In this report, an ethical case of the department mechanical engineering has been chosen. In this case, legal liability and social responsibility in engineering will be described. The case is based on the collapse of the TV antenna. In order to extend the TV antenna, the engineers designed an implementation plan and submit their plan to Riggers for approval. The plan was approved by Riggers which needed to place several hoisting lugs. These lugs required the point to attach the lifting cables. However, due to insufficiently sized bolts the extension of the makeshift lifting lug externsion. The antenna tower collapse case raises many questions regarding the social responsibility and ethics of the engineers. The decision of engineering can impact on public safety, health, politics and business practice. Engineers should more aware while taking any decision. This report will evaluate the major ethical issues in this particular case based on the conversation and memorandums provided.
According to the case, a major TV antenna was being constructed in order to extend the broadcasting station’s range. Video crew OF The television station was making a film on this construction for its news broadcast. Antenna Engineering, Inc designed the antenna and a small local firm Riggers, Inc was instructed to assemble the antenna. Riggers approved the plan submitted by Antenna Engineering. According to the plan several hosting lugs need to be placed. The lugs provided attachment point to connect the lifting cables and also use to remove the antenna section form the delivery track. Due to insufficiently sized bolts the extension of the makeshift lifting lug was failed. [Refer to Appendix 1]
Figure 1: Upper and Lower Antenna Section with Wreckage stacked
(Source: Engineering Ethics, 2018)
In order to construct the antenna a crew of seven riggers was employed. The crew used a climbing crane which was vertical. It is used to place the already build portion of the tower which is a lug on the legged tower. As per the plan, the crew lifted each section of the antenna into the air with the help of crane. According to the Antenna Engineering, the design was known as a three-legged tower. According to the design, each section of the antenna was lifted and strapped onto tower one by one. At first, the whole process of the construction was going as per the plan but the problem occurs while hosting the last section of the antenna. This section was attached to the microwave baskets. [Refer to Appendix 2]
Figure 2: Failed U-bolts and climbing tower crane
(Source: Engineering Ethics, 2018)
As per the plan the antenna was lifted horizontally but due to the interference of the baskets with the lifting cable, the antenna was moved vertically. In order to fix the problem, the Riggers requested to Antenna Engineering to redesign the plan over a telephonic conversation. Riggers Inc. Vice president Randall Porter asked the Harry Jordan, division head of Antenna Engineering. The Riggers said that they will reinstall the microwave basket after placing the antenna. However, Antenna Inc has denied the fact that previous time the microwave basket was not installed properly after removing it from the lug. This had cost them a huge amount of money as well as has voided the warranty. This time they will not consider removal of microwave basket to clear the lifting cables. [Refer to Appendix 3]
While hosting the last section of the antenna an accident occurred. The bolt on the makeshift-lifting lug extension was broken and failed. Several riggers were dead by falling from 1000 feet height. This catastrophe was caught in the film by the video camera. With the help of this footage, the investigators investigated the reason for the accident and also discovered where the antenna debris was landed. This antenna collapse case raises many serious questions on the responsibility of the design engineers. Due to the lack of awareness on the construction site, many questions rise on the liability on the engineering ethics. The problem in the case was associated with the liability, negligence issues and design implementation in the engineering ethics (Holzapfel 2015).
In this case, the ethical obligation between the public and the engineering professionals has described. In the tower collapse case at the first glance, the Riggers were responsible for forming the lifting scheme which was flawed technically. In order to implement the plan, seven riggers were faced with death. As per Weber et al. (2014) opinion in order to design the plan for increasing the speed, capacities, loads the engineers should remind the social obligations for the public welfare protection. Bracken-Roche et al. (2017) stated that the public has provided the engineers through the legislation for regulating and licensing themselves, through the tax base for obtaining an education. Hersh (2016) asserted that in return the engineers have the duty to protect the public for wellbeing and safety. Bielefeldt et al. (2016) pointed out that this is an implicit social contract between the engineers and the public which the engineers agree while taking admission in the engineering college.
According to the case study, the engineers of the design company had to provide an appropriate design for hosting the lug, on the part of the last antenna section and they planned properly. However, only for lifting the antenna section of the delivery truck and placing the section on the ground the lug was sufficient. The last section was attached with the microwave baskets and for this reason, the hoisting lugs become useless for lifting the last section 1000 feet above the tower. Some people argued that the design was inadequate. On the other hand, the design was shown by the Antenna engineers to the Riggers, Inc for approval before the starting of the construction. Riggers saw the plans and they should identify the error and need to realize the poor condition of the hoisting lugs. But the employees of Riggers, Inc were not able to recognise the problem.
