Ethics Case Study
I. Facts
The engineers behind Mold Watch, an innovative mold detecting fridge, which utilizes UV lights to prolong the shelf life of food and reduce food waste, decided not to consult a specialist on the dangers of UV lights and instead conducted their own research to determine what frequency of the UV light would best disinfect the food. They knew that prolonged exposure to UV light could cause eye damage, but still decided to use the most potent frequency in order to maximize UV’s bacteria killing properties. The only safeguard that was installed was the automatic shut-off of the UV lights when the fridge door was to be opened. One of the engineers was concerned, but did not speak up due to the lack of knowledge on the …show more content…
By doing so they put the public at risk. The UV lights, such as the ones in tanning beds, are known to cause eye damage due to prolonged exposure. The engineers knew this; however, they did not intend for the lights to be seen on by those opening the fridge. This UV lights were only supposed to be on when the fridge door was closed, however, this safeguard failed, exposing the consumer, Julian, to the harmful UV light (Section I.1). To avoid this incident the engineers should have first and foremost hired or consulted someone with expertise and/or proper knowledge about UV technology, since they themselves were not qualified (Section II.2.a). If this was not possible they should have used the intensity of the UV light that was safe to view without proper eye protection in case the system malfunctioned and the lights didn’t shut off once the fridge door was open (Section III.2.b). Finally, the engineer who was concerned about this decision should have spoken up and brought up the concerns to the manager and if the manager did not listen then went to higher authorities (such as the company’s hotline) ((Section
I. Facts
The engineers behind Mold Watch, an innovative mold detecting fridge, which utilizes UV lights to prolong the shelf life of food and reduce food waste, decided not to consult a specialist on the dangers of UV lights and instead conducted their own research to determine what frequency of the UV light would best disinfect the food. They knew that prolonged exposure to UV light could cause eye damage, but still decided to use the most potent frequency in order to maximize UV’s bacteria killing properties. The only safeguard that was installed was the automatic shut-off of the UV lights when the fridge door was to be opened. One of the engineers was concerned, but did not speak up due to the lack of knowledge on the …show more content…
By doing so they put the public at risk. The UV lights, such as the ones in tanning beds, are known to cause eye damage due to prolonged exposure. The engineers knew this; however, they did not intend for the lights to be seen on by those opening the fridge. This UV lights were only supposed to be on when the fridge door was closed, however, this safeguard failed, exposing the consumer, Julian, to the harmful UV light (Section I.1). To avoid this incident the engineers should have first and foremost hired or consulted someone with expertise and/or proper knowledge about UV technology, since they themselves were not qualified (Section II.2.a). If this was not possible they should have used the intensity of the UV light that was safe to view without proper eye protection in case the system malfunctioned and the lights didn’t shut off once the fridge door was open (Section III.2.b). Finally, the engineer who was concerned about this decision should have spoken up and brought up the concerns to the manager and if the manager did not listen then went to higher authorities (such as the company’s hotline) ((Section