Question:
Close, but no cigar. Fire codes apply to all buildings, whether they are occupied by workers, school children, or apartment dwellers. They are not a condition of employment. Working in a certain place _is_ a condition of employment! You haven't given us any reason why society should interfere with the employer's decisions (and the employee's estimation of risk) wrt fire safety (or other workplace safety issues, such as dust or repetitive motion injuries) while it should not interfere with the employer's decisions about wages. Besides, your argument that employers will leave if they don't like the regulations applies to safety regulation, too. Why do you want to throw all these innocent people out of work, Ken??? Aren't people capable of deciding whether they want to work in a firetrap?

Answer: I don't support lower standards for buildings where people are employed or higher standards. I do favor requiring that employers keep employees informed about risks, but most regulation of risks is more costly than effective.