Re: Compensation of survivors

[RuthWeiner@AOL.COM]

Just to avoid confusion, this post is in response to what workers needed to 

be informed of and when.  It is not meant to imply that anybody should or 

shouldn't be or have been informed, that any industrial practice was great or 

awful, that any industry's ethics were pure or impure.


Worker "right to know" legislation (as well as community "right to know") was 

enacted, by my recollection, in the late 1970s (OSHA was 1970) and resulted 

in the use of MSDS sheets.  Before that time, informing the workers of 

hazards was more or less up to the employer, but the employer did incur a 

risk if precautions were inadequate.  Workmen's Compensation is funded by 

taxes on the employer somewhat proportional to the size of Workmen's Comp 

claims.  Workmen's Comp, incidentally, is a really sneaky way for employers 

to avoid being sued -- you forfeit the right to sue if you claim Workmen's 

Comp. 



Ruth Weiner, Ph. D.

ruthweiner@aol.com