Final answer:
Market competition is what urges employers to maintain a safe and healthy workplace in a free-market approach, as companies must attract and retain employees, avoid legal liabilities, and manage public relations.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the free-market approach to workplace health and safety, it is the market competition that urges employers to maintain a reasonably safe and healthy workplace. In a free-market system, firms compete not only to sell goods and services but also to attract employees. A company known for a hazardous work environment may struggle to hire and retain workers, especially if potential employees have safer alternatives. Moreover, the risk of legal liability, increased insurance costs, and the possibility of public backlash can also incentivize businesses to create safer workplaces. Government regulations, employee unions, and social responsibility may also impact workplace health and safety, but under a free-market approach, these are typically considered external to the market's own mechanisms for ensuring safety.