In the cases of the Challenger and the Columbia tragedies, organizational failures played a vital role. For the Challenger, there had been a teleconference between the engineers from Morton Thiokol (the company that designed the O-rings that cased the Challenger to explode), the Kennedy Space Center and the Marshall Space Flight Center. The engineers, who were low level, expressed their concerns for the safety of the crew as well as the Space Shuttle but were ignored. In the case of the Columbia tragedy, a large piece of foam possibly hardened by ice, had detached itself from the main fuel tank and caused damage to one of the wings. This caused the Shuttle to lose control during re-entry.
The organizational failures that lead to these tragedies …show more content…
Even though in both instances, the engineers responsible for the designs, tried to speak up to express their concerns. Maybe they could have pushed harder to stress the importance of the issue at hand. Trying to play out every scenario is not always an option in a time sensitive situation. You sometimes have to use you best judgement to do what is necessary as long as it’s not immoral, unethical, or illegal. These decisions have a lot to do with your beliefs, your moral values, and even the way you were brought …show more content…
Professionals need to be educated on the laws that govern their profession and their moral obligation to the standards. Situational training could be introduce to help prepare people to make those tough split second decisions. This would not be a “cure all” for every situation, but it is a stepping stone to better individuals. It should be know that no matter who is “in charge”, there will always be someone above them. As long as you are always using the proper channels, there is no reason why you couldn’t keep pushing your concerns up until they are heard.
Another issues that can be encountered in engineering design is adhering to the minimum design standards or codes. While these standards can be good guidelines, they are what is minimally acceptable for what is needed to be accomplished. I feel these standards can create a sense of complacency when trying to meet a specific goal. While these standards and codes are what is required, you still have a moral and ethical code you must follow. You must put the health and welfare of everyone around you
The organizational failures that lead to these tragedies …show more content…
Even though in both instances, the engineers responsible for the designs, tried to speak up to express their concerns. Maybe they could have pushed harder to stress the importance of the issue at hand. Trying to play out every scenario is not always an option in a time sensitive situation. You sometimes have to use you best judgement to do what is necessary as long as it’s not immoral, unethical, or illegal. These decisions have a lot to do with your beliefs, your moral values, and even the way you were brought …show more content…
Professionals need to be educated on the laws that govern their profession and their moral obligation to the standards. Situational training could be introduce to help prepare people to make those tough split second decisions. This would not be a “cure all” for every situation, but it is a stepping stone to better individuals. It should be know that no matter who is “in charge”, there will always be someone above them. As long as you are always using the proper channels, there is no reason why you couldn’t keep pushing your concerns up until they are heard.
Another issues that can be encountered in engineering design is adhering to the minimum design standards or codes. While these standards can be good guidelines, they are what is minimally acceptable for what is needed to be accomplished. I feel these standards can create a sense of complacency when trying to meet a specific goal. While these standards and codes are what is required, you still have a moral and ethical code you must follow. You must put the health and welfare of everyone around you