Is it ethical to pay somebody else to do a dangerous job?

[valis]

Something you yourself would not want to do for fear of getting hurt. Or you would not want your son to do for fear he'd get hurt.

[48pan]

1. As long as...

they know it is dangerous and accept the risk for the pay, it would seem to be very ethical to me.

[cestpaspossible]

Of course it is, unless you are tricking someone into doing something

and they don't know how dangerous it is. "Hire a professional" -- how could that possibly be considered unethical? I don't get it.

[DeAngel]

2. Of course.

If they want to do the job, why stop them?

Granted, it's not on the same scale, but I pay my nextdoor neighbor to do my wash (at college). Ten bucks a load. He makes out like a bandit, and I avoid doing one of the most hazardous jobs that I have to do here.

[ret5hd]

3. well, it's ethical to pay someone to do a dangerous job...

that they are trained and properly equipped for. for instance, deep scuba diving to repair and/or salvage equipment.

what is not ethical is to pay someone to do an unethical job that is also dangerous. for instance, sending the military to rape a foreign country of it's resources.

[valis]

4. Well said!!!!

[Rabrrrrrr]

19. or hiring migrants to do the dangerous work of picking fields

which job is dangerous for the sole reason that you are spraying pesticides and fertilizer on them while they're picking, and you can't find anyone but migrants who are willing to work under that condition.

[SoDesuKa]

5. $100 an Hour

If I were offered $100 an hour to wash high-rise windows, I don't know if I'd take it. I don't know what the guys who do it make an hour but I'm sure it's less than $100. No thank you.

[LisaL]

6. Well, I know I wouldn't take it. You couldn't pay me enough.

But if some people want to take it, and know of the risks, it's their business.

[valis]

8. I would not do it for $100/hr.

That's why I always feel bad for roofers... They go up there, bust their ass and risk their life for much less than that...

[skygazer]

20. Most roofers are professionals who know exactly what they're doing

And most of them are people who have no problem with being up there - as a matter of fact, a lot of them like it. I used to work on a bridge crew - we built concrete and steel bridges and retaining walls and it was the best job I ever had. I LOVE being up in the air - put me on a scaffolding 30 or 40 feet up and I'm in heaven. You're up above everything, you've got a killer view - it's great. Sometimes when the wind blows, the whole structure gently rocks back and forth - personally, I love it.

Now my hubby, on the other hand, gets nervous on a stepladder.

[Shoeempress]

7. Yes, we always hire electricians to do any wiring.

[valis]

10. electrical work is not that dangerous.

Just check wires before touching them, even after you've switched off the entire circuit. And similar precautions.

[Shoeempress]

12. Willing to swap light fixtures, but that is it. I will not run wiring

for new outlets, fixtures et al.

[valis]

13. I'm with you. Not so much because it's dangerous for the worker

but because if not done properly it would not only be illegal, but also dangerous for the house and the people who live in it.

[Shoeempress]

15. Yea, those fires kinda suck.

[Go_Nukyuler_On_GOP]

9. As long as they're willing to do it...

Of course it's ethical. I see no problem with it.

[valis]

11. Ok, but how do you address the problem that some people

may be willing to do crazy things because they are desperate. And get killed in the process...

[ucmike]

14. as long as they know its dangerous and have the option to say no

i don't see the issue.

if it wasn't dangerous anyone could do it and there would be no value to having someone else do it.

[xmas74]

16. Depends on the job.

If it is a job that benefits in the long run (such as underwater welding-pay is good because it is very dangerous) and it is done by a professional then yes, it is ethical.
If it is a job that harms many (such as fighting in a war because your lazy ass wants to look cool supporting it yet you would never do the actual fighting yourself) then no.
Many jobs have a danger level, whether it is immediately apparent or not. My aunt is a nurse. She has been attacked on many occasions. Would you deny her employment because of the danger level? No. She offers a valuable service that benefits society in general. So the question really is whether you would hire someone to preform a dangerous job that offers no real societal benefits.

[valis]

17. I ask because last year I hired two plasterers to do some ceiling

work in my house. I have high ceilings on the first floor, so they had to use stilts to work on them. It seemed pretty dangeours to me, and there is no way in hell I'd do it, but that's what they do. One of the guys fell and injured himself, not seriously; but he could have. After that I've been feeling a little uneasy. But I see no alternative, other than not doing the job at all...

[skygazer]

21. That is certainly not unethical

That's their job and they do it all the time. I know plenty of guys who do that work - it's really not that risky and they know the risks up front.

[Rabrrrrrr]

18. Sure it is. We do it all the time.

We pay others to build our bridges, do our mining, detonate/stop bombs, clean high rise windows on the outside, be cops, firemen, and soldiers . . . the list goes on and on and on.

[valis]

22. Given the number of copycat threads, this thread must ROCK!