ABSTRACT
An authority or an owner who has charge of and control of a premises and its physical contents has a moral and legal responsibility toward those individuals who occupy the premises. Similarly, an authority who designed, manufactured, and sold an object has moral and possibly legal responsibility toward the ultimate owner and user of the object. These obligations are usually to protect individuals form physical injury or disease, and in some instances this may apply to protecting personal property as well. Some examples of the responsibility of the authority are (a) the obligation of a landlord to tenants of a dwelling, (b) the obligation of a landlord to a visiting member of the public, (c) the obligation of an employer to an employee, and finally (d) the obligation of a designer and manufacturer of an object to the final owner and user of the object. These obligations may be discharged by removing any hazards present which could cause injury or illness. These hazards may also be permitted to remain, provided the authority or his or her subordinates meticulously and strictly supervises the premises or the object.
