Incident At Morales Case Study

1. List the ethical issues you observed in Incident at Morales.
• The safety of the general public was not accounted for when continuing with the plans of the factory
• Phaust hired Fred Martinez, the design engineer for the consulting company (ChemiTOIL), knowing full well that he did not have to sign a nondisclosure agreement with ChemiTOIL
• The disposal of hazardous and toxic wastes into nearby ponds
• A site inspection for the factory was not ordered because of the accelerated schedule; Wally's "One rule";
2. From your personal perspective, prioritize these ethical issues from most critical to least critical The most critical ethical issues that have been observed that are the lack of concern for safety, health, and environmental
Such as the plan for plant waste being placed in unlined evaporation that would leak into the local populations ground fresh water supply or by using materials that are barely meeting spec.
-Following Wally’s lead, lots of materials cost cutting occurs. Alloys are decided against even though they are the only safe option because it would bump the cost of making the plant. This creates a very dangerous environment that would kill the operator.
-Even though the plant was barely meeting spec. for safety with the Phaust New Stripper, a decision is made to make a copy of the competitions new stripper. It is made at a higher temperature and pressure than the Phaust plant is designed for. Test batches already show leakage occurring, but Fred signs and seals the plans anyway under the assumption that the mistakes made at this, the stage can just be pushed onto other departments. Mistakes that not only waste money but put people’s lives in danger. ii. What are some things that you should consider?
-Push for sooner inspection of the new vendor to properly determine whether they should be used, that way they won’t be left with no time to look at other products of changes need to be
b) Wally’s Perspective: Assume you are Wally:
i. What specific ethical issues does Wally face?
-Wally knowingly encourages dangerous cost-cutting with hopes of earning a huge bonus from Phaust for being under budget. He would allow drinking water to be polluted and plant operators to put their lives at risk just to earn a bigger raise. ii. What do you think Wally's motivation was for having “One Rule”?
-The "One Rule" is motivated by greed. It is a method to prevent engineers from having their concerns heard. If Fred strictly followed this rule the groundwater would end up being polluted by the waste the plant produces. iii. What do you think about Wally’s “One Rule”?
-Wally's rule is morally wrong. It does not allow for a real conversation to occur because it's the whole purpose to undermine and bully when someone chooses to speak up about unethical and dangerous practices. iv. What decisions would you change if you were Wally?
-Choose to think about present conditions instead of future bonuses. What are bonuses worth if you’re known for creating a huge safety hazard? That means ignoring the wish to be 20% under budget and having the plant be built with the appropriate materials for the job with the minimal rush to the