Employee Involvement to Improve Safety in the Workplace: An Ethical Imperative

Companies in general have not lived up to their ethical responsibility in assisting workers in decreasing work-related accidents and illnesses. This paper presents a systematic four-stage employee involvement model that was successful in transforming a companyÕs culture to become a model for preserving workersÕ rights to safe working conditions. By changing the prevailing management ideology on safety, the model offers a positive solution to improving workplace safety and morale, while preserving the workersÕ rights to be involved in decisions that affect the quality of their lives.