Safety laws

[Old Crow]

Are you for or against them?

Its just a known fact that without laws governing safety, people do stupid things.

Take this for example, this is what my state passed last year:

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131216/POLITICS02/312160062/Michigan-motorcycle-helmet-use-falls-by-25-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Increase of deaths, increase of insurance costs, increase in fatalities. I'm all for letting people decide on how they live their life, governments intrude enough but when something is so common sense and proven to save lives, and money, why is caution thrown to the wind?

If OSHA wasn't a think, we would still be living the Guilded Age in terms of safety.

Do you agree?

[ummmmm-tiki]

In general I am in favour of these types of laws, for two reasons. One, I have actually studied the damages cause by falls or impacts to the head, and it really takes very little to cause serious issues, and there is nothing more saddening than seeing a completely functional up and coming person turn in to a vegetable because they didn't wear a helmet. Helmets aren't perfect, but the reduction in brain injury while wearing helmets is substantial.

The second reason is because I live in a different system, where everyone gets healthcare without charge, and it is paid for by the countries taxes. In this case I am really for safety laws, because since the country will be paying for the injuries sustained when having an accident it should be expected that you take at least the most basic precautions.

We do in fact have safety laws here, they aren't all that strict usually they won't ticket you, they will just give you a warning or two, but they are allowed to ticket you.

[AlphaWeeaboo]

WELL. I am a little split on this. The Libertarian in me says "do as they please as long as it doesn't interfere with others" but also you know, less people dying.
Ultimately I think heavy advertising of safety precautions should be out there. If people die from a lack of safety laws it is their own damn fault. Sure, it's sad and all but when it comes down to it, THEIR actions were what resulted in their demise. Don't protect the stupid, educate them!

[Old Crow]

See, I'm fine with stupid people dying. Its just the fact that their death is preventable, hence the law. What irks me is when they then turn around after a few years and say the government isn't doing enough to protect them, or take the gov to court over this.

[Christovski]

There is a huge difference between safety laws as in making a product that could be harmful if people do stupid things with it, and safety laws governing workplace safety so I'm strongly disagreeing with Alpha, and hope he somehow forgot about workplace safety.

Workplace safety has been a huge issue since forever, people were maimed and killed in droves before workplace safety laws were developed.  Companies has no liability for putting their workers in horribly dangerous environments and situations, whether it be from exposure to hazardous chemicals (LEAD OR ASBESTOS ANYONE?) or unsafe machinery with no guards to prevent people's body parts being pulled into them, or unsafe work areas like high places with no railings, or rickety old ladders ready to fall apart. 

There is a difference between being stupid enough to do something needlessly dangerous, and being forced into a dangerous situation "because its your job"

Seriously, without OSHA and other safety laws shit would be truly fucked up.  I've seen some scary fucking shit at some places, ladders held together with frayed ropes, heavy equipment with the guards removed (seen someone's finger smashed between the hammer+anvil on a pneumatic crimping machine that was fucking disgusting) puddle of battery acid on the floor from a forklift with a bad battery, dangerous nasty shit.

TL;DR: There would be a lot of people profiting at the expense of people's lives if it weren't for systems like OSHA.

[AlphaWeeaboo]

Yup, I should have elaborated on what I said a bit more. I wasn't that specific.
When it comes to things that can be unsafe as a result of the product itself rather then the user (ie workplace safety and whatnot) then yes laws are very needed.