Figure 1: Stress calculation
(Source: Engineering Ethics, 2018)
They had sufficient knowledge and skill in trade’s people but lack technical knowledge (Meghani and Boëte, 2018). During the construction, the Riggers asked permission from Antenna Engineering to remove the microwave baskets to clear the lifting cables. It is necessary for hoisting the last section of the antenna with the help of lifting lugs. They also promised to reinstall the microwave basket after placing the last section at the top of the tower. Antenna engineer declined this proposal and refused to give permission. According to them during hosting removing the basket and again placing was very expensive. They gave warranty that if the baskets removed they would void the antenna. Antenna engineering accused the Riggers for the problem of lifting the antenna section and hoisting lugs. This part focuses on the matter of contractual commitment. In order to determine the legal responsibility, the agreement paper needs to revise carefully.
Riggers, Inc is a small local company and they had not any engineers working for them. When they came up with the incorrect design, they informed the chief engineer of Antenna Engineering and requested him to change the design. But the engineer refused the approval. After consultation, the engineers remained mute and they declined the request from Riggers. Dubreta (2014) stated that this involves a moral issue in Antenna Engineering site as they remained silent. Bhamra and Lofthouse (2016) stated that according to “Professional Responsibility for Harmful Action” this case was model negligence. According to Bairaktarova & Woodcock (2017), the law of The Malpractice Model of Professional Responsibility, implies that for any activity, the person, action and time need to maintain properly.
Conclusion
In this report, the difference between the social responsibilities and the legal liability has analysed. According to the case study, in the department of mechanical engineering and philosophy, a tragic accident occurred due to the corruption of TV antenna tower. Due to the inadequate design of the plan for lifting the antenna the accident occurred. Riggers, Inc was recognised the problem in the design and informed to Antenna Engineering but they refused the proposal to redesign the plan. As a result, seven riggers lost their life while hoisting. So according to the case study the president and the chief engineer of Antenna Engineering, Inc is responsible for this potential catastrophe and breaks the engineering ethics. The recommendation could be to work on a better development where there is a possibility to work preventing the accident. According to the case study the president and the chief engineer of Antenna Engineering, Inc is responsible for this potential catastrophe and they had the ability to prevent the accident. Antenna Engineering could have hired a third party engineering firm to redesign and analyse the hoisting lugs (Engineering Ethics 2018).
References
Bairaktarova, D. & Woodcock, A. 2017, “Engineering Student’s Ethical Awareness and Behavior: A New Motivational Model”, Science and Engineering Ethics, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 1129-1157.
Bhamra, T. & Lofthouse, V., 2016. Design for sustainability: a practical approach. Abingdon: Routledge.
Bielefeldt, A.R., Canney, N., Swan, C. & Knight, D.W. 2016, “Contributions of Learning through Service to the Ethics Education of Engineering Students”, International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 1.
Bracken-Roche, D., Bell, E., Macdonald, M.E. & Racine, E. 2017, “The concept of ‘vulnerability in research ethics: an in-depth analysis of policies and guidelines”, Health Research Policy and Systems, vol. 15.
Campbell, R.C. & Wilson, D. 2017, “Engineers’ Responsibilities for Global Electronic Waste: Exploring Engineering Student Writing Through a Care Ethics Lens”, Science and Engineering Ethics, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 591-622.
Davies, P.W., 2016. Current issues in business ethics. Abingdon: Routledge.
Dubreta, N. 2014, “Integration of Social Sciences and Humanities into Mechanical Engineering Curriculum”, Interdisciplinary Description of Complex Systems, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 137-150.
Engineering Ethics (2018), TV antenna collapse, Available at <https://ethics.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/04/TVAntennaCollapse.pdf>
Guntzburger, Y., Pauchant, T.C. & Tanguy, P.A. 2017, “Ethical Risk Management Education in Engineering: A Systematic Review”, Science and Engineering Ethics, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 323-350.
Hersh, M.A. 2016, “Engineers and the other: the role of narrative ethics”, AI & Society, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 327-345.
Holzapfel, B.M., Wagner, F., Thibaudeau, L., Levesque, J.P. and Hutmacher, D.W., 2015. Concise review: humanized models of tumor immunology in the 21st century: convergence of cancer research and tissue engineering. Stem Cells, 33(6), pp.1696-1704.
Meghani, Z. and Boëte, C., 2018. Genetically engineered mosquitoes, Zika and other arboviruses, community engagement, costs, and patents: Ethical issues. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 12(7), p.e0006501.
Weber, N.R., Strobel, J., Dyehouse, M.A., Harris, C., David, R., Fang, J. & Hua, I. 2014, “First-Year Students’ Environmental Awareness and Understanding of Environmental Sustainability through a Life Cycle Assessment Module”, Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 103, no. 1, pp. 154-181
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