Ethics In Engineering

(CH-161)

Dr. Muhammad Usman Farooq

Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute Of Engineering Sciences & Technology

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Lecture: 15
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The Essence of Your Engineering Career

Engineering is one of the most important professions in society.

Engineers . . .
→Build products such as cell phones, home appliances, 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 the process
to recycle bottles. These processes change how we live and what we can accomplish.

→As engineers we don’t just build things and develop processes.

→We build things and make processes in order to better society.
→In order to make society better we have to reflect constantly on the products and
processes that we make.
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P ro d u c t s a n d p ro c e s s e s h a v e c o n s e q u e n c e s f o r s o c i e t y :
If the bridge has an inadequate support, it will fail.
If the gas tank is positioned too close to the bumper, it might
explode from a small accident.

If a medical instrument isn’t accurate, improper doses of

medication can be given.

If the process for refining gas produces too much toxins, it harms
the local community.

Decisions made by engineers usually have serious

consequences on people -- often to multitudes of people.
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What Is Meant By Ethics?

• A set of moral values and principles which form the standards of the code of conduct of
individuals, organizations and professions.
• It is the principles of good and bad behavior governing what is right and wrong conduct.
System of moral principles
Doing what society expects Ethics
Ethics is
is knowing
knowing
• Principles of right and wrong the difference
• Standards of right and wrong that between what you
Principles of conduct governing have a right to do
prescribe what people ought to do
behavior of an individual or a and what is right
in terms of rights, benefits to to do.
group. Potter Stewart
society, fairness, etc

Doing what the law requires

• Standards of behavior
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How Are Ethics and Law Related?

Coming to
Parking in A Class
space with C
sticker while
Illegal & Ethical Legal &
taking Ethical
roommate
to emergency
room
Illegal & Legal &
Unethical Unethical
Cheating on
Selling an outdated
an Exam.
textbook to an
unaware student
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Engineering Ethics

Engineering
is based on
Think effectively about
“Preventative consequences and decide
Think ahead and anticipate
Ethics” which possible consequences of what is the ‘ethically’

is based on professional actions correct manner to handle

the situation
two
dimensions:
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Ethics in an Engineering Course????

We will be studying engineering, such as design, analysis, and performance measurement.

Ethics is part of engineering for two main reasons.
a) Engineers need to be socially responsible when building
products and processes for society.

b) Social responsibility requires professional responsibility.

• One main connection between ethics and engineering comes from the
impact that engineered products and processes have on society.

• Engineers have to think about designing, building, and marketing products

that benefit society.

• Social Responsibility requires taking into consideration the needs of society.

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The Example of Integrity

A building has structural integrity when it is designed in

a way such that it appropriately responds to the stresses

and loads that it is designed to act under.

Just as a building can have poor integrity or good

integrity. A person can also.

A person has integrity when she/he can follow the

codes he/she is supposed to follow under the stresses

and loads of his/her role.

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Engineering Codes of Ethics

 Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)

 National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)

 Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)

 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

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Extract of NSPE Code

General rules: Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:

 Hold paramount (vital) the safety, health and welfare of the public in the
performance of their professional duties
 Perform services only in areas of their competence
 Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner
 Act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or
trustees
 Avoid deceptive acts in the solicitation of professional employment
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Important Notes about the Code of Ethics

• It is not a legally binding document.

• It is not something that we want (or need)

engineers to memorize.

• It is something we want engineers to understand

and be able to live by as engineers.

• However, in the beginning knowing the code is a

guide to understanding how to apply it.
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Personal Ethics (everyday examples)

• Software piracy
• Copying of homework or tests
• “Borrowing” office supplies from employer
• Copying of Videos or CD’s
• Plagiarism
• Expense account padding (Adding unnecessary material or
expenses for the purpose of increasing the cost claim )
• Personal use of the copy machine at work
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Ethical Issues are Seldom Black and White

Conflicting Loyalty to
Demands company and
colleagues

Ethical standards Personal gain, Concern for

are usually relative
and personal, there
ambition public welfare
is seldom an absolute
standard
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Whistle-Blowing

• The term whistle-blower comes from the whistle a referee uses to

indicate an illegal or foul play.

• Whistleblower is a person who exposes misconduct or illegal activity

occurring in an organization such as fraud, health and safety
violations, and corruption.

