Safety An Ethical Obligation - 1211 Words

Safety: An Ethical Obligation For an engineer, safety is a full time job. As engineers, it is not only seen as fulfilling a social responsibility or an ethical obligation, but considered the top most priority in our line of duty. It is partially for this reason that design standards, codes and specifications have been established. These design standards serve as guidelines or insurance so to speak for an engineer to meet his or her legal obligations. However, at the end of the day it is the engineer’s responsibility for bearing any consequences, not the design codes used. Over the centuries, the need arose to have codes addressing ethics since there have been countless instances of an action considered legal but far from ethical. Among†¦show more content†¦Best Engineering Judgement In the event the local codes and standards are at a level below what the engineer is accustomed to, should the engineer use the first as the basis for providing the solution design? The engineer may well be within his or her legal right, but the question thereafter asked is whether this decision can be considered ethical. Whilst meeting that country’s minimum building requirements, the engineer will most likely be opposing the first canon, thereby leaving leeway for potential safety risks to the general public; risks that were foreseen and not mitigated. It is these instances where an engineer’s best judgement becomes very important. As the engineer decides on which standards to employ, a balance will need to be struck between the local standards and that which the engineer is accustomed to and/or in conjunction with global building codes. To establish a balance, an engineer, thus uses his best judgement to make compromises. This decision making process, whilst a critic al and difficult one, an engineer should recognize that he or she does not have to do so alone. Of course the canons help to guide the engineer, but an important characteristic to have as an engineer is to be open-minded. In keeping an open mind you learn from other engineers who have faced a similar dilemma since they may have suggestions to offer. As an engineer, you may also bring seek the right people to aid you in making your decision about the