TO COMPLY OR NOT TO COMPLY WITH THE GOVERNMENT REGULATION Every summer and Christmas vacation for
TO COMPLY OR NOT TO COMPLY WITH THE GOVERNMENT REGULATION Every summer and Christmas vacation for
TO COMPLY OR NOT TO COMPLY WITH THE GOVERNMENT REGULATION
Every summer and Christmas vacation for the past four years, I have worked in the maintenance department of Gilman Paper Company. Working there to help finance my college education, I have been exposed to many questionable practices. One of the most prominent problems is the adherence to safety regulations. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) requires that a vessel-confined-space entry permit be filled out before a person enters the confined area and that a “sniffer” (a device used to detect oxygen deficiencies and other harmful or combustible gases) be present and operational whenever a person is inside. A confined space is defined as any area without proper air ventilation and/or an area more than five feet deep. For example, tanks and pits are confined spaces. Anytime a person enters or leaves a confined space, the person is required to place her or his initials on the entry permit. This is for the physical protection of the worker and the liability protection of the company. If workers are seen violating this policy, they can be reprimanded or fired on the spot. In my many experiences with these confined spaces, I have observed on numerous occasions that these policies are not broken by the workers, but by the supervisors. It is their responsibility to obtain these permits and sign them, as well as obtain the use of a sniffer. Sometimes the supervisors and the workers will forget that we are working in a confined space and thus forget the permit and sniffer. When someone has realized that we are in a confined space, however, the supervisors have often asked us to initial the permit at various places as if the permit had been there all along. When we work for extended periods of time in these areas, the sniffer’s batteries often go dead as well. Instead of following regulations and leaving the area until a new sniffer can be obtained, the supervisors often tell employees to stay, declaring, “The air is fine. You don’t need a sniffer!” My problem is this: should I sign these permits when I know it is dishonest, or should I do the “right” thing and let OSHA know that this regulation is being broken time and time again? After all, I’m not even a full-time employee, so who am I to cause trouble?
1. Who are the stakeholders in this case, and what are their stakes?
2. What should I have done in this situation? Is this regulation important, or is this just more government “red tape”? Should I have just “gone along to get along” with the supervisors?
