ENGR 482 Lecture 19

« previous | Wednesday, October 30, 2013 | next »

Cheesy Ethics Video Incident at Morales

1. Ethical considerations are an integral part of making engineering decisions
2. Legal requirements may vary across state and national boundaries, but ethics are universal
3. Protect health, safety, and welfare of public everywhere

Background Information

Where

Phaust Chemicals, division of French chemical company

Who

Fred Martinez (Professional Engineer)

Chuck (CEO of Phaust Chemicals)

Wally (Intimidating Businessman)

Dominique (French lady)

Hal (marketing)

(English chemist lady)

What

Fred signed contract to build plant in Morales, Mexico, to produce new paint stripper product

Something happened...

Initial Project Discussion

Competition (ChemiTOIL) wants plant in 6 months

Fred was consultant designer of ChemiTOIL's plant

• No legal restrictions
• Still sounds unethical to me

Intimidating business manager Wally

• Fred will work 80 hours/week!?
• Build entire plant in 1 year!?
• "You need to tell me things first." — don't want to get blind-sided

Organizational Meeting

Fred believes plans are "unfocused", but Wally overrides

Hal: ChemiTOIL is releasing "EasyStrip" nontoxic paint remover is hard competition

"New Stripper" promises to be much better (almost identical to EasyStrip)

Was planning rushed?

• Fred: No.

um... yes?

Tight schedule

Plan Changes

20% budget reduction

Fred objects

Savings by

• fewer environmental restrictions in Mexico
• using cheaper supplies
• smaller plant: save money now, but increase operations cost later.

Reviewing Designs

Fred recommends site inspection for new pipe supplier

Wally won't allow it: "This is when this job gets fun"

Original specs calls for switches/sensors that are from Lutz & Lutz (L&L)

• Expensive
• Made in Germany / Switzerland
• Chuck's Brother-in-law Burt is US rep to Lutz & Lutz
  • Great prices
  • Great support

Fred argues that cheaper ones will suffice for design

• Wally: "Pick fights you can win"

Potential Conflict of Intrest: are the switches really that much better?

SussyChem Plant Tour

This plant took 14 months to build, Fred only has a year

• Plant will be smaller, so shorter time may not be that big of a deal.

Operators Stress "Take time to plan it right"

Pipes in this plant have high pressure alloy; very reliable and secure.

Fred Can't afford alloy due to budget cuts

Jake, plant operator, says, "You can't afford not to … It would take a miracle not to kill an operator."

Switches are from L&L:

• cost a lot money, but apparently worth it:
• beautifully made
• best hardware, good software too.
• Accurate for high temperature and pressure
• Cheaper ones are not as reliable

Fred's wife is compliance manager for EPA

Fred's plant won't have to deal with environmental issues, but Jake puts forth, "can you say 'environmental catastrophe' in Spanish?"

At Home with Fred's Wife

Fred talks about plant designs with wife: there is a lot of nasty, dangerous stuff coming out of plant.

"Subpoena"

Toxic waste will leech into ground water

Two ethical issues:

1. Should Fred be showing company plans to his wife?
2. Although Mexico doesn't require lined evaporation tanks, hazardous materials still present a substantial health risk

Now Fred has internal conscience conflict

umm... risqué? "Promise me you'll line the tanks."

Environmental Concerns

Chuck calls out struggle with conscience and Fred confesses:

• Environmental concern (Larry is on environmental department; meet with him)
• Wastewater is toxic and dangerous

Fred: "We have to be careful not to poison people"

Chuck agrees: "Absolutely." He will set up meeting

Wally is not happy: "You need to tell me things first!"

Cost cuts from lack of environmental regulation are biggest savings. Money, money, money. Bonuses, money!

"Most environmental regulations here are similar to your own" — Mexican narrator.

Wait, I thought they were different, and that's why Phaust was building plant in Mexico in the first place. I'm confused!

When was wrong path taken? When did things start to go wrong?

Pipe Vendor Discussion with Pete

Pipes are okay, but couplings don't meet specs

They won't be taxed for very long, but cycles will put stress on it.

Solution: make it a Maintenance issue by changing couplings often.

Did marketplace issues override decision-making process?

• Fred: No

Obviously! That Wally guy is the primary factor in it, and he makes me mad.

`

Product Comparison

Dominique is glad that Fred is using cheaper sensors.

Sensors are very reliable

• Below 350° and 250 psi

New stripper product is obviously inferior to old stripper and competition's

More volatile solvent means higher temperature and pressure: Double. Double? Double.

Plans just changed, and those cheap sensors won't work now.

Morales Plant Visit

No consistency in product. Sensors and controls are not adequate.

L&L sensors wouldn't have this problem.

Doing things manually gave right consistency.

Pipe couplings are leaking after only a few test batches

Sign-Over

Fred is not okay with designs because pipes are leaking: "We haven't work all of the bugs."

Wally and Chuck are ready to hand the plans over to operations

• retrofit the plant with better controls next year.
• They are attempting to distance Fred from the implications: "no system is perfect; we design the plant, and they run it"

Fred caves saying the operators can do things manually.

Fred Leaves

Chuck doesn't want Fred's wife telling her boss all of "our dirty little secrets."

Chuck gets a phone call... has to sit down... Someone was killed: Manuel Ortega, the Mexican plant operator. Who approached about the inadequacy of the sensors and formula inconsistencies.

The end.