CHAPTER 4

Issues in
Engineering Technology

Universiti Kuala Lumpur

Malaysian Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering Technology
To solve the production
To coordinate people
To collect & calculate results
Help in designing a new model
Involve the technician works of quality
control
 no formulas and no
easy 'plug-in'
methods for
reaching a solution.

understand all of the issues

involved

solution to the problem becomes

apparent
 factual
conceptual

moral
 are are resolved
can often be by agreement,
resolved resolved by
moral
through agreeing on principles
research to the meaning pertinent and
establish of terms how they
the truth and should be
concepts. applied
 Related skills
&
characteristics
 Moral
communication Integrity

Moral
imagination Moral
hope
Moral Rational
awareness moral
Moral reasoning
consistency Tolerance
of
Moral Respect
diversity
reasonableness for
persons
 Moral ability in recognizing moral
problems and issues in
awareness engineering.

Comprehending, clarifying,
Rational and assessing arguments
Moral opposing sides of moral
reasoning issues.

Forming consistent &

comprehensive viewpoints
Moral based upon a
consistency consideration of relevant
facts
 discriminating alternative
Moral responses to moral issues &
interest to creative
imagination solutions for practical
difficulties
Precision in the use of a
Moral common ethical language, a
communication skill needed to express and
support one's moral views
adequately to others

The willingness and

Moral ability to be
reasonableness morally
reasonable.
 real concern for the
Respect well-being of others as
for well as oneself.
persons

Within a broad range, respect

Tolerance for ethnic and religion
of differences, & acceptance of
reasonable differences in
diversity moral perspectives.

Enriched appreciation of
Moral the possibilities of using
hope rational dialogue in
resolving moral conflicts.
 Maintaining moral
Integrity integrity, and
integrating one's
professional life &
personal convictions

*integriti adalah sifat jati diri yang merangkumi juga keikhlasan, keterbukaan,
ketelusan, amanah, benar, berpegang kepada prinsip, tidak mudah dipengaruhi,
boleh dipercayai, boleh pegang cakapnya, dll
 FIELD
SERVICES
TECHNICAL
SALES
PRODUCTION
TESTING
MANUFACTURING
PRODUCT
DEVELOPMENT
PRODUCT
DESIGN
RESEARCH
Conceptual Blind to new concepts
design
Violation of patents /
trade secrets.
Product to be used illegally
Goals;
performance Unrealistic assumptions
specifications
Design depends on
unavailable or untested
materials.
Preliminary Uneven
analysis
Overly detailed in designer's area of
expertise,
marginal elsewhere

Detailed unidentified
analysis methodologies.

Uncritical use of handbook

data and computer programs
Simulation,
prototyping Testing of prototype done
only under most
favorable conditions or not
completed
Design
Too tight for adjustments during
specifications manufacture and use.

Design changes
not carefully checked
 Insufficient allowance for unexpected
Scheduling
events
of tasks

Promise of unrealistic completion

date

Specifications not written to favor one

Purchasing vendor

Bribes, kickbacks.
Inadequate testing of
purchased parts
 Variable quality of materials and
Fabrication
workmanship
of parts

Bogus/fake materials & components

not detected.

Assembly/ Workplace safety

construction
Disregard of repetitive-motion
stress on workers.
Poor control of toxic wastes.
Quality control/ Not independent
testing

tests rushed or results

falsified

Advertising & False advertising

sales

Product oversold
beyond client's needs
or means
  Design must comply with
Safety of applicable laws
products  An acceptable design must meet
the standard of “accepted industry
practice”
 Alternative design that are
potentially safer must be explored
The eng tech must attempt to
foresee potential/misuses of the
products
Both prototypes and finished
devices must be rigorously tested
Shipping, installation, Product too large to ship
training by land

Installation and training

subcontracted out,
inadequately supervised.
Safety measures
& Reliance on overly complex,
devices failure-prone safety devices.

Lack of a simple
"safety exit."
 Use Used inappropriately or for illegal
applications

Overloaded.
Operations manuals not ready.

Maintenance, parts, Inadequate supply of spare

repairs parts

Hesitation to recall the

product when found to be
faulty
Monitoring
No formal procedure for following life cycle
effects of product,
of product its effects on society and environment.

Lack of attention to ultimate

Recycling/ dismantling,
disposal disposal of product,

Public notification of hazards.

