The Ethics of Accidents

1
The Ethics of Accidents

• Group 7Robert Curry
• William Dressel
• Angela Hall

2
Today's Agenda

• Types of Accidents
• Case Study Ford Pinto
• Case Study Value Jet
• Case Study Tranquility Condos
• Question/Answer Time

3
Types of Accidents

• Why group accidents into types?
• To understand the nature of accidents
• Help find ways of preventing accidents
• Three types
• Procedural
• Engineered
• Systemic

4
Types of Accidents - Procedural

• Result of a bad choice or not following
  established procedures
• Often called pilot error in aircraft injury
• Engineers must also work to prevent this type
  ofaccidents
• Not following design rules
• Failing to carefully examine signed drawings
• Alleviated by more supervision, new regulations,
  or closer scrutiny

5
Types of Accidents - Engineered

• Cased by flaws in design
• Failures of materials
• Devices don't perform as expected
• Parts don't work well in all situations
  encountered
• Should be anticipated in design process and
  corrected
• Understood and alleviated by knowledge through
  testing and experience in the field

6
Types of Accidents - Systemic

• Characteristic of complicated technologies and
  complex organizations
• Example Airline Industry
• Running them requires work of many complicated
  systems
• Many sources of errors (personnel, machinery,
  etc.)
• Often start with small mistakes
• Previous example Bhopal

7
Case Study Ford Pinto

• Background
• Ford Motor Company desired to compete in
  subcompact market
• Two-year agenda set for design and initial
  production
• 18 months shorter than typical design cycle
• Specifications
• Under 2,000 cost to customer
• Weight under 2,000 lbs
• Completed by 1971

8
Case Study Ford Pinto

• Gas Tank Placement
• Tank placed over differential safe
• Trunk space and manufactering costs dictated
  placedment closer to rear of car
• Location is not safe during rear-end collisions
• Protruding heads of differential could puncture
  gas tank and result in a fire

9
Case Study Ford Pinto

• Ford's Options
• Installing part at cost of 6.65/car would
  prevent moving gas tank
• Ford kept to original design to prevent incurring
  additional costs
• Total cost to Ford 20 million
• Internal documents proved Ford knew about
  weakness
• Ford Study Cheaper to pay for liability for
  burn deaths/injuries than to modify tank

10
Case Study Ford Pinto

• Consequences
• 1978 Three teengagers killed in rear-end
  collision
• Ford charged with criminal neglegance
• Similar cases cost Ford millions in settlements
• Suffered significant damage to reputation
• Eventually forced to recall Pintos and install
  part

11
Case Study Value Jet

• What went wrong?
• Oxygen canisters were
• Improperly capped
• Improperly stored
• Improperly marked
• Loaded onto plane against regulations
• Plan had insufficient warning systems

12
Case Study Value Jet

• Oxygen Tanks werea
• Improperly capped
• Should have plastic caps, duct tape used instead
• Improperly stored
• Placed over tires which burn acrid smoke
• Tank exploded and caught tire on fire
• Improperly marked
• All marked empty although some were not
• Loaded against regulations
• Two people approved them against hazardous
  materials rules

13
Case Study Value Jet

• No early warning systema
• Plane did not have required heat and smoke alarms
  in cargo compartment
• Fire burnt through the steering controls before
  pilot was even aware of the fire

14
Case Study Value Jet

• Doomed Flighta
• Pilot tried to regain control and land at
  nearest airport
• Within 15 minutes plane had turned sharply and
  nose-dived into Everglades
• All 110 passengers died upon impact

15
Case Study Value Jet

• Resultsa
• Valujet, Sabertech, and FAA found at fault
• Sabertech fined 500,000
• All airlines now have heat and smoke detectors in
  cargohold

16
Case Study Tranquillity Condos

• What happened
• Condos located in Hobe Sound, Florida
• July 22, 2004 Top floor of three story
  condominium complex collapsed
• Mac Construction failed to follow work creation
  and load support standards
• Called freak accident by company

17
Case Study Tranquillity Condos

• Results
• Killed two and injured five
• 79,000 OSHA fine
• Eventually ordered to case all Florida operations

18
Case Study Tranquillity Condos

• Sunrise Engineer currently conducting probe
• Focuses Installation and inspection of failed
  supports
• Detailed plans not required for buildings under
  four stories (condos were three stories)
• Caused opportunities to catch mistakes to be
  missed

19
Case Study Tranquillity Condos

• Other problems
• Did not carry worker's compensation insurance
• Issued fine by OSHA equal to 1.5 times the
  monthly premium for entire time of non-compliance
• Ordered to cease all operations in Florida
• Fined for exposing workers to falls through
  unguarded floor openings and from areas over 6ft
  high that required guardrails

20
Quick Review

• Three types of accidents
• Procedural
• Engineered
• Systemic
• Case Study Ford Pinto
• Case Study Value Jet
• Case Study Hobe Sound LocksAny questions??

21
Bibliography Page 1

• Fiery test shows probable cause for Valujet
  nosedivettp//www.cnn.com/US/9611/07/valujet/inde
  x.html
• Definition ValuJet Flight 592http//encyclopedia
  .laborlawtalk.com/ValuJet_Flight_592
• DeGeorge, Richard T. Ethical Responsibilities of
  Engineers In Large Organizations The Pinto
  Case, Business and Professional Ethics Journal,
  vol. 1, no. 1, Fall 1981, p.1
• "Ford Pinto Fuel-Fed Fires," The Center for Auto
  Safety, http//www.autosafety.org, Washington,
  D.C.
• Korman, Richard Florida Contractor Cited for
  Condo Deaths http//enr.construction.com/news/saf
  ety/archives/050124a.asp

22
Bibliography Page 2

• Fla. Employer of Killed, Injured Workers Ordered
  to Halt Work Actionshttp//www.insurancejournal.
  com/news/southeast/2004/08/02/44547.htm
• Florida shuts down uninsured employer after two
  worker deathshttp//www.workerscompinsider.com/ar
  chives/000134.html
• OSHA Cites Contractor Following Fatalities at
  Hobe Sound Job Sitehttp//www.osha.gov/pls/oshaw
  eb/owadisp.show_document?p_tableNEWS_RELEASESp_i
  d11196