Critical Reasoning

[BTGmoderatorRO]

When demand for a factory's products is high, more money is spent at the factory for safety precautions and machinery maintenance than when demand is low. Thus the average number of on-the-job accidents per employee each month should be lower during periods when demand is high than when demand is low and less money is available for safety precautions and machinery maintenance.

Which of the following, if true about a factory when demand for its products is high, casts the most serious doubt on the conclusion drawn above?

(A) Its employees ask for higher wages than they do at other times.
(B) Its management hires new workers but lacks the time to train them properly.
(C) Its employees are less likely to lose their jobs than they are at other times.
(D) Its management sponsors a monthly safety award for each division in the factory.
(E) Its old machinery is replaced with modern, automated models.

OA is B
OA says B but I would have a consideration for A. Can an Expert tell me how correct this is?

[DavidG@VeritasPrep]

When demand for a factory's products is high, more money is spent at the factory for safety precautions and machinery maintenance than when demand is low. Thus the average number of on-the-job accidents per employee each month should be lower during periods when demand is high than when demand is low and less money is available for safety precautions and machinery maintenance.

Which of the following, if true about a factory when demand for its products is high, casts the most serious doubt on the conclusion drawn above?

(A) Its employees ask for higher wages than they do at other times.
(B) Its management hires new workers but lacks the time to train them properly.
(C) Its employees are less likely to lose their jobs than they are at other times.
(D) Its management sponsors a monthly safety award for each division in the factory.
(E) Its old machinery is replaced with modern, automated models.

OA is B
OA says B but I would have a consideration for A. Can an Expert tell me how correct this is?

Conclusion: The average number of on-the-job-accidents per employee should be lower when demand is high
Premise: When demand is high, more money is spent on safety precautions.

We're trying to weaken the conclusion. B looks good, as the safety investment could well be offset by inexperienced workers who injure themselves.

A is irrelevant. One, just because employees ask for higher wages doesn't mean they'll receive them. Two, even if they do receive them, it's certainly not an indication that the additional safety precautions taken by the company won't be effective.