Ethics in Engineering

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Ethics in Engineering

• Larry Brown P.E.
• November 2006

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Outline

• Why are there ethical dilemmas?
• The legal basis of engineering ethics
• Requirements of the Texas statute
• The moral basis of engineering ethics
• Human nature
• Codified ethics
• Engineers roles vs. managers roles
• Case studies

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Opposing Viewpoints SeriesEthics

• Embryonic Stem Cell Research is Ethical
• Embryonic Stem Cell Research is Not Ethical
• Euthanasia is Unethical
• Euthanasia is Ethical
• Cloning is Immoral
• Cloning is Moral

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Three Rules for Decision

• Ends-based What is the greatest good for the
  greatest number?
• Rule-based How would I want this situation to
  be handled every time?
• Care-based Put myself in the others shoes

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The Legal Basis ofEngineering Ethics

• The State
• acknowledges responsibility to public
• sets standards
• confers privileges
• Exclusive right to offer engineering services
• defines responsible practice

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• The Industrial Exception allows engineers who
  offer engineering services exclusively to their
  employers to practice without licensing
• Engineers who offer services to the public must
  be licensed
• Prediction the Industrial Exemption will be
  phased out over the next ten years

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Advantages of Licensing

• Licensing provides the right to practice
• In Licensing, the State represents that the
  engineer has attained a minimum level of
  competence and ethical practice
• Licensing provides legal protections from
  recrimination when ethical choices are made

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Texas Statute http//www.tbpe.state.tx.us/download
s/law_rules605.pdf

• General Practice
• Safeguard the public
• Comply with the statute
• Compliance with Professional Procurement Act
  (Government agencies)
• dont submit cost information in initial phase
• 1st step is information on competence

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Texas Statute (cont.)

• Engineers Shall Protect the Public
• Engineers Shall Be Objective and Truthful
• Engineers actions Shall Be Competent
• Engineers Shall Maintain Confidentiality of
  Clients
• disclosure only with fully informed consent
• reasonable care to prevent disclosure

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Texas Statute (cont.)

• Engineers Responsibility to the Profession
• act as faithful agents
• avoid inappropriate behavior
• dont engage in practices of fraudulent,
  deceitful or dishonest nature
• dont aid in any persons unlicensed practice of
  engineering
• Avoid conflicts of interest

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• As licensed professional engineers, our
  primary responsibility is to promote and protect
  the public welfare. This responsibility
  overrides responsibility to employer, client,
  career, self

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The Moral Basis ofEngineering Ethics

• Natural Law
• Do no harm to others
• Protect the weak
• Deal honestly
• Give truthful representation
• Respect for family
• Conscience
• Cultural Values

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Whats Wrong with Us?

• Although we know what is right, we dont always
  do what is right
• Augustine
• Paul the Apostle
• Solution
• written codes to remind us of our ethical
  responsibilities
• disciplinary committees to enforce the codes

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Ethical Codes and Canons

• TEXAS ENGINEERING PRACTICE ACT AND RULES
  CONCERNING THE PRACTICE OF ENGINEERING AND
  PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING LICENSURE
• SPE Canons of Professional Conduct
• NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers

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How Can We Avoid Breachesof Ethics?

• Know the Rules
• Apply the Rules
• Avoid the slippery slope
• Enron
• TYCO
• MCI
• Watergate

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(No Transcript)
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Relations BetweenManager and Engineer
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Relations BetweenManager and Engineer

• Engineers Priorities
• Welfare of the Public
• Adherence to Engineering Principles
• Adherence to Ethical Principles
• Career Progression
• Managers Priorities
• Health of the Company

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Division of Decision ResponsibilitiesBetween
Manager and Engineer

• Engineer should decide in matters concerning
• Welfare of the Public
• Adherence to Engineering Principles
• Adherence to Ethical Principles
• Manager should decide in matters concerning
• Health of the Company

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The Challenger Disaster

• January 27, 1986
• 26 F ambient temperature
• O-ring seals tested to 53 F
• Morton Thiokol engineers recommend no launch
• Sr. VP to VP Engineering Take off your
  engineering hat and put on your management hat.

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The Challenger Disaster (cont.)

• Management reverses engineerings recommendation
• Chief o-ring engineer vigorously protests
  managements decision
• Challenger explodes 73 seconds into the launch,
  killing seven astronauts

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Issues

• Engineering vs. management decision
• Health of the company
• Public Safety
• Adherence to engineering principles

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The Senior Road Tower

• Missouri City, Texas, 1982
• KTXH-TV 1000 foot broadcast tower
• Microwave baskets interfered with lift of final
  section
• Design firm would not give permission to remove
  baskets before lift
• Riggers designed a temporary extension arm and
  asked the design company to review, approve and
  witness the lift
• Design company refused

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The Senior Road Tower (cont.)

• Extension arm bolts broke and section fell,
  shearing guy lines
• Tower fell in 17 seconds, killing seven people
• The disaster was filmed by the TV station

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Issues

• Engineering vs. management decision
• Health of the company
• Public Safety
• Adherence to engineering principles
• Ethical responsibilities

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Issues (cont.)

• Was the design company free of responsibility
  when the rigging company approved the lift
  design?
• Was the design company correct in its refusal to
  re-evaluate and witness?
• What were its alternatives?
• Did the rigging company err in designing the new
  extensions?

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Issues (cont.)

• Who had the responsibility to make the call at
  the design company managers or engineers?

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The Politically Aware Engineer

• Different answers can result from different
  reservoir/wellbore model choices
• The recommended way to choose the best model is
  to choose the model with the tightest confidence
  intervals
• Report the answer with the highest permeability

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Issues

• Adherence to engineering principles
• Ethical responsibilities

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Summary

• Some ethical dilemmas exist because of
  disagreements about complex issues
• Three simple rules can be used to make ethical
  decisions
• The legal basis of engineering ethics lies in the
  same document that confers the right to practice
  engineering - the Texas statute

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Summary

• The moral basis of ethics is found in natural
  law, conscience and culture
• We still need guides to ethics - codes
• Engineers responsibilities
• Managers responsibilities