Response to case study scenario 1
I would not ignore this problem as I would feel morally bound not to knowing the risks of ignoring the problem and the ethics of the situation.
Although the failed amount is a small percentage, 1.5%, it still contributes a fire risk to at least three people. Fire Statistics show that in 2006, 5,391 fires were caused by electrical items with 12 fires resulting in fatalities and 895 resulting in non fatal casualties
1. This is a large number and
I would feel personally responsible if I ignored the problem which resulted in someone receiving serious burns or losing a loved one. I am therefore duty bound to eliminate the risk of fire from a product which is in my control.
Also being an engineering professional I have certain Codes of Conduct to adhere to. Failing to act would intervene The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers code of Ethics
2 which clearly states in point one that as an engineer I should make decisions consistent with safety, health and welfare of the public. I would be wrong not to follow this code and protect the property and lives of customers as they trust in engineers like me that the product is safe.
The liability as to the safety of a product is defined in The Consumer Protection Act
3 of 1987. The act states that person who manufacturers the product is liable for its safety. A recent example of this is the legal proceedings against a company which I have worked for. Eli Lilly and Company is a large pharmaceutical company supplying many life saving drugs around the world. One particular drug, Zyprexa, was illegally marketed by the company which resulted in approximately 30,000 lawsuits from customers who had suffered side effects as a result of the illegal marketing. The result of these law suits has been approximately $1.2 billion
4 and has caused immeasurable damage to the company’s reputation.
With the United Kingdom currently in recession it would be a poor decision not to recall the products immediately. Although it will cost the company money, the potential decline in sales from bad publicity and cost of lawsuits could cause the company to become bankrupt.
The course of action which I would take would be to recall the batch from the customer. I would choose this course of action to primarily ensure the safety of the customer. To enforce this course of action I would issue a release to the affected customer detailing the problem and the course of action. This would be backed up with a statement on the company’s website. I would further recommend an advert in the major newspapers. I would also ensure that the design team was informed of the problem using e-mail and memos and a follow up meeting with the design team manager to ensure the event does not happen again.
Refrences
1) UK Fire Statistics -
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/firestatisticsuk2006
2) The IEEE Code of Ethics -
http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/iportals/aboutus/ethics/code.html
3) The Consumer Protection Act of 1987 -
http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file22866.pdf
4) Lilly Settles With 18,000 over Zyprexa -
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9f00e5db1430f936a35752c0a9619c8b63
