Question

Studies have shown that companies that present seminars on workplace safety to their employees actually have higher rates of workplace accidents than do companies that do not present such seminars to their employees. Despite this finding, it is still in the best interests of companies and their employees for companies to present these seminars. Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest support for the argument that the companies should continue to present these seminars?

• A. Companies that present workplace safety seminars to their employees are likely to be in manufacturing industries or segments of the service sector that present more opportunities for workplace accidents than the average company.
• B. A fast-food chain determined that the rate of workplace accidents remained the same at its franchises after all employees had viewed a 30-minute workplace safety video.
• C. Workers are ultimately responsible for their own safety, and no amount of workplace education can alter their behavior.
• D. A business research institute determined that workplace accidents reduce the productivity of manufacturing businesses by as much as 8 percent per year.
• E. Many companies mistakenly believe that presenting workplace safety seminars to their employees relieves the company of legal liability in the event that employees are injured on the job.

Hint:

When analyzing support for an argument, look for statements that directly connect to the reasoning behind the claim, rather than unrelated consequences.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understand the argument.
The argument suggests that although companies that present workplace safety seminars have higher rates of accidents, it is still in their best interests to do so. The question asks us to find which statement supports the idea that these seminars are still beneficial.
Step 2: Analyze each option.
- (A) This option suggests that the companies conducting the seminars are in industries with higher inherent accident risks. If true, this would help explain why these companies have higher accident rates while still benefiting from the seminars. This supports the argument effectively.
- (B) This option talks about a fast-food chain that showed no improvement despite training, which doesn’t support the claim that these seminars are beneficial in high-risk environments.
- (C) This option suggests that safety seminars don’t help, but this contradicts the idea that such seminars could be beneficial.
- (D) While this statement suggests the importance of reducing accidents, it doesn’t directly support the argument that the seminars are beneficial.
- (E) This option speaks to legal liability concerns, which is unrelated to the argument of improving workplace safety.
Conclusion:
Thus, (A) is the strongest support for the argument because it directly connects the need for safety seminars to the higher accident rates in certain industries.