Engineering Ethics

Learning through Case StudiesBy: Marta Gaska

Binghamton High School

What is Engineering?The profession in which

• a knowledge of math and science ,

• experience, and

• practice

is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind.

-ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology)

http://www.bom.gov.au/inside/oeb/

Engineers Solve ProblemsThey must develop the safest solution They must develop the safest solution

possible for people and the environment.possible for people and the environment.

Engineers Solve ProblemsWhen confronted with a decision, When confronted with a decision,

they must “do the right thing” they must “do the right thing”

and even predict potential problems and even predict potential problems then prepare for them. then prepare for them.

http://www.followsteph.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/right-and-wrong-decisions.jpg

Back in the 70’s, Ford introduced the Ford Pinto. In a collision, the fuel tank tended to explode because of

• its lack of a true rear bumper, • its lack of any major structure between the rear panel and the tank• the numerous bolts holding the engine that could too easily puncture the tank.

Ford estimated that each resulting death would cost them $200,000 and each burn victim would cost them $67,000 in court.

Total payout of benefits to victims was projected to be $49.5 million if the problem was not fixed.The cost to fix the problem was projected to be $137.5 million.

They did not fix it because it saved them money.

Consider this case study:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Pinto

http://jeffcjensen.net/blog/Lee Iacocca said, "Safety doesn't sell"

Engineers Solve Problems

Some solutions may deal with Some solutions may deal with controversial issues controversial issues

with no clear “right” answer with no clear “right” answer that everyone agrees on that everyone agrees on

Biomedical Engineering ExampleWhat do you think about

genetically modified plants ?

Transgenic maize containing a gene from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_plant

Feeding the hungry?

Or

Disturbing the balance of the environment and creating possible health

risks?

Biomedical Engineering ExampleWhat about genetically modified animals ?

Great contribution to scientific research?

"Cupid" and "Diana," the first targeted, transgenic, cloned sheep at the Transgenic Animal

Conference at Lake Tahoe (August 1999)http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/1999/news99.nov.html

In 2009, Japan successfully transferred a gene into a marmosets and produced a stable line of breeding transgenic primates for the first time.

It is hoped that this will aid research into human diseases that cannot be studied in mice, for example Huntington's disease and strokes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_mammal

Can we learn from an Engineering Disaster?

Apollo 1 was the first manned mission of the Apollo manned lunar landing program, which failed due to

a cabin fire which killed all three crew members, and destroyed the

Command Module in 1967, during a test of the spacecraft on Launch Pad

34 at Cape Canaveral before the planned February 21 launch

Ocean Ranger was a semi-submersible mobile offshore drilling unit that sank in Canadian waters in 1982 with 84 crew members on board. There were no survivors of the accident. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_Ranger

The Hyatt Regency hotel walkway collapse in 1981, in Kansas City, Missouri, killed 114 people and injured 216 others during a dance. At the time, it was the deadliest structural collapse of U.S. history http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyatt_Regency_walkway_collapse

Your Case Study AssignmentCHOOSE AN ENGINEERING DISASTER.

Once your topic has been approved, research online and create a PowerPoint presentation. The presentation must include:

Definition of the Problem: What is your case study about?

Evidence• a factual account of the event including the types of

engineers involved• a summary of financial losses• a summary of human losses

Identify causes • a technical description of the part or parts that failed• a determination as to why the part(s) failed

Evaluate a policy • a technical description of how the failed part(s) were intended to work

( i.e., the designed intent )

Develop solutions • a conclusion of any changes in design, regulation, or procedure that were

put into place in order to prevent similar failures in the future

Conclusion• a definition of engineering ethics and how it relates to your chosen event

Engineering Ethics Resources

http://www.scs.illinois.edu/~eseebauer/ethics/index.html

http://www.matscieng.sunysb.edu/disaster/

http://www.onlineethics.org/Resources/ethcodes/EnglishCodes.aspx