GE 6075 – PROFESSIONAL ETHICS IN ENGINEERING

1. Engineering as Social Experimentation

2. M. SHOAIB SIDDIQUE 10/04/2009
Engineering is inherently a risk activity
SO.....

3. M. SHOAIB SIDDIQUE 10/04/2009
It should be viewed as experimental process

4. M. SHOAIB SIDDIQUE 10/04/2009
Involving people

5. M. SHOAIB SIDDIQUE 10/04/2009
Whenever great risk to human life is involved….
“safe exit” should be provided.

6. The Engineering Process
Concept
Engineering:
• Design
• Produce
• Install
• Operate
Intended outcomes:
• User satisfaction
• Company profits
Unintended outcomes
Corporate
context:
•Time pressure
•Cost pressure
•Secrecy
External context:
•Uncertainty
•Legal framework
•Social impacts
•Environmental impacts

7. Roles of experimenter & subject
• Ethical issues for engineers as experimenters:
– Duties to experimental subjects
– Rights of experimental subjects
– Assessment of costs & benefits of the experiment
• Relationship between experimenter & subject:
– Legal framework:
• Legal obligations on experimenter, but these may not
address innovative situations
– Codes of ethics:
• Primary responsibility lies with the experimenter

8. Learning from the Past
• It might be expected that engineers would learn not
only from their own earlier design and operating
results, but also from those of other engineers.

9. M. SHOAIB SIDDIQUE 10/04/2009
Lack of established channels of communications

10. M. SHOAIB SIDDIQUE 10/04/2009
Misplaced pride in not asking for information

11. M. SHOAIB SIDDIQUE 10/04/2009
Embarrassment at failure or fear of
litigation(the process of taking legal action).

12. Learning from the Past
• It is not sufficient for engineers to rely on handbooks
and computer programs without knowing the limits of
the tables and algorithms underlying their favorite
tools.

13. M. SHOAIB SIDDIQUE 10/04/2009
Learn from workers and foremen.

14. M. SHOAIB SIDDIQUE 10/04/2009
See how earlier projects faired.

15. M. SHOAIB SIDDIQUE 10/04/2009
How satisfied the customers are.

16. Experimental attributes of engineering
• Incomplete understanding of implications(Suggestions):
– Insufficient time or money
– Commercial advantage (desire for secrecy)
– Uncertainty about impacts (sometimes unknowable)
• Participation of experimental subjects:
– Products or services often target non-engineers
– Subjects share responsibility if voluntarily accept risk
• Reasons for monitoring outcomes:
– Commercial purposes (e.g. product improvement)
– Precautionary purposes (e.g. manage risk)

17. Summary
• Engineering is a form of social experimentation:
– Innovation with social & environmental impacts
– Uncertainty & risk in outcomes
• Stakeholders (a person with an interest or concern in something,
especially a business) have a right to informed consent:
– Information, opportunity, decision making capability
• Problems in implementation:
– Lack of a control group & corporate pressures
– Difficulty in identifying stakeholders
– Irreducible (not able to be reduced) uncertainty

18. 18
Engineers as Responsible
Experimenters
 Engineers responsibility is shared with
management, the public, and others.
 Engineers expertise places them in a
unique position to monitor projects, to
identify risks, and to provide clients and
the public with the information needed to
make reasonable decisions.

19. 19
Engineers as Responsible
Experimenters
1. A primary obligation to protect the
safety of human subjects and respect
their right of concept.
2. A constant awareness of the
experimental nature of any project,
imaginative forecasting of its
possible side effects, and a
reasonable effort to monitor them.

20. 20
Engineers as Responsible
Experimenters
3. Autonomous, personal involvement in
all steps of a project
4. Accepting accountability
(RESPONSIBILITY) for the results of a
project.

21. 21
FEATURES OF MORAL
RESPONSIBILITY
 Conscientiousness (awareness)
 Relevant information
 Moral autonomy
 Accountability (responsibility)

22. 22
Conscientiousness
 Conscientiousness implies
consciousness (in the sense of
awareness).
 Open eyes, open ears, and an open
mind are required to recognize a given
situation, its implications, and who is
involved or affected.

23. 23
Conscientiousness
 Some 90 percent of engineers are salaried
employees, most of whom work within large
COMPANIES(a system of government in which
most of the important decisions are taken by
state officials rather than by elected
representatives) under the time pressure to
function smoothly within the organization.

24. 24
Relevant Information
 Showing moral concern involves a
commitment to obtain and properly
assess all available information
Relevant to meeting one’s moral
obligations.
 Fully grasping the contact of one’s work
which makes it count as an activity having a
moral import.

