ETHICS IN ENGINEERING

Engineers . . .Build products such as cell phones, home appliances, heart valves, bridges, & cars. In general they advance society by building new technology. Develop processes, such as the process to convert salt water into fresh water or theprocess to recycle bottles. These processes change how we live and what we can accomplish.Decisions made byengineers usually haveserious consequences topeople oftento multitudesof people.
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ETHICS IN ENGINEERINGETHICSINENGINEERINGLecture1/4WHATISMEANTBYETHICS? http://manofthehouse.com/money/career-advice/business-ethics-in-the-workplace Systemofmoralprinciples Principlesofrightandwrong Principlesofconductgoverning behaviorofanindividualora group http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/reference/define-ethics.html CLICKER QUESTIONAperson’sbehaviorisalwaysethicalwhenone:A.DoeswhatisbestforoneselfB.Hasgoodintentions,nomatterhowthings turnoutC.DoeswhatisbestforeveryoneD.DoeswhatislegalETHICSINANENGINEERINGCOURSE????Wehavebeenstudyingengineering, suchasdesign,analysis,and performancemeasurement. Wheredoesethicsfitin? http://www.free-clep-prep.com/Business-Ethics-and-Society-DSST.htmlHOWETHICSFITSINTOENGINEERING Engineers...  Buildproductssuchascellphones,home appliances,heartvalves,bridges,&cars.In generaltheyadvancesocietybybuildingnew technology.  Developprocesses,suchastheprocessto convertsaltwaterintofreshwaterorthe processtorecyclebottles.Theseprocesses changehowweliveandwhatwecan accomplish.PRODUCTSANDPROCESSESHAVECONSEQUENCESFORSOCIETY: Ifthebridgehasaninadequatesupport,itwill fail. Ifthegastankispositionedtooclosetothe bumper,itmightexplodefromasmallaccident. Iftheprocessforrecyclingbottlesproducestoo muchpollution,thenitiscounterproductive. Iftheprocessforrefininggasproducestoo muchtoxins,itharmsthelocalcommunity.Decisionsmadebyengineersusuallyhaveseriousconsequencestopeopleoftentomultitudesofpeople.Ethicsandethicalreasoningguidedecisionmaking.Consider the results of theMarch 11, 2011 8.9 magnitudeearthquake near Sendai,Japan. 10The damage to the Fukushima I NuclearPower Plant (Fukushima Dai-ichi)has led people worldwide to rethink theethics of nuclear power.Notice the issues that come up in these discussions:ISSUE #1: HEALTH AND SAFETYRISKS: Danger to current and futuregenerations from leakage of radio- 11isotopes used in nuclear power.A particularly toxic radio-isotope isPlutonium-239 (half-life = 24,110 yrs)Normally, 10 half lives are requiredbefore a Pu-239 contaminated areais considered safe again, in the caseof plutonium, roughly 250,000 years.So if Pu leaked, -- say, due to anearthquake -- it would cause ahealth risk for roughly 8000generations!!Issues (cont.):ISSUE #1: HEALTH AND SAFETYRISKS, FURTHER 12CONSIDERATIONS:a) The possibility of medicalscience discovering a cure forcancer sometime in the current ornext centuries qualifies the long-term health risks of leakages ofradio-active isotopes.Issues (cont.):ISSUE #1: HEALTH AND SAFETYRISKS, FURTHER 13CONSIDERATIONS:b) The use of nuclear power mayincrease our knowledge ofradioisotopes used for medicalpurposes.Issues that come up in thesediscussions:CONSEQUENCES OFALTERNATIVES TO NUCLEARPOWER. 14ISSUE #2: DEPLETION OFRESOURCES:Fossil fuels, oil, natural gas andcoal, are non-renewable. Thesesources also affect the goal ofhealth through pollution andclimate changes.Issues that come up in these discussions:CONSEQUENCES OFALTERNATIVES TO NUCLEARPOWER.ISSUE #3: COMPARATIVE ECONOMIC 15COSTS OF RENEWABLE SOURCES.Renewable sources such as hydro-electric-power, wind power, solar power, geo-thermal heat, agricultural biomass and tidesdo not cause the environmental hazards thatfossil-fuels do.But renewable sources must be balanced with the amount of energy neededto produce and maintain them and consequent environmental hazards.Currently, for example, the energy required to manufacture and install solarenergy systems comes from fossil fuels. REASONINGThekindofreasoningthatgoesoninsuchdiscussionsinvolvescertaingoalssuchas,inthiscase,health,safetyandbiodiversity.Thereasoningthenfocusesonfindingthebest–oratleastthereasonablybettermeansforobtainingthosegoals.Thistypeofreasoningisoftencalledpracticalreason. 17Itusesdifferentmethodsfrommathematicsandthesciences.Ethicalreasoningisatypeofpracticalreasoningwhichinparticularconcernscertainsocietalorlifeformgoals,suchasjustice,equality,freedom,healthandsafety.THEESSENCEOFYOURENGINEERINGCAREER Engineeringisoneofthemostimportant professionsinsociety. Asengineerswedon’tjustbuildthingsand developprocesses. Webuildthingsandmakeprocessesinorderto bettersociety. Inordertomakesocietybetterwehavetoreflect constantlyontheproductsandprocessesthatwe make.SOCIALRESPONSIBILITY Onemainconnectionbetweenethicsand engineeringcomesfromtheimpactthat engineeredproductsandprocesseshaveon society. Engineershavetothinkaboutdesigning, building,andmarketingproductsthatbenefit society. SocialResponsibilityrequirestakinginto considerationtheneedsofsociety.T YPICALETHICALISSUESTHATENGINEERSENCOUNTER Safety Acceptablerisk Compliance Confidentiality Environmentalhealth Dataintegrity Conflictofinterest Honesty/Dishonesty Societalimpact Fairness Accou ...