All companies are in business for a profit, whatever they say, and safety morals are not to get on the way. High safety standards (particularly those that cost lots of money) are set only in those areas where local culture and legislation so call for. OSHA (USA) and HSE (UK) are known for setting the most stringent safety standards in the world, which also costs companies losts of money, always understanding that regulatory frameworks generally reflect the cultural values and beliefs of the countries where they apply.
International companies simply would not be able to compete with local operators on areas of 'more relaxed' safety attitudes if they were to apply the highest common denominator standard across the board. Sad as it sounds, life and the environment are priced commodities as far as companies are concerned, regardless of what their marketing campaigs make us believe. Only when trouble-makers like greenpeace and human right activists rock the boat at home (i.e. where shareholders with strigent safety expectations are watching) companies take notice. When the safety matters at question are heavily technical in nature, like above, they are unlikely to be picked up by those groups and its exactly there where the major discrepancies occur.