25. 25
Moral Autonomy
 Moral beliefs and attitudes should be
held on the basis of critical reflection
(work) rather than passive adoption
of the particular conventions of one’s
society, or profession.
 Must be integrated into the core of
individual’s personality.

26. 26
Moral Autonomy
 Comfortable illusions
 We have Independent but in the basis of
company's stituation.
 We sold our skills to a company in the
working atmosphere.

27. 27
Accountability
 Accountability is being responsible ,
liable, answerable or obligated.
 Responsible people accept moral
responsibility for their actions.
 The general disposition of being willing
to submit one’s actions to moral
scrutiny (critical observation) and be
open and responsive to the assessments
of others.

28. 28
Accountability
 Lot of difference between casual
influence and moral accountability
1. Team work on large-scale projects.
2. Division of work (spreading of
something more widely) of
accountability within large institutions.
3. Pressure to move on to a new project

29. CHALLENGER CASE STUDY
 JAN-28,1986 – 7 AUSTRONAUTS
KILLED.
 Reason- The failure of the solid rocket
booster ‘O’ Rings.
 Failure reasons
 Faulty design
 Joints of O rings
 Temperature testing
 Lacked communication between diff levels of
NASA 29

30. Code of Ethics
Professional societies or Professional
bodies:
Codes of ethics are rules and regulations or
guidelines drawn by a professional society,
which makes the professional to act ethically.
In India:
1. Institution of Engineers, India (IEI) – for
engineers
2. Medical Council of India (MCI) – for Doctors
3. Bar Council of India (BCI) – for Lawyers

31. What are codes of Ethics.
 Frame work for Ethical judgment for a
profession
 Codes of ethics also referred as codes of
conduct
 Codes of ethics express the ethical
principles and standards and accessible
manner
 Define roles and responsibility of
profession
M. ASAD IRSHAD 31

32.  Help the professional to apply moral and
ethical principles
 Ethical codes do not establish new
ethical principles, use already well
established and widely accepted in
society
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33. Role of Codes
Code of ethics provides the engineers,
 Inspiration (positive inspiration, some moral principles)
 Guidance ( how to tackle the situations)
 Support ( positive and potential support to their duties)
 Discipline ( unethical professional conduct)
 Education and mutual understanding (Educational,
Organizations)
 Contributing to the profession’s public image( positive
image to public)
 Protecting the status quo (Changing existing structure
or values)
 Promoting business interests (more feasible dealings)

34. Limitations(OBJECTIVES)
of codes
Codes are general guidelines. They may not be
directly applicable to all situations.
 Code section-1
Engineers will act in professional manner for
each client or an employer as a faithful agent.
 Code section-2
The engineer will have the proper regard for the
safety, health and welfare of the public In
discharging his professional duties.

35. Code section-3
The third limitation on codes is that, they cannot
serve as the final moral authority for professional
conduct.
Code section-4
“how there can exist different codes for different
professional engineering societies?” (branches)

36. A balanced outlook on laws
 In 1969, at Santa Barbara Offshore in California, there
spilled about 12 lakhs liters of crude oil.
 This made the spectacular beach, a black one, for a
stretch of about 50 km.
 This also damaged wildlife and the tourist trade was
affected.
 The disaster prompted new laws and strict controls
to prevent such occurrences in the future.
 Its shows the necessity of laws and regulations and their
limitations.

37.  In drafting safety regulations for offshore drilling,
experienced petroleum engineers, geologist and
well drillers are to be involved.
 Some safeguards are required by law.
 Santa Barbara incident, then Secretary of
Petroleum department ordered an inspection of
thousands of offshore oil wells.
 The inspection showed that hundreds of wells
lacked mandatory safety chokes.

38. A regulated society:
 In order to live, work and play together as a
society.
 We have balance individuals needs and desires,
against collective needs and desires.
 Ethical conduct provides such a balance.
 Engineers should play an active role in
establishing rules of engineering as well as in
enforcing them.

39. Industrial Standards
 Among many areas, industry is one which welcomes
greater accuracy and quality in respect of standards.
 Standards decrease production cost.
 Standards not only help the manufacturers but
also benefit the clients and public.
 Instead of increasing the brand name can
concentrate on industrial standards because it is
becoming necessity in world trade.

40.  The proper role of law in engineering and
sincere attempts on regulations have often
failed. It would be wrong to say, rule making and
rule following the future.
 Good laws effectively enforced.
 Moreover, standards serve as a powerful support
and defense for those who want to act ethically.

41. What are standards
 Interchangibility
 Accuracy in measurement
 Ease of handling
 Prevention of harms
 Decrease production cost
 Quality products
 Etc,.
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