The standards of any factory setting need to maintain and comply with specific ethical standards according to the laws and regulations that are set for manufacturing. However, that is not always possible, especially if the factory is based in an area that does not require certain common health standards. Workplace ethics need to hold everyone accountable for the workers as well as the product. A factory should put the workers first and keep them in mind to set and maintain a standard that will keep everyone safe.
End customer safety is a large concern for most manufacturing businesses. Basically, the idea is that if the product is safe for the customer, it should have been made in a place where it was safe for the employees or workers who built the product. If the factory is not safe, the product will reflect that. This is not only a legal issue, it is an ethical issue too. Business ethics put safety at the top of the priority list. From the materials used to every machine in the factory, including protective gear for the workers, must have specific rules and regulations in place to keep workers from being injured or becoming ill from any chemicals that are used in the manufacturing process. A wise employer will ask the employees to be a part of the planning process during the creation of the rules and regulations. IF the employees are part of the process, they are more likely to adhere to them. ("Ethics and Production", 2016)
Another ethical factor to consider is the affect that the manufacturing process will have on the environment. Because global climate change is a high profile issue, any manufacturer that wishes to remain at the top, must consider how to improve the environment and how to avoid litigation from environmental destruction. Not only is environmental impact an ethical issue, it is a legal issue as well. From waste management to power management, these issues have ethical issues that do have to do with the environment. ("Ethics and Production", 2016)
For example, a factory that disposes of waste without recycling, may want to reconsider and place regulations about recycling any byproduct that can be recycled, such as plastics, cardboard, paper, and glass. This is an ethical issue because as long as the factory is not environmentally friendly, the business may be sued for any damage they do to the natural world around them. Factories may want to consider the ethical environmental issue that surrounds the source materials that are used at the factory. These issues include where the raw materials come from, if the raw materials are environmentally sourced with ethical means, and if the raw materials are recyclable. These environmental issues are not only ethical issues; they are also legal issues. If they go to court and are found to have knowingly been part of destroying the environment where the raw material is sourced, then they could be sued or fined heavily for improper environmental protection. ("Ethics and Production", 2016)
The next issue is with power management. The factory could use the local grid, or make their own power with renewable energy resources, such as wind or solar, or a combination if the area can support them both. If the factory is located where it can set up its own power from solar panels or wind turbines, then the cost to the company will be reduced significantly. Solar panels are fairly easy to install, especially on the roof of a structure the size of most manufacturing factories. Wind generation is fairly easy to install as well, and vertical turbines are the most cost effective type of wind generator that is available today. It would make good business sense to power a factory with renewable sources. This is ethical because many local power grids near factories and factories themselves are still using non-renewable energy and that is unethical to the environment. ("Ethics and Production", 2016)
Another ethical issue within the workplace of a factory has to do with the safe and secure feeling each individual feels when they walk through the door. An ethical factory will ensure the factory stays a secure environment for all employees. Security means that the workers are free from sexual harassment as well as other types of hostility in the workplace. Each employee is treated fairly and that both genders are allowed to feel comfortable and welcome in their place of employment. It is imperative that all employees understand these rules of equality and freedom from harassment and that there is frequent training on the issue, just to keep reminding employees what their responsibility is and that they feel safe to work in that factory. Not only is this ethical, it is also a legal matter. When employees feel that they are safe and secure, they are loyal to the company and are less likely to file any lawsuits from mistreatment, harassment, or negligence. ("Common Types of Ethical Issues Within Organizations", 2016)
Product safety is also an ethical as well as a legal issue. Companies that manufacture products have an obligation to the public to make sure that anything they produce must pass legal and ethical laws and regulations. All products should be tested for the safety of the end user as well as the product needs to be created in a safe manufacturing plant. If the product is not intended for a specific age group, it needs to have warnings on the product, within the product packaging, and anywhere else as mandated by law. Making sure that all precautions have been issued is another way to ensure that product safety is an ethical dusty that has been completely fulfilled. ("Ethical Trading Initiative | Respect for workers worldwide", 2016)
A factory has an ethical imperative to the employees, the public, and the environment. An ethical factory will ensure that the company stays afloat in most economical situations, and that it will avoid going to court over any wrongdoings from mistreatment, misuse, or hazardous legal issues. ("Common Types of Ethical Issues Within Organizations", 2016)
References
Common Types of Ethical Issues Within Organizations. (2016). Smallbusiness.chron.com. Retrieved 23 April 2016, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/common-types-ethical-issues-within-organizations-15238.html
Ethical Trading Initiative | Respect for workers worldwide. (2016). Ethicaltrade.org. Retrieved 23 April 2016, from http://www.ethicaltrade.org/
Ethics and Production. (2016). Managementstudyguide.com. Retrieved 23 April 2016, from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/ethics-in-production.htm
