Question

1.) Describe the process of becoming an ethically responsible engineer regarding risk. 2. )Discuss the issues that arise in applying the principal of acceptable risk.

Answer 1

1. Describe the process of becoming an ethically responsible engineer regarding risk.

The following process of becoming an ethically responsible enginner regarding risk is -

(a) "to be aware of the fact that risk is often difficult to estimate and can be increased in ways which may be subtle and treacherous".

(b) "to be aware that there are different approaches to the determination of acceptable risk". In particular, an engineers have a strong bias toward quantification in their approach to risk which may make them insufficiently sensitive to the concerns of lay public and even the government regulators.

(c) "to assume their responsiblity, as the experts in technology to communicate issues regarding risk to the public with the full awareness that both the public & government regulators have a different agenda with regard to risk".

2. Discuss the issues that arise in applying the principal of acceptable risk.

Some of the issues that arise in applying the principle of acceptable risk which is given below as :

(a) Firstly, we must define what we mean by "protecting" people from harm. This cannot mean that people are assured that a form of technology is free from risk. At best, protection can only be formulated in terms of probabilities of harm.

(b) Many disputes can arise as to what constitutes a harm. Here, the foul odors cannot be eliminated so the question of what harms should be eliminated cannot be divorced from the question of whether the harms can be eliminated without at the same time eliminating other goods.

(c) The determination of what constitutes a great and irreplaceable benefit which must be made in the context of particular situations. A food additive that makes the color of frozen vegetable which more intense is not a great and irreplaceable benefit.