Mechanical engineering is a type of engineering which applies principles of physics and material science for the purpose of analyzing, designing, manufacturing and maintaining of mechanical systems (Gorp, 2005). It is involved with the production and usage of mechanical power in the operation of various machines and tools. Mechanical engineering is considered to be the most diverse engineering and has its breadth derived from the need to design tools and manufacture products which range from small individual parts to large systems. Mechanical engineering, as thought of by scholars, is related to Aerospace engineering, Manufacturing and Mechanical engineering (Van et al, 2011). A mechanical engineer is expected by profession to be on the frontline in the transformation of an idea from its design to marketplace (Van et al, 2011). The engineers are expected to understand the different types of forces that exist in the environment of the product they are manufacturing and its subsystems determine the best way to manufacture it so that it can perform without failure when implemented. According to (Van et al, 2011), mechanical engineers play central roles in industries such as aerospace industries and biotechnologies. This requires them to observe engineering ethics as professionals. The ethics are there to make an engineer be able to weigh the benefit that may result from completion of the project against the possible risks. Engineering ethics can be described as moral principles that are applied to the engineering practice (Van et al, 2011). Engineering bodies, such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, conducts field examines and set obligations that engineers are supposed to fulfill, to their clients, society and professi... ... middle of paper ... ...ends to be a whistleblower may be in a position of losing his or her contract (New York University Conference on Labor, 1997). The courts will uphold the project. This makes it hard for a mechanical engineer working in such a position because they can do little to prevent disaster or damage. Such instances can result to extreme cases such as the infamous Chernobyl disaster (Yoroshinka et al, 2011). Mechanical engineers have a responsibility of ensuring they abide by general ethics as that have been laid down by engineering bodies such as the American Society of Mechanical engineers. Engineers have to sound alarm whenever safety violations are breached or when the organization does not perform required procedures that may endanger lives. It is the engineer’s duty to inform members of the public whenever legal bodies fail to nullify projects which may cause disasters.
Martin, M.W. and Schinzinger, R. (2005) Ethics in Engineering. 4th ed. New York: McGraw Hill.
To clarify, the Engineering Code of Ethics is the set of rules established by the National Society of Professional Engineers that all engineers are expected to adhere to. In essence, the fundamental tenets of this code are that all engineers are expected to prioritize public safety, as well as be honest with their clients and the general public while only doing work that they are qualified to do. (“Code of Ethics,” n.d.). The reason this code is crucial in this case is because it offers guiding principles for the men and women who are in charge of so many of the various structures and buildings that are used by everyone in society. If the engineering population were to fail to adhere to this code, many people’s lives would be put in jeopardy; buildings might crumble, planes may crash, and bridges could collapse. This means that this code serves to keep engineers in check so that the world maintains stability, therefore its importance cannot be emphasized enough. Furthermore, since this code is nationally recognized, if a company’s engineers were to violate any aspect of it, it would be seen nation-wide as a misuse of power for the sake
Knowledge and application of ethical concepts play a huge role in our lives, because every choice we make has consequences. As a student taking Ethics course and having engineering as my profession, I learned how to behave ethically as I found out ethical issues and relations. Interacting with others, discuss and share ideas, be considerate towards others, as everybody has their ways of cooperating and making ethical decisions. I, also, learned how to validate ethical positions and understand skills and positions of others
In today’s world there are many competitors in all fields of work. This is one of the major reasons why bribery occurs next to money. Engineering is no different than any other field but is often associated with having higher standards. This higher standard incorporates honour, respectability and accountability to ones actions. The article that has been discussed in this paper is essential to maintain the professional engineering image. This is not only in the best interest for the engineer but other engineers, companies and most importantly, the public.
...nciples of engineering; in doing so, they will aid in the protection of society by having a high standard of ethics, honesty, and integrity. In order to become a world-class engineering student, I will have to continue to be conscious of academic dishonest behavior, alerting my professors if I am witness to its occurrence and deterring myself from it, in addition to familiarizing myself with the professional ethical codes related to engineering as engineers are expected to exhibit these fundamental principles when fulfilling their professional duties.
The Unwritten Laws of Engineering was first published in 1944 in three separate articles in the periodical Mechanical Engineering by W. J. King. The current edition was edited by James G. Skakoon in 2001. The three original articles are combined as three chapters in the book. James G. Skakoon notes in the preface that the laws still hold true after all this time. The book focuses on different phases in the career of many engineers in the first two chapters. The final chapter deals with personal issues and advice that pertains to both engineers and engineering managers
There are many obstacles to coming up with a good design for engineers. Taking an ethical approach, one should be able to assume that the design they asked for was given due diligence and put together by a team of professional engineers who live by the Code of Ethics for their professional organization.
Poel, Ibo Van De, and Lambèr M. M. Royakkers. Ethics, Technology, and Engineering: An Introduction. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. Print.
A virtue is a trait believed to be morally good, and a vice is a trait believed to be morally wrong. Eventually, a person will make a decision and take action based on their virtues and vices. Therefore, it is virtues that help engineers reach their purpose and evaluate ethical behavior. This paper will attempt to generate a list of virtues that an engineer must possess in order to be regarded as virtuous. Before doing this, Aristotle’s virtue ethics, virtues of thought, and virtues of character will be explained.
Ethics is the moral behavior that guides our actions; it motivates us in our personal behavior and is relevant in a business setting as well. Many organizations have set forth a set of guidelines known as a “Code of Ethics”. The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, being one of these organizations, has set forth their code as a requirement for students and engineer members to adhere to. Heading towards a career in electrical engineering I choose this organization to elaborate on for my ethics project.
Smith, Jimmy H. "Principles of Ethical Conduct in Engineering Practice Under NAFTA. "Principles of Ethical Conduct in Engineering Practice Under NAFTA. Murdough Center for Engineering Professionalism, 07 Jan. 2000. Web. 25 Feb. 2014
Engineering is one of the important majors. Engineers are design, build and provide different solutions that serve the community. We know that engineering profession can affect public safety. it can lead to a hazardous mistakes. Learning ethics is important to avoid those mistakes. It helps to avoid issues before they arise and recognize the solutions. Without ethics people would not have ideas of right and wrong and help to choose right actions.
When designing products, they may start to just sketch out the idea and then after a couple of sketches, he or she will start to use a Computer-Aided drafting program. After a product has been built, they will preform a quality assurance check on the product. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2015) says, “Employment of mechanical engineers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2014 to 2024, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Mechanical engineers can work in many industries and on many types of projects”. As technology advances so will the number of engineering jobs in the workplace. If you have a mechanical engineering degree you are able to work in many environments from the rail industry to the aerospace
Engineering ethics focuses on the behavior of the individual - the engineer, and the development of ethical standards governing their professional activities. Engineering ethics has always existed as a set of rules or a system that governs the behavior of an engineer. Among its main provisions, we can attribute such as the need to faithfully perform engineering work that would bring welfare and do not cause harm to people; be accountable for engineering professional activities; a good relationship ( customs and rules governing relations ) with other engineer, etc.
9. Martin, M. W., & Schinzinger, R. (2010). Introduction to engineering ethics (2nd ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.