ABSTRACT

Historical review of the social forces leading to legislation in the health and safety area provides considerable information about the concerns and values that prompted legislation. In most instances, die concerns of the public expressed through popular articles closely tracked the activities of advocates, concerned scientists, congressional figures, and legislation. In the case of Occupational Safety and Health, however, a substantial lag was observed between the expression of concerns in the 30's to the passage of legislation in 1970. The values framework can serve in future as a prescriptive model when health risks are discussed in the political arena. The value framework is applicable to social issues including health policy on abortion, euthanasia, and patient consent. The concept of the ethics-of-responsibility should be extended to study the emerging computer information systems which will affect human relationships. Further, the framework moves toward attaining "operational" approaches to value problems which can help individuals and groups clarify their values choices.