Detecting
failure
mode
 Failure to correct a situation
dangerous to the public
Failure to follow guidelines,
codes and standards
Failure to follow the
guidelines in the engineers
act and regulations
Failure to consider the
safety and well-being of the
ultimate user or consumer
 only do work you are qualified to do

don't encourage or assist non-

engineers to act as engineers.

always disclose conflicts of interest (you

must not profit from decisions, they must
be entirely objective.

act in a "respectable way"

- (don't disgrace the
profession)
 Be fair and loyal to
those around you
Place public need
ahead of all other
responsibilities

Act with honor and integrity

Promote engineering and dissuade

detractors (fault-finder)
Don't express opinions that are not
well supported technically
Display professional credentials

Develop employer trust by guarding

confidential secrets and disclosing any
personal conflicts of interest
When employed, disclose any other
employment and ensure that
professional standards don't decline.
Cooperate with other professionals
when working on common projects
Act with courtesy and good faith
Disclose any interests that might be
interpreted as prejudicial in making
decisions
Do not secretly review the work of another
engineer, unless they have been terminated

Avoid malicious damage of other

professionals

Don't give/get commissions to get work

Fair pay for work to advance the
profession

Advance the profession through enabling

and supporting others.

Disclose misconduct,
unethical/unprofessional
behavior, etc. when called
to do so.
 problems/issues
U don’t
have to Use all the See different
theories perspectives
choose
 Line
Moral drawing
aspects Flow
chart
Drawing a line along which various examples &
hypothetical situations are placed

At one end is placed the “positive paradigm”

and at the other end a “negative paradigm”

Place the ethical problem on the completed line

NP PP

ex5 ex4 ex3 ex2 ex1

P: Intel proposed to sell a Pentium chips that had flaws
EX1: There is a flaw in the chip, but it is normally
undetectable and wont affect any customer’s application
EX2: There are flaws in the chip, the customer
is informed of them but no serious defects
would take place
Ex3: A warning of the present defect is make, thus chip
is only can be used for certain applications
Ex4: Recall of the defect chips and only the chip with the
detachable flaws is replaced
Ex5: Replacement of chips is offered only if the
customer notices the problem
NPP PP

ex5 ex4 ex3 ex2 ex1

Sell defective Product should
product be as advertised
NP P PP

ex5 ex4 ex3 ex2 ex1

CONCLUSION:
The approach taken by
Intel in this case wasn’t
the best ethical choice
 Familiar because used in computer
program development

Developed as a series of consequences

that flow from decisions

 Gives a visual picture of a situation and

allows you to readily see the consequences

CASE STUDY:
DISASTER AT BHOPAL, INDIA
 SITUATIONS:
 wrong pipe was connected to Methyl Isocyanate tank
Plant maintenance was cut to save money
A refrigeration unit, intended to cool down tank,
stopped working 5 month before accident and had not
been repaired.
A high temperature alarm was improperly set so no
warning was given
A flare tower, designed to burn vapors, was not
functioning
A “scrubber” unit intended to neutralize toxic
vapors, did not activate until after the release toxins
 A similar plant in West Virginia has total of 28 leaks
over previous 5 years with no serious problems.
 An internal union carbide memo warned of
“potential for a serious”
 Union Carbide want to
build plant in Bhopal

Are safety laws in YES

Design plant as in U.S
India as strict as U.S?
NO

Are the local laws adequate YES Design according

for safe operation? to local standard
NO

Decide on minimal standards YES Build plant anywhere

that will ensure safety and assume risk
NO
YES
Is this cost effective? Build plant
NO
Invest elsewhere
 Problem exists with two conflicting moral
values
 Solution can be obvious when one is more
significant than the other
 When solution is not obvious, use the
“creative middle way” - middle ground that is
acceptable to everyone
 use judgment for the best choice possible
with the information available at the time
 v/s
Definition: Gift are usually of
-money or favor offered or given
nominal value and
to someone
-intended to influence or are just a form of
persuade advertising

Consequences:
-illegal, subject to laws
-anti-competitive and corrupt out
free-market economic system
 How to avoid
bribery?
Look for company policy
 all large corporation & small companies
have very clear rules about what is
acceptable
 any deviation from this rule requires
approval
 other companies encourage social
interaction & allow employees more
discretion
Are there

“normal
accident”…..?
45