The Vioxx disaster and BP Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Vioxx disaster and BP - Case Study Example Some public management theories were overlooked such as scientific selection and training of workers. This concept entails scientific training, selection and placement of workers (Hopkins, 2008). It is proper to allocate employees on jobs they are best suited as far as intellectual and physical abilities are concerned. Incompetency contributed to both disasters, for example, medical researchers involved in the manufacturing of Vioxx failed to meet all the scientific/intellectual demands for safe production (Ellsberg & Gerstein, 2008). Mutual collaboration of workers and management is another important concept that could help avoid such disasters. Cordial relations and active cooperation between workers and management enhances communication at the workplace. Disconnect between workers and management primarily caused the BP tragedy and six workers were dismissed upon accusations from officials of negligence and failing to sound an evacuation alarm. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Vioxx, into the United States’ market in 1999. The Vioxx disaster occurred between 1999 and 2004. More than one hundred million prescriptions were made in the United States of America alone and it caused enormous deaths and injuries (Abraham & Davis, 2013). It was established that the drug (painkiller) caused stroke and cardiovascular complications. Merck & Company, which was responsible for manufacturing the drug was accused of misleading patients and doctors about the drug’s safety; fabricating research results to suit the company’s interests and thwarting an FDA’s agent from revealing the complexities associated with the drug – it skirted federal drug regulations (Hopkins, 2008). Before its withdrawal from the market, in 2004, more that 25 million Americans who used the drug and it had caused over 38,000 deaths (Ellsberg & Gerstein, 2008). Texas City BP explosion occurred in 2005. It had resulted in 15 deaths