Ethical Issue of Occupational Health and Safety Researcher - Term Paper Example

Ethical issues faced by an occupational health and safety researcher There have been a number of ethical concerns in both business and the professions. My interest is to become a professional researcher in the field of Occupational health and safety. Becoming a researcher in the occupation health and safety is not an easy ordeal but comes with some challenges. The challenges involved come from the ethical concerns on the occupational health and safety researches. Most of the ethical concerns that arise in this field come from a need to establish a relationship between risks of the research and the benefits that the research will bring to the study subjects. The ability of the research subjects to willingly provide informed and voluntary consent before the start of the research (Ward, Hurrell, and Colligan p. 640). Another ethical issue that is of concern in this profession regards the acceptability of posing the research questions since there is a possibility that doing so would cause harm on the research subjects. A number of people are found to suffer from symptoms, which come from toxics substance in their working environment. As a researcher, trying to establish the truth in this might end up causing harm on the subject, which is not acceptable. In order to effectively study on this matter it is important that a risk benefit analysis be performed. The ethical implications of the research questions therefore become an ethical issue which hinders research in this area (Ward, Hurrell, and Colligan p. 642). Study design designs as well as the way in occupational health and safety researches are conducted pose some ethical concerns. These researches are supposed to be governed by ethical principles due to their nature of involving human subjects in the research. These researches need to undergo through an independent ethical review in order to establish on the suitability of the scientific design and competency of the researcher. This is done in order to ensure that the risk and benefits of the subject is put into consideration, the privacy of the subject is guaranteed as well as the subject are adequately informed on the aims, methods and the anticipate benefits and risks which they might face as a result of being part of the research. A proper mechanism of obtaining consent is also evaluated since some of the occupational studies may be carried out in a group rather than at the individual level. Therefore, the methods of obtaining group consent possess a number of ethical concerns hence making it important to subject the study design and conduct to an ethical evaluation in order to determine if it meets the criteria (Viau p.22). The issue of the getting an informed consent comes with a number of ethical implications. Informed consent need to be obtained especially when conducting the biomedical researches on the human subjects. As an occupational health and safety researcher, I will be highly involved in the biomedical researches involving human subjects. Therefore, as a researcher I will need to have a good evaluation of informed consent especially from an independent body. Before commencement of these researches, there must be a quick review on the research, which needs to be conducted. Before the research is done a review of risk-benefit as well as the informed consent need to be keenly evaluated (Viau p.23).. Communication of the research findings poses another great ethical concern. Ethical obligation of the researcher does not necessarily stop at the data collection as well as analysis of the data but instead progress to the dissemination of the research finding. Ethical issues in respect to the dissemination of the research findings comes up due to the fact that we are living in a society where the media is hungry of the new stories. Therefore, for the benefits of the research subjects it is important for the researchers to be keen while disseminating the findings of the research (Ward, Hurrell, and Colligan p. 647). Application of the research findings is another contentious issue that needs to be addressed. The issues poses a number of ethical concerns in that the researcher may wonder on whether or not to use the findings, which have been already found. Therefore, the findings of any occupational health research need to be used appropriately. In order to use the findings of a given research, a number of ethical considerations need to be put across. For instance it is good to know how the data used in coming up with the findings was collected. Was it collected in the right manner or were the individuals coerced to give information. Having this consideration will be very crucial especially in determining on the accuracy of the data (Coughlin p. 16). Solutions to the ethical issues faced by the occupational health and safety researchers These ethical issues need to be approached in an appropriate manner in order to ensure that the researches are conducted in the appropriate manner. The assurance of adequate attention on the issues has been achieved through a review of the protocols involved in the research. The review involves establishing various risks and benefits associated with the research and the procedure of obtaining informed consent from the research subjects. This approach has been very common especially on those scientific researches involving human subjects. The approach tries to establish and deal with various ethical issues emanating from research on the human subjects (Holm p.2). Occupational health and safety research is a research involving human subjects. These researches are required to follow a given procedure to obtain an ethical approval before their commencement. As an occupational health and safety researcher, dealing with human subject is a matter of great concern and requires to be handled with the utmost care in order to ensure that it is in line with the ethical guidelines provided. Theories of ethics provide framework through which specific moral issues especially in research should be carried out. In respect to the problem above, three ethical positions provides a guideline on how to deal with each problem. These three ethical positions includes; an ethics of principles; a utilitarian ethics of consequences as well as a virtue ethics of skills (Conway and Gawronski). Ethics of principles as one of the ethical position is also referred to as the deontological position helps in judging an action independently from its consequences. The consequences of the action are evaluated on their own in order to determine the extent of the actions. This position therefore helps in determining on whether a certain action has the moral obligation in order for it to be executed. Moral actions are those, which are considered to live up to the principles of the honesty, justice, and respect for the person. Therefore, in respect to the issues of risk and benefit as well as informed consent before conducting the research, this position will be in a position to determine whether the research being conducted has the moral obligation required in order to be performed or not (Roberts and Reich p. 221). These general principles are taken as ethical rules for a number of researches. Occupational health and safety researchers are guided by these rules while conducting their research. The utilitarian ethics of consequences position usually have much emphasizes on the consequences of action. This framework works by judging a given action through its effects. The results that are obtained from a given action help in determining the rightfulness of that particular action. Subjecting each and every ethical issue to the utilitarian position will help to determine where each and every action meets the moral obligation for the research to be conducted (Holm p.3). The ethical position on virtue ethics emphasizes on the importance of ensuring that a given