Posted: November 8th, 2022

Why is the Code of Ethics needed in the field of engineering?

1. Why is the Code of Ethics needed in the field of engineering?
The code of ethics is important in the field of engineering since engineers design things that are essential for the safety of people and can cause death if not properly done.
2. What is described by the professional level of engineering ethics?
The professional level of engineering ethics is described by obligation to the public interest with highest standards of honesty and integrity.
3. Where did the concept of professional ethics originate?
The concept of professional ethics originated in 1675 to acknowledge vows of a religious order. During the same time the concept was applied in military and also to acknowledge professions exercise of specialist skill and knowledge.
4. Under the professional code of ethics, who enforces the commitment to the public interest?
The enforcement of professional code of ethics to the public interest is done by the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA).
5. Why do engineers have a “much more complex [ethical] problem” than doctors and lawyers?
The engineers have much more complex problem than lawyers and doctors since their work is much of technical which involves working hard to prevent failure at all cost.
6. Can a professional ethical violation occur even if an engineer does not believe they were doing anything wrong? What example is provided in the text?
Violation of ethics can occur. An example is when an engineer is working on the wastewater system only for the system to be unable to handle waste water during a heavy rainy season.
7. What are the six issues raised in the Challenger Accident case study (Section 4.10)? You can state these in summary form.
The issues raised in the case include if NASA took extra risks because of pressure to maintain Congressional funding, if Thiokol took extra risks because of fear of losing its contract with NASA, if there was a violation of principal of Informed consent, the role that whistle blowers had in the Challenger story, who had the right to Thiokol documents relating to the Challenger disaster, and the reason why some engineering disasters are considered ethical issues while others are not.
8. What single component was the primary cause of the disaster? What basic physical condition at the time of launch caused this component to fail?
One single component that was primary cause of the disaster is technology used. The basic physical condition that caused this component to fail is lack of engineers and managers to follow instructions.
9. What group / class of individuals was primarily to blame for the disaster?
The engineers and managers are the group of individuals to primarily blame for the disaster.
10. What is the “clear lesson” learned from this, as stated at the end of the case study?
The clear lesson learnt from the case study is that ethical judgment has to wait until all facts have been examined.