Explain Why Do Engineers Need Ethics
DO ENGINEERS NEED ETHICS?
Ethics are moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of an activity. Charles Fleddermann describes engineering ethics as “a body of philosophy indicating the way engineers should conduct themselves in their professional capacity.”[1]. Ethics and morals work in tandem in the engineering workplace which contributes to order harmony and expectations. Ethics can also be viewed as values. Values are embedded in our characters and last longer and are subject to relative forces. Our behaviour in the society and workplace is motivated by our values.
Engineering practice started in the ancient times, with humans inventing pulleys and wheels. Engineering became a distinct profession in the 19th century …show more content…
For the profession of engineering to be trusted by the public there has to be ethics which the public are happy with. In section 36 of the Act it is stated that engineers should not prejudice public work and health in their work, which is a universal ethic for all engineers around the world. At first people viewed engineering interest to synchronise with public interest but with time it was noticed that there were conflicts. The codes of ethics have stressed the importance of prioritising public interest. Without engineering ethics the engineering in its social context would not have lost the trust of the public …show more content…
The building was going to be one of the top seven tallest buildings in the world during that time. The building met all the standards in the New York Building Code. The code required all the structures to resist, in the structural frame, horizontal wind pressure from any direction. The original design was dynamically excitable then a Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) was included in the design to make it dynamically stable. A model of the building was made and tested in a wind tunnel. The model passed the tests and the building was built. Later an architecture student who was doing a project on the building discovered problems on the building and told the structural engineer. The engineer went back to the drawing board and suggested a retro-fit as a solution. The engineer came forward and admitted his mistakes. Although lying was involved in the process, public safety was made a top priority. These two examples clearly show that engineers need ethics while carrying out their work to make the right decisions. Regulations or laws might be there but they do not cover all aspects to fully protect public health. The Citicorp Centre example shows ethical engineering practice in use
Ethics are moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of an activity. Charles Fleddermann describes engineering ethics as “a body of philosophy indicating the way engineers should conduct themselves in their professional capacity.”[1]. Ethics and morals work in tandem in the engineering workplace which contributes to order harmony and expectations. Ethics can also be viewed as values. Values are embedded in our characters and last longer and are subject to relative forces. Our behaviour in the society and workplace is motivated by our values.
Engineering practice started in the ancient times, with humans inventing pulleys and wheels. Engineering became a distinct profession in the 19th century …show more content…
For the profession of engineering to be trusted by the public there has to be ethics which the public are happy with. In section 36 of the Act it is stated that engineers should not prejudice public work and health in their work, which is a universal ethic for all engineers around the world. At first people viewed engineering interest to synchronise with public interest but with time it was noticed that there were conflicts. The codes of ethics have stressed the importance of prioritising public interest. Without engineering ethics the engineering in its social context would not have lost the trust of the public …show more content…
The building was going to be one of the top seven tallest buildings in the world during that time. The building met all the standards in the New York Building Code. The code required all the structures to resist, in the structural frame, horizontal wind pressure from any direction. The original design was dynamically excitable then a Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) was included in the design to make it dynamically stable. A model of the building was made and tested in a wind tunnel. The model passed the tests and the building was built. Later an architecture student who was doing a project on the building discovered problems on the building and told the structural engineer. The engineer went back to the drawing board and suggested a retro-fit as a solution. The engineer came forward and admitted his mistakes. Although lying was involved in the process, public safety was made a top priority. These two examples clearly show that engineers need ethics while carrying out their work to make the right decisions. Regulations or laws might be there but they do not cover all aspects to fully protect public health. The Citicorp Centre example shows ethical engineering practice in use