• Whistleblowers may make their allegations internally (within

the accused organization) or externally (to regulators, law
enforcement agencies, to the media or to groups concerned
with the issues).
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Whistle-Blowing (contn’d)

• It is morally permissible for engineers to engage in external whistle-blowing if:

The harm that will be done to the public is serious and considerable

Getting no satisfaction from their immediate superiors, even after going to

the board of directors

• Need a documented evidence that would convince a reasonable, impartial

observer

• There must be strong evidence that making the information public will in fact
prevent the threatened harm
Consider the history of industrial accidents, like !! 16

Boeing 777

British Air Ways Flight 38

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Case Studies in Engineering Ethics
Case 1: The “challenger” disaster (1986)

• Designed a system that required a gasketed connection

and did not have sufficient data to predict performance
across a spectrum of conditions; pressure from
management to end the job lead to:
• Poor Engineering Judgment
• Entire crew lost
• Space program set back years
• Lost public confidence
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Case Studies in Engineering Ethics
Case 2: The “Ford Pinto” Gas Tank (1972)
Under management pressure, engineers designed an automobile component that later
proved to fail under certain conditions and could be replaced for only $11 under a recall
• At $11 per vehicle to recall, the total cost would be $137 million
• Corporate decision based on a Benefit/Cost analysis
• Fearing the loss, Ford did not recall for repair.
• Over 500 documented deaths related to rear-end collisions in the Pintos Hundreds of
serious injuries and thousands of burned vehicles
• Lawsuits and personal injury cases totaled over $450 million
• Company nearly folded after the lawsuits and low sales due to lack of trust in Ford
products
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Case Studies in Engineering Ethics
Case 3: The “Hyatt Regency ” (Kansas City 1981)
Engineers were asked to sign on a set of shop drawings that had come from a reliable
vendor with whom they had a very good working relationship.

• Support system was changed in the shop drawings by the steel fabricator
• Engineer failed to review the shop drawings and therefore did not discover the change
• The change doubled the load on the supports
• 32 ton walkways collapsed
• 114 deaths, 200 injuries
• Engineers prosecuted

Design Construction
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Ask yourself (when Making Decisions)

Is it safe?

Is it legal?

Is it the right thing to do?

Is it just, balanced, and fair?

How will it make me feel about myself?

If something terrible happened, could I defend my actions?

Does this choice lead to the greatest good for the greatest number?
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Final Thoughts

• Read carefully the code of ethics of your profession, better yet, memorize it!
• Never disclose information given to you in confidence, unless it violates ethical codes
• Assume responsibilities of your mistakes
• Never accept gifts that compromise your ability to perform with freedom
• Start applying (no plagiarism, no software pirating, no abuse of office resources,…)

“Indeed the most honorable of

you in the sight of God is the
most righteous."
Chapter 49, Verse 13
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Try it yourself
You are supervising a product with specifications that only U.S.-made parts may be
used.

Late in the project you discover a sub-contractor has supplied a part with foreign-made
bolts.

They aren’t very noticeable and would function identically to U.S.-made bolts.

Your customer urgently needs the finished product.

What should you do?

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Ethics – Courage & Integrity

As we will be seeing more and more being ethical requires:

Courage to do the right thing the situation calls for.

&

The integrity to withstand the pressures that push you

in the wrong direction.
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Clicker Question

A person’s behavior is always ethical when one:

A. Does what is best for oneself

B. Has good intentions, no matter how things turn out

C. Does what is best for everyone

D. Does what is most economical

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Clicker Question

Engineers should follow their professional code of ethics because:

A. The public will trust engineers more if they know engineers have a code
of ethics.

B. It helps them avoid legal problems, such as getting sued.

C. It provides a clear definition of what the public has a right to expect

from responsible engineers.

D. It raises the image of the profession and hence gets engineers more pay.
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Clicker Question

Should you:

A. Say nothing and deliver the product with the foreign bolts because the
customer won’t notice.

B. Find some roughly equivalent violation of the contract/specs for which

the customer is responsible and tell them you will ignore their violation if
they ignore yours.

C. Tell the customer about the problem, and let them decide what you
should do next.

D. Find loopholes in the original specifications so that your company hasn’t

legally violated the specs.
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C (tell the customer): because it lets the customer decide what is in their best interest given new information.

This may be tough, because your job may be on the line and your company’s reputation
may be at stake.

Avoid deceptive acts

Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees
THANKS