First, this approach treats employees disrespectfully by ignoring their input. Such paternalistic decision making effectively treats employees like children and makes crucial decisions for them. Second, in making this decision, the approach assumes that health and safety are mere preferences that can be traded-off against competing values. Third, it assumes an equivalence between workplace risks and other types of risks when there are significant differences between them. Unlike many daily risks, the risks faced in the workplace within the may not be freely chosen, nor are the risks faced in the workplace within the control of workers. Perhaps most importantly, unlike daily risks the risks faced at work can be controlled by others and particularly by others who may stand to benefit by not reducing them. Relative to risks I face by smoking, living next to a toxic waste site may not be very risky. In the former case, I choose to take the risk and I can take steps to minimize or eliminate them. In the latter case, I cannot avoid the risks if I want to keep my job, and very often someone else can minimize or eliminate them but this other party has a financial incentive not to do that. Surely we need another approach to workplace health and safety.