Ethical Issues in Technological Disaster: A Systematic Review of Literature

Area of Science:

• Public Health Ethics
• Disaster Management
• Risk Analysis

Background:

• Industrialization poses risks of Technological Disasters (TD), exemplified by Chernobyl, Bhopal, and Fukushima.
• Ethical considerations surrounding TDs remain under-explored in scientific literature.
• This study investigates documented ethical issues related to technological disasters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically identify and analyze ethical issues discussed in the context of technological disasters.
• To provide a foundation for future research and policy development in TD ethics.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was performed on major databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, ISI) from January 1, 2000, to January 1, 2018.
• Six articles focusing on ethical issues in Technological Disasters were identified from an initial pool of 64 articles on natural disaster ethics.
• All selected articles were in English.

Main Results:

• Seven articles discussed ethical issues pertaining to Technological Disasters.
• All identified articles focused on the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis.
• Key ethical issues identified include: duty of care, mandatory evacuation, and resource allocation in medical care provision.

Conclusions:

• Victim health must be paramount in disaster response decision-making.
• Mandatory evacuation should prioritize health and be justified; otherwise, it may be unethical.
• Health workers' duty of care requires adequate protection and preparedness for Technological Disasters (TD), necessitating clear guidelines for responders and the public.