Week 5 Discussion: Forum 2. Health, Medicine, Nursing Essay

View and read all of the assigned material before participating in the forum.
Keep in mind that your posts should demonstrate that you have read or viewed the week's material and understand it. For instance, this week when you discuss regulation, illustrating your points with material from the cases studied so far will strengthen your posts. Also, when offering an opinion to your group you should back it up with facts and/or with the support of credible experts. This will make your position more credible and your argument stronger. As stressed in the Academic Integrity presentation, you must cite your sources! If your source is an assigned article or video, it is enough to refer to the author or title. If you use material external to the course, you should do a citation and/or a link to the Internet site where you retrieved the material.
I recommend that you submit your original (first) post as early as you can. Replies should be well spaced throughout the rest of discussion period. If you post all of your replies at one time or right before the forum closes you will accrue fewer points.
Your Tasks:
1. Pose a question: What is your one best question about the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or any of this week's content?
2. Position critique: Silverstein, Weil, and Weidenbaum have criticisms of OSHA and propose solutions. Critique their positions. What ideas do you think have merit and why?
Tip: It may help in writing your critique to understand who the players are (Week 4 - Power). For instance, what is the Heartland Institute and who funds it? Who are Silverstein, Weil and Weidenbaum? Although this takes a little sleuthing, thinking like a journalist can give you important insights into why positions are taken and can help make your opinion an informed one.
3. Is OSHA doing its job? Do your own research and decide whether OSHA is doing it's "due diligence" to ensure that employers are protecting workers from being exposed to COVID-19.
Tip: You may want to look into what OSHA has done as it relates to "essential workers" and what they have done with more businesses opening back up. A question to consider is, "Should there be an OSHA"emergency standard" for COVID-19?"
Whatever position you take, or however you see OSHA's role in protecting workers from the virus, your sources should be credible. Check your sources out with some of the vetting tools provided in the Think Like a Journalist document.