why markets may not provide an efficient amount of consumer or worker safety?

Answer 1

Because of asymmetric information. Sellers usually know better than buyers what the safety record of their product is. Employers usually know better than employees what the accident rate in a particular occupation is. In either case, the person who has better information also has an incentive to withhold it.

Answer 2

To most business's, providing consumer or worker safety is seen as an unwarranted impost on their core trade focus.

Frequently safety measures are regarded as financial cost burdens as money needs to be outlaid with no recognisable return.
No-one ever advertises "Shop with us! We're X% physicaly safer than our competitors!"

The actual financial return from good safety is in damage compensation avoided but this is hard to show on a balance sheet.

Cost EFFICIENT safety is the provision of safeguards against commonly percieved or high likelyhood injuries whilst neglecting more total coverage by assumption of risk for less likely occurrances.

Too, any acknowledgement of safety involves acknowledgment of vulnarability which is often an unpaltable anathema to much human psycology.

Answer 3

markets can be skewed by sellers or buyers depending on who has more power. generally the scarcer party has more power. if there is one producer in the market and lots of unemployed people in the region, then people will agree to work even if safety conditions are poor. if there is one seller i.e. monopoly of a good, then consumers will have to buy the good if it is essential or very necessary even if the good is not very safe. high barriers to entry prevent other firms from moving into the market and giving consumers or workers the safety regulation they deserve as human beings. when there is scarcity of firms, firms have the power in the market.

Answer 4

not important to them
can't afford it
no laws designed for it

Answer 5

Basically, it is because they do not like you.