The Right to Refuse Dangerous Work

Abstract

Most jobs have some element of danger in them. At a minimal level, the danger associated with our employment does not go much beyond the regular hazards of being alive, such as getting to and from work every day, the stress of working with difficult people, or the infinitesimally small chance of having a meteor or airplane crash through our building. There is interest in the growing field of occupational disease, where certain occupations may be exposed to contaminants or conditions that cumulatively and slowly manifest themselves in the workers over time. Examples include firefighters inhaling toxins, professional drivers and diesel fumes, office workers and repetitive strains, and soldiers who later suffer post-traumatic stress syndrome. In this article we address acute, serious, imminent dangers encountered in performing one’s job at work.