issues maintains its senses especially in respect to a given context. Ethical behavior is taken as an application of the ethical behavior and not as a general consideration of principles and rules that guide a given research. The researchers especially in occupational health research need to come up with a proper view in respect to the given interaction with the community and avoid these actions, which go against the moral values of the community. It is very essential for a researcher to maintain his personal integrity especially within the community in relation to the set ethical values. The position of virtue ethics maintains that the ethical stand of the researcher will help in addressing a number of the ethical issues raised in the community. Approaches to the ethical issues encountered by an occupational health and safety researcher As an occupational health and safety researcher, a number of ethical concerns are evident. As stated earlier these concerns emanate from weighing on the risk and the benefits that the research presents on the subjects involved. Methods of getting an informed consent from the research subjects in that the subjects are fully aware of the research its risks and benefits that will come with the research. All the issues that come about are presented on ethical grounds. The research subjects need to be assured of their safety while participating on the research hence an informed consent need to be obtained. Informed consent should not be based on the benefits that will come with the research, but should also be based on the potential risks that might come about as a result of participating in the research (Roberts and Reich p. 221). In order to enhance on the safety outcome of biomedical research and to ensure that they adhere with the guidelines and address various ethical issues involved, a scrutiny need to be instituted. Human research subjects deserve to be subjected to high level of ethical scrutiny as well as protection. This is done in order to ensure that the research to be performed poses more benefits on the subjects and reduces the risk involved. It is also aimed at protecting the researcher from any legal implication should the research subjects encounter any adverse problem associated with the research (Ward, Hurrell, and Colligan p. 650). In order to deal with these ethical issues appropriately especially in the workplace which is considered as a potentially uncontrolled human experiment, the workers as well as the researchers should commit themselves towards ensuring that they have systematically studied the issued involved and come up with a clear solution for the benefits of each party. Even though there are a number of issues involved with the researches, there is a need for the research to be conducted in order to generate new information concerning occupational hazards. There is no prove which gives power to go against the workers right, therefore in the process of conducting the research it is good to ensure that workers get the best from the research. There is a need to consider moral obligation to the subjects when conducting the research. The subjects need to be put in the first place. It is very vital when conducting a research to create an environment that is favorable and provides more benefits to the subjects as opposed to the risks expected. As an occupational health and safety researcher, it is very vital to carefully put into consideration the fact that workers would in most cases want to take part in researches with a view of accruing some benefits from the research. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the willingness of the workers to voluntarily take part in the research concedes with the benefits that the workers will get from the research. One issue, which has been ethically challenged, is the fact that a number of researchers after obtaining data from the subjects, they end up misusing the data to the disadvantage of the workers. The findings from the research do not benefit the workers. This therefore goes against the risk-benefit (Roberts and Reich p. 227). As a researcher maintaining the integrity of the research in order to address on the ethical issues that may arise is very vital. It is crucial to have respect of the autonomy, equity as well as the privacy of the workers. The responses of each subject need to be kept with utmost confidentiality. This is done with a view of protecting the interest of the worker and promoting trust. Exposing the responses given by the workers is a big breach of confidentially. Another issue involves the process through which the research subjects get information about the research, which they took part in. under normal circumstances, it is expected that the results be availed to the subjects on a routine basis. Availing results on a routine basis might be challenging especially having in mind that most of the occupational researches are epidemiological in nature. It is very vital for the workers to be informed of the results obtained in respect to a given research since a number of the researches may expose information concerning some risk factors in contracting a certain diseased. This information will be very vital especially for prevention purpose (Roberts and Reich p. 230). Notification on the results of the research is very vital especially in ensuring that the workers obtain maximum benefit from the research. Notification will be also very important especially when there are known clinical implications which need urgent intervention. Considering the complexity of each of these ethical considerations, an occupational health research professional plays a very important role. The occupational health researcher plays the role of linking with an occupational physician who may come to give advices on how deal with the risks involved. As an occupational health researcher, it is important to ensure that the health and social wellbeing of the workers has been effectively catered for. Occupational health and safety researcher has also an obligation of making sure that the life, the health of the workers has been protected, and human dignity has been promoted as well as promoting the highest ethical principles in respect to occupational health policies. This intervention should be done to individual’s workers and as a group. This will be beneficial in the sense that workers As a moral obligation, the occupational health researcher should ensure that an occupational health physician takes part in the research. Having a work place physician is very vital since he works as a double agent with the responsibility of caring for the workers. The physician will help in conducting assessment on the workers in order to establish on the level of risks posed by the workers. the physician as an occupational health professional will work in making sure that all the ethical concerns in regard to balancing of the risk-benefit as well as obtaining of the informed consent have been adequately addressed (Ward, Hurrell, and Colligan p. 652). Work Cited Conway, Paul, and Bertram Gawronski. “Deontological and Utilitarian Inclinations in Moral Decision Making: A Process Dissociation Approach.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 104 (2013): 216–35. Coughlin, Steven S. “Ethical Issues in Epidemiologic Research and Public Health Practice.” Emerging themes in epidemiology 3 (2006): 16. Holm, Søren. “Informed Consent : Ethical and Legal Issues.” Life Sciences (2009): 1–3. Roberts, Marc J., and Michael R. Reich. “Ethical Analysis in Public Health.” Lancet 359 (2002): 1055–1059. Viau, Claude. “Biomonitoring in Occupational Health: Scientific, Socio-Ethical, and Regulatory Issues.” Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. Vol. 207. N.p., 2005. Ward, Elizabeth M, Joseph J Hurrell, and Michael J Colligan. “Ethical Issues in Occupational Health Research.” Occupational Medicine Philadelphia Pa 17 (2002): 637–655. Print. Read More