HVPE TOPIC:

ETHICAL DELIMMAS IN SAFETY

AND RISK ASSESSMENT

Submitted by: Aarti Uniyal(05204092018)

Sapna Rai (03004092018)
What is Ethics?
 The code of conduct or behaviour governing an
individual or a group .
 The complex of ideas ,beliefs or standards that