Engineering Ethics Essay

pointing clean philosophy EssayEngineers tend to pattern their profession as members of teams, led and whileaged by senior engineers who be employees, nonwithstanding though they also assume the role of employers in com go tear downy aspects of their relationships with their juniorsThe more than senior engineers tend to be concerned with the leadership and management of immense resources of men, materials and finance over which they give birth controlIt is the juniors who argon more problematical in the detailed technical enforce of the profession and technical focalization comes from middle levels of the organizational structureManagement implies responsibility and in engineer management, the passkey engineer is responsible in a very manoeuvre sense for control over the resources of the residential beaEngineering at that placefore, is a unique(p) profession in which either of the marks of the superior man build crucial importancehe mustiness have laid-b ack-level skills and he must develop different skills as his cargoner advanceshe must have a strong motivation for service beca practice everything he does impinges on the company in round way or otherThe totall(a)y community is the ultimate client rather than the individual clients as in the case with other professions2.2 standards and ProfessionalismEngineering is closely involved in gentleman relations and in business and commerceA coarse many of the special problems in personal conduct met by engineers atomic number 18 deally to grow from this factEthics delegacy any(prenominal)thing more than integrity and examples , it carries an additional con nonation of indemnifynessThe mandate is a parameter of the principles of rightness, of broad scope and with enough detail to enable an intelligent man to deduce for himself the course of his avow paid conductThe essence of all professional encrypts is that the professional man must be worthy, through with(predicate ) his conduct, of the authority placed in him by the community and his colleaguesTo act every spatial relation in a manner that will add to the confidence and assess in which his profession is held by the communityA profession is no better than its individual members. If they do not have the professional side and live by the rules of the profession, they have no professionMost professional engineers adopt an institutional place of the organizations of the professiondeserving, even requiring, the faithfulness of individually engineer as an expression of his identity as a professional engineerorganizations ar the manifestation of the professional entity and they require the giving of effort, loyalty and financial support without thought to direct personal gain submissive catch up with of the professional organizations support is given, nearlytimes grudgingly, on the basis of an pass judgment return in some tangible formThe instrumental view should have no place in the value system of the man who aspires to true professional status2.3 Engineers and SocietyWe be responsible for our own imageIf we want the unexclusive to appreciate our work then we must first do an excellent jobWe must be aware of technological advancements, be designers instead of users and get involved in question and victimizationWe have the brains, the engine room and the expertise, we just charter effort and lading from ourselvesEngineers cater not only the necessary human resources for the infrastructure development of a coun generate nevertheless also important devices necessary for the well-being of the publicEngineers yield a degree of influence over formulators of policies and conclusiveness answerrs. If this influence is based on the self- matter tos of individuals or a minority in which case the interests and welfare of the wider community becomes of secondary importance. Corruption is an extreme spokesperson of thisBe produce of the signifi arsece and influence of professionals in society, the value systems which govern their lives and attitudes are supernumerary to say, of great importanceBy professional moral philosophy or professionalism, wiz is referring to a philosophy of work that values and emphasizes the positive qualities in a job or occupationOne would also need to pass the wider implications of ones occupation in social and righteous contexts2.4 ordinance of EthicsIn every profession, there are various sets of positive qualities. One, a normal set of qualities which pertain to any job or occupation like dedication, diligence and honestyA second set of positive qualities are those which are fact to the job or occupation at give-up the ghostThe third category is professional ethics and this is the category of social and righteous awareness of the implication or effects of ones job on the wider community and environmentEthicsEthics is the study of chasteity. It studies which actions, goals, principles, policies, and na tural laws are virtuously confirmIt refers to moral values that are sound, actions that are morally required (right) or morally permissible (all right), policies and laws that are desirableAccordingly, engineering ethics comprises of the responsibilities and rights that ought to be endorsed by those engaged in engineering, and also of desirable ideals and personal commitments in engineeringEngineering ethics is the study of the decisions, policies, and values that are morally desirable in engineering practice and research exampleity concerns watch over for persons, both others and ourselvesIt involves being fair and just, meeting obligations and respecting rights, and not causing unnecessary harm by dishonesty and crueltyIn addition, it involves ideals of character, such as integrity, gratitude, and willingness to help people in severe distressAnd it implies minimizing ache to animals and deadening to the environmentAs tie in to engineering ethics, these skills include the f ollowing clean-living awareness proficiency in recognizing moral problems and issues in engineering persuasive moral reasoning Comprehending, clarifying, and assessing arguments on opposing sides of moral issuesMoral ropiness Forming consistent and comprehensive viewpoints based upon a consideration of relevant factsMoral imagination Discerning alternative responses to moral issues and receptivity to creative solutions for virtual(a) difficultiesMoral communication Precision in the use of a ordinary ethical language, a skill needed to express and support ones moral views adequately to othersMoral sensibleness The willingness and ability to be morally reasonableRespect for persons Genuine concern for the well-being of others as well as oneselfTolerance of diversity Within a broad range, respect for cultural and religious differences, and acceptance of reasonable differences in moral perspectivesMoral desire Enriched appreciation of the possibilities of using rational dialogu e in resolving moral strugglesIntegrity Maintaining moral integrity, and integrating ones professional life and personal convictions.2.4.2 Meanings of debt instrumentObligations.Responsibilities are obligations-types of actions that are morally mandatory. around obligations are incumbent on each of us, such as to be honest, fair, and decentOther obligations are role responsibilities, acquired when we take on special roles such as parents, employees, or professionalsAccountableBeing responsible means drawable. This means having the oecumenical capacities for moral agency, including the capacity to understand and act on moral reasonsIt also means being answerable for meeting particular obligations, that is, liable to be held to account by other people in general or by ad hoc individuals in positions of authorityWe can be called upon to explain wherefore we acted as we did, perhaps providing a justification or perhaps whirl reasonable excusesWrongdoing takes two primary formsv oluntary erroneous belief and inadvertenceVoluntary actions occur when we k advanced what we were doing was wrong and we were not coercedSome voluntary wrongdoing is recklessness, that is, flagrant disregard of cognise risks and responsibilitiesOther voluntary wrongdoing is over callable to weakness of will, whereby we give in to temptation or fail to try hard enoughNegligence occurs when we unintentionally fail to exercise due care in meeting responsibilities. We might not have known what we were doing, but we should haveConscientiousMorally admirable engineers accept their obligations and are conscientious in meeting them. They diligently try to do the right thing, and they largely succeed in doing so, even under difficult component2.4.3 KEY CONCEPTS respectable dilemmas, or moral dilemmas situations in which reasons, conflict, or in which the application of moral values is problematic, and it is not immediately obvious what should be doneSteps in resolving ethical dilemmas (1) Moral pellucidness Identify the relevant moral values(2) Conceptual clarity(3) advised nigh the facts. Obtain relevant information(4) Informed about the options argue all genuine options(5) Well-reasoned Make a reasonable decisionRight-wrong, better-worse Some ethical dilemmas have solution that are either right (obligatory) or wrong (morally forbidden) other dilemmas have more that one permissible solution, some of which are better or worse that others either in some respects or overall2.4.4 Importance of codes of ethicsCodes of ethics introduce the moral responsibilities of engineers as seen by the profession and as represented by a professional societyBecause they express the professions collective commitment to ethics, codes are important in stressing engineers responsibilities and also the freedom to exercise themThe essential roles of codes of ethics(1) serving and protecting the public(2) providing guidance(3) offering inspiration(4) establishing dual-lane standard s(5) contributing to education(6) deterring wrongdoing(7) strengthening a professions image2.5 Regulations on professional conducts entirely professional groups have two main characteristics(1) Professionals in the same discipline institutionalize themselves into a professional body with acknowledge standards of academic and practice qualifications for membership.(2) The professional body has a Code of Ethics to govern the conduct of its members and disciplinary procedures in the event of breach of such Code.When we speak of a Code of Ethics, we are not talking about lawIn the Code of Ethics, our concern is with what is morally right or wrongSituations which require the Professional Engineer to consider the morality of his actions arise under circumstances in which they may exist conflict of interest in the midst of the individual professional and any or all of the entities with which he has to interact i.e. Community, Employer, Clients and/or PeersThe professional owes a duty of care towards those he serves in ensuring that their interests are protected, and in this respect, there is a guideline which is what the Code of Ethics is all aboutThe three Professional Engineering bodies in Malaysia have complementary functions in the regulation of professional conductAll three bodies have their own Code of Ethics designed to hold their specific requirements according to the objectives for which each body is constitutedIEM Code of EthicsThe Code of Ethics of IEM, lays down general guidelines for the conduct of members vis--vis his relationships and transactions with(1) The community(2) The Employer(3) Clients(4) PeersThe IEM Regulations on Professional Conduct tend to be general because the IEM comprises a very wide cross-section of engineering disciplines as well as types of professional employment and businessesIEM Code embraces many areas involving moral and philosophical considerations including public guard and health, conservation of resources and environm ent, upgrading of technology, assuming responsibility within ones competenceThe IEM code also includes the dos and donts in the conduct of affairs between Engineer and employee, clients and peersWhile the dos and donts are clear cut and easily understood, the moral and philosophical issues can be yield to various interpretation mesa of Engineers Code of Professional ConductUnder Section 15 of the Engineers telephone number 1967, the Board may order the cancellation of the registration of any engineer, if-(1) he is sheepish of fraud, dishonesty ormoral turpitude(2) he accepts illicit accusation(3) he fails to disclose to his client anyvested financial interest in hisdealings with the clientThis Code of Professional Conduct has the force of law and breach of any of the rules embodied in the BEM code may subject the offender to penalties provided for under the Engineers Act including the ultimate penalty of de-registrationTherefore, in screening the role of the BEM as a regulating body, its power to act in law must be taken into accountBEM code can at best distinguish between what is legal and what is not, and may be regarded as the baseline or minimum level of ethics that ought to be maintainedAll the rules in the Code except two consist of clear cut Dos and DontsThese rules concern what an Engineer shall or shall not do in the course of his employment or private practice and are extremely clear cut and unambiguousAll these rules are concerned with the prevention of situations which may possibly give rise to conflict of interest between the Engineer, his employer or his clientsThe other two, Rule No. 25 and 26, are more abstract and tend towards issues of morality which may have no useful function in law simply because they are subjective and unenforceableAssociation of Consulting Engineers, Malaysia (ACEM)The affairs of the ACE are governed by their memorandum and articles of connexionThe Association of Consulting Engineers has prescribed rules in their m emorandum and articles of association and these rules are more specific to Engineers who practice as ConsultantsThe ACE Code of Ethics is enunciated under the heading Duties of Members as set out in Articles 16 to 27 of their articles of associationA study of these articles will give that when it comes to practice matters, the ACE has gone to great lengths to be more specific and detailed than either the BEM or IEM, and have laid down some clear and strict rulesThis is due to a Consulting Engineers excessive involvement in business or other commercial ventures, especially those which are of a nature related to his practiceThe ACE Code is designed for areas like, advertizement and promotion of works, fees and other remuneration, competition with other members, submission of bids or proposals and related subjects.As for moral and philosophical issues, it is covered by Rule 16 which readsEvery member, in his responsibility to his clients and the profession, shall have full regard to these rules, to the rules of the professional Institution or Institutions to which he belongs and to the public interest.Code of ACE places an hard duty on its members to conform to both the IEM and BEM Codes as well as their own specific rules governing the conduct of Consulting Engineering business2.6 Applying world(prenominal) ethics in engineering organizationsGlobalization refers to the increasing integration of nations through trade, investment, ravish of technology, and exchange of ideas and cultureGlobal interdependency affects engineering and engineers in many ways as in multinational corporations where moral challenges arisesWho loses jobs at home when manufacturing is taken offshore?What does the host ground lose in resources, control over its own trade, and political independence?What are the moral responsibilities of corporations and individuals operating in less economically developed countries? applied science transfer is the process of moving technology to a nove l background knowledge and implementing it thereTechnology includes both hardware(machines and installations) and technique (technical, organizational, and managerial skills and procedures)A novel setting is any situation containing at least one fresh changeable relevant to the success or failure of a given technology example, the setting may be a foreign country purloin technology refers to identification, transfer, and implementation of the most suitable technology for a new set of conditions and it includes social factorsCase study BHOPALUnion Carbide in 1984 operated in 37 host countries in addition to its home country, USAOn Dec.3rd, 1984, the operators of Union Carbides plant in Bhopal, India became alarmed by a escape and overheating in a storage tankfulThe tank contained methyl isocyanate (MIC), a toxic ingredients used in pesticidesWithin 1 hour, the flight exploded that sent 40 tons of foul splash into the standard pressureThis is the worst industrial accident in h istory500,000 persons exposed to the gas2500 to 3000 deaths within a few days10,000 permanently disabled100,000 to 200,000 hurt10 years later, 12,000 death claims and 870,000 personal injury claims had been submittedonly $90 million of Union Carbides settlement had been distributedWhat went wrong?The disaster was caused by a combination of extremely lax safety procedures, gross judgment errors by local plant operators, and possible sabotage with unintended consequencesGreater predisposition to social factors was needed in transferring chemical technology to a country foreign to the supplier of the technologyGovernment of India required the Bhopal plant to be operated entirely by Indian workersUnion Carbide at first skilled the plant personnel in its West Virginia plantUS engineers make regular on-site safety inspectionsIn 1982, financial pressures relinquish its inspection of safety at the plant2 years later, safety practices gnawpersonnel problemshigh turnover of employeesfail ure to properly train new employeeslow technical preparedness of local labour poolworkers treatment pesticides learned from personal experience than from safety manualseven after suffering chest pains vomiting, they fail to wear safety gloves and masks due to high temperature a result of lack of air-conditioningMove away from US standards(contrary to Carbides compose policies) to lower Indian standardsExtreme hazardsTanks storing the MIC gas were overloaded (manual specifies that tanks must not be filled 60%extra space needed in emergencies to dilute the gasStandby tank was not empty for use as an emergency dumpTanks were supposed to be refrigerated but refrigeration was shut down to cut cost making the tank temperature 3 to 4 times what they should have beenSabotageA dissatisfy employee unscrewed a pressure gauge and inserted a hose into it not realizing that it would cause immense damageNegligenceA new worker was to gush out some pipes filters. He closed the valves but faile d to insert the safety disks to back up the valves in case they leaked. He knew that valves leaked but did not check for leaks It was not my job The safety disks were the responsibility of the maintenance dept., and the position of second-shift supervisor had been eliminatedBy the time they noticed a gauge masking mounting pressure and began to feel the sting of leaking gas, their emergency procedures were unavailableA venting gas scrubbing brush to neutralize the gas was shut down because it was assumed to be unnecessary during times when production was suspended gleam tower to burn off escaping gas missed by the scrubber was inoperable because a section of the pipe connecting it to the tank was being repairedWorkers sprayed urine 100 ft to the air but the stack was 120 ftWithin 2 hours , most of the chemicals had escaped and form a deadly cloud over hundreds of thousands of people in BhopalThere were thousands of squatters in the areas touch the plant with hopes to find employ ment as well to take improvement of available electricity and waterNone of the squatters had been officially informed of the insecurity posed by the chemicals produced next door to themNo emergency drillsNo evacuation plansWhat are the moral responsibilities of multinational corporations like Union Carbide?Ethical relativism the view that actions are morally right within a particular society when they are approved by law, custom etc.This is monstrous because it might excuse moral horrors, ex it would justify low standards if that were all a country requiresEthical absolutism retains precisely the same practices endorsed at home, never making any adjustments to a new cultureThis is also false because it fails to take account of many variable factsEthical relationalism the view that moral judgments are contextual in that they are made in relation to a wide variety of factors including the customs of other cultures2.7 Technology and the work ethicsTechnology Value-neutral or value- laden?Value-neutral says that technology consists of artifacts or devices -machines,tools, structures perhaps together with knowledge about how to make and maintain devicesValue-laden says that technology consists of value-guided organizations and general approaches, in addition to artifacts and knowledgeTechnological determinism is the view that the primary structures of human society are determined by technology, rather than human beings dictatorial technologySocial constructionism is the view that emphasizes 2 way causal interactions between technology and society highlights the importance of human perceptions interpretationsAn example automobileIt is a necessity but the effects include the depletion of world oil supplies, defilement and deaths(accidents)If technology dramatically influences us, we also shape the directions of technologyAnother example Tomato harvester- plucks and sorts tomatoes with a single pass. Cost of harvesting tomatoes was reduced. But jobs were lost , thin growers forced out of business. Funding to develop new technology comes from the taxpayersEngineers need to understand how their work affects public lifeAs managers, entrepreneurs, consultants government officials, engineers provide many form of leadership that should include moral leadership in developing and implementing technology within their professions communitiesMoral leadership is the success in moving a group toward morally desirable goals using morally desirable procedures