- Can you waive a conflict -- how, who can do it, et cetera?
- Investigations and ethical argument.
- Is it ok to argue a position when the facts are against you? What are the limits of such argument?
- Is there a difference between what is ethical, legal, moral?
*Agenda Subject to Modification
Other Registration Options
Email Us: erc@ph.ucla.edu
Payment Terms:
Classes are subject to cancellation by the host due to low registration or scheduling issues. If a class is cancelled by the host, participants will receive a full refund of their original payment.
(rev. 11/6/09):
Participant cancellations must be in writing. Refund schedule due to participant-requested cancellations is:
- 15 or more business days before the class: 80% of registration fee
- 7-14 business days before the class: 50% of registration fee
- Less than 7 days before the class and "no shows": No refund
If course materials such as books have been sent to course participants in advance, the cost of that material will be subtracted from the refund.
UCLA reserves the right to postpone an offering 7 days prior to the course date should minimum enrollment requirements not be met. If a program is canceled, you will be notified and your registration fee will be refunded in full, less the cost of course materials sent in advance if they are not returned in the condition in which they were received. The liability of UCLA is limited to the course fee.
