point in time. Conscientious and well-trained inspectors can only observe a small proportion of hazards. Fines do not create the necessary incentives to ensure that both workers and managers will properly implement procedures designed to guarantee the safety of the workplace.
The author presents criteria for effectiveness of any policy which has as its goal the elimination of hazards from the workplace. Having specified these criteria, Bacow proceeds to review the following approaches for how policy might be improved: (1) Abolition of OSHA, (2) Regulation through Injury Taxes, (3) Regulation through Worker's Compensation, (4) Improving Standard Setting and Inspection, and (5) Regulation through Collective Bargaining. The author concludes that of the alternatives discussed, only collective bargaining appears capable of addressing the structural deficiencies that have plagued OSHA to date. This strategy has limited potential due to the fact that only 28% of American workers belong to unions.
Part III "Bargaining as a Regulatory Strategy" explores one suggested approach--collective bargaining--in depth, through a series of case studies, and offers some ideas on how this approach might be pursued in practice. From the case studies the author develops a theory to explain why some unions are more aggressive than others in pursuing health and safety objectives.