The Costs and Benefits of a Well-Regulated Environment

The question of time also affects the kinds of actions individuals propose to manage hazards in the workplace. It s possible that the mine will explode (as a general statement of possibility) does not demand the same level of action as the time-constrained warning It s possible that this mine will explode in 10 minutes. All mines fail eventually. For workers in hazardous environments, the question when is essential to saving miners lives.  

Over time, however, even well-regulated systems fail. The most carefully constructed tunnels are subject to erosion, subsidence, and wear. Roof supports eventually fail. Metals corrode. Mines are dynamic systems that cannot continue to operate on the same course forever. If workers and management become complacent in the absence of any perceived hazard, they may begin to take short-cuts, cutting the margin of safety until they reach disastrous levels. The series of mine disasters that culminated in the Farmington disaster 

To insure that decisions about safety are not merely good guesses, Federal law holds all parties accountable for the quality of their documentation. When management fails to document the reasons for their action, they can be held liable for unwarrantable failure.  

---