Responsible Engineers

8/9/2019 Responsible Engineers

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ENGR/PHIL 482--Engineering & Ethics

Responsible Engineers


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Assigned reading

Harris, Prichard & Rabins, Engineering

Ethics: Concepts and Cases, Chapter 5:

Responsible Engineers

These slides can be found at:

http:ceprofs!ta"u!edur#a"es


3/33

!ost "al#able attrib#tes o$ an

engineer

Character: Honest$ & %ntegrit$

'irtues(

Responsibilit$

reliabilit$(

)*ills & *no+ledge: Technical *no+ledge

nal$tical s*ills

Co"putation s*ills

Co""unication s*ills


4/33

Responsible--de$inition

Responsible -( liable to be called on to

ans+er. liable to legal re'ie+ or in case of

fault to penalties. /( able to ans+er forone0s conduct and obligations. able to

choose for oneself bet+een right and

+rong!!! 1ebster0s 2inth 2e+ Collegiate3ictionar$(


5/33

Responsibilities o$ engineers

4egal responsibilities: 2ot to cause har".

to co"pensate +hen har" is caused. to

practice in accord +ith EngineeringPractices ct

oral responsibilities: To recogni6e and

discharge our duties and obligations.understand and adhere to a Code of Ethics


6/33

%as in 'hich har( is ca#sed

%ntentionall$77this is often cri"inal

Rec*lessl$77acting in a +a$ that +e

recogni6e "ight cause har"

2egligentl$77b$ failing to e8ercise due care


7/33

)hree (odels o$ responsibilit

ini"alist or alpractice "odel

Reasonable Care "odel

9ood 1or*s or )upererogation "odel


8/33

!ini(alist or !alpractice (odel o$

responsibilit Engineers ha'e a dut$ onlto confor" to accepted

practice and fulfill onl$ basic duties prescribed b$

ter"s of e"plo$"ent! Those +ho +ould follo+ this "odel "ight be

"ost concerned +ith not doing an$thing +rong!

That0s not "$ responsibilit$, so"eone else +ill ta*ecare of that! E8a"ple: the 9ilbane 9old case(


9/33

Reasonable *are (odel o$

responsibilit dhere to accepted standards of practice, and!!!

Ta*e reasonable care to ensure that "ista*es are

pre'ented and the public +elfare is protected E8ercise and appl$ s*ill, abilit$ and #udge"ent

reasonabl$ and +ithout neglect

*eep abreast of e'ol'ing changes in *no+ledge and

practice

recogni6e +hen "ini"al standards of practice "ight not

be sufficient to pre'ent a har", and ta*e additional

actions to pre'ent such a har" in those cases


10/33

*haracteristics o$ the

Reasonable *are (odel Concern for pre'enting har", rather than

tr$ing to pre'ent causing har"

riented to+ards the future, to+ard a'oiding

proble"s and protecting the public

ttitude of concern or caring

E8a"ple: Roger ;ois#ol$0s actions before

the launch of the *hallenger


11/33

Good %or+s ,#pererogation. (odel

o$ responsibilit !!!abo'e and be$ond the call of dut$!

E8a"ple: local consulting engineer offers

to design a par*ing lot for a church at her

cost, +ith no charge for her o+n ti"e!


12/33

A *ase in point

%n -


13/33

0*-1 case3 contin#ed

"erican irlines "aintenance cre+s +ere

using for*lifts to re"o'e the 3C7-> engines

for routine ser'ice procedures, a shortcutthat reduced ser'ice efforts b$ />> "an7

hours per engine!

c3onnell73ouglas the "anufacturer(*ne+ that and Continental( +ere using

this non7standard procedure, and *ne+ that

this increased the ris* of airfra"e da"age!


14/33

o(e #estions

)uppose an airline "aintenance engineer contactsan airfra"e "anufacturer +ith a Auestion about a

"aintenance procedure that his cre+s ha'e

proposed, belie'ing that it can safel$ reduce

"aintenance ti"e and costs! Ho+ +ill the "anufacturer respond if he adheres to

theB

"ini"alist "odel of responsibilit$ reasonable care "odel

good +or*s "odel

1hat responsibilities does the airfra"e

"anufacturer0s engineer ha'e


15/33

%here do pro$essional

responsibilities lie5 The reasonable care "odel is the best

"odel for engineers!

Codes de"and it !!!accept responsibilit$ in "a*ingengineering decisions consistent +ith the safet$, health and +elfare of

the public, and to disclose pro"ptl$ factors that "ight endanger the

public or the en'iron"ent!!!%EEE Code of Ethics(

Public e8pects it Principle of Proportional Care: 1hen people

ha'e a greater abilit$ to har", the$ ha'e a

greater obligation to pre'ent har"!


16/33

o(e i(pedi(ents to responsibilit

)elf7interest

?ear

)elf7deception

%gnorance

Egocentric tendencies

icroscopic 'ision

Dncritical acceptance of authorit$

ntagonis" to+ard outside regulation

9roupthin*

Cu"berso"e business organi6ations


17/33

%hich o$ these plaed a role in

the *hallenger case5 9roupthin*

Cu"berso"e business i"pedi"ents

)elf7interest


18/33

!isso#ri *it Antenna )o'er

?or "ore details, see: http:ethics!ta"u!eduethicst'to+ert'!ht"Fanal$sis


19/33

cenario

ntenna & ->>> ft! to+er designed b$

engineer

Contractor rigger( a+arded erection contract

3uring erection, rigger reali6es lifting points

on antenna sections can0t be used +ithout

fouling antenna bas*ets Rigger as*s to re"o'e bas*ets and replace

the" after erection


20/33

cenario3 cont6d

Engineer denies riggers0 reAuest to re"o'e

bas*ets last contractor +ho re"o'ed

bas*ets caused e8pensi'e da"age toantennas(

Rigger de'elops plan to "ount e8tension on

antenna section to lift it Rigger as*s engineer to re'ie+ the plan


21/33

cenario3 cont6d

Engineer declines to re'ie+ riggers0 plan to

"ount e8tension on antenna, citing

increased liabilit$ Rigger proceeds +ith lift of antenna

E8tension boo" fails, antenna falls stri*ing

sta$ cable, to+er falls, se'en +or*ers are*illed


22/33

)o'er erection (ethod

To+er

about

->>> ft(

9in pole

To+er sections @> ft(

ntenna )ection


23/33

Antenna

li$ting

(ethod--riggers6

(odi$ication


24/33

7ree bod

diagra( o$antenna

sectiond#ring li$t3

'ith rigger6s

etension

boo(


25/33


26/33


27/33

Antenna section a$ter collapse

b d $ l d b l


28/33

Etension boo( and $ailed #-bolts

+ $ d


29/33

%rec+age o$ antenna and crane


30/33

o(e #estions

%ere the engineer6s actions theright actions5

2o, se'en +or*ers died!

h ld h 6 l


31/33

ho#ld the engineer6s (oral

responsibilit ta+e precedence

o"er his legal responsibilit5 1hat "odel of responsibilit$ did the

engineer follo+

ini"alist "odel

Reasonable care "odel

9ood +or*s "odel

1as the engineer0s responsibilit$ for a safe

and +or*able design "et +ith lifting lugs

that could not be used b$ the rigger


32/33

%ere the riggers (orallresponsible $or this accident5

3id the$ recogni6e that the "odification

the$ atte"pted reAuired engineering s*ills

to acco"plish 3id the$ as* an engineer for assistance


33/33

%hat co#ld the engineer ha"e

done di$$erentl5 gree to re'ie+ the riggers0 plans

llo+ed riggers to re"o'e antenna bas*ets ffer to design a better e8tension boo"

3ecline to re'ie+ the plans, but suggest to

the riggers that the$ should hire an engineerto re'ie+ their plans

Documents

Responsible Engineers