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Ralf owns a home with a fireplace and a generator. He has stacks of wood and several 55-gallon drums of camping oil in his garage. He likes to go camping and leaves his home for several days at a time, often with a fire burning in his fireplace. In addition, he leaves his home unlocked. Which of the following hazards apply?

a) Physical hazard and moral hazard.
b) Morale hazard only.
c) Morale hazard and physical hazard.
d) Physical hazard only.

User Luke Berry
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Ralf's behavior creates both a moral hazard, due to his perceived insurance protection allowing riskier behavior, and a physical hazard, from the potential fire risk of leaving a fireplace active and storing flammable materials in the garage.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the scenario regarding Ralf's practices is c) Morale hazard and physical hazard.

A moral hazard occurs when a person engages in riskier behavior because they are protected by insurance. In this case, leaving the house unlocked may indicate less concern for potential losses due to theft because of having insurance. Leaving a fire burning in the fireplace while away could also be tied to moral hazard if Ralf counts on insurance to cover potential fire damage.

Furthermore, a physical hazard is presented here, not only due to the possibility of the fire spreading in Ralf's absence but also the stored 55-gallon drums of camping oil which are flammable and represent a significant fire risk. Given these factors, both hazards apply to the described behavior of Ralf.

The hazards that apply in this scenario are moral hazard and physical hazard.

1. Moral hazard: Ralf leaving his home unlocked while having a fire burning in his fireplace and valuable resources like stacks of wood and drums of camping oil in his garage shows a lack of caution and care. This behavior can be considered a moral hazard as Ralf is taking risks without taking proper precautions due to his confidence in having insurance or other safety measures.

2. Physical hazard: Leaving a fire burning in the fireplace unattended while being away from home for several days can lead to a potential fire hazard. Additionally, storing large quantities of camping oil in the garage can increase the risk of fire or explosion, posing a physical hazard.

User Rudra Prasad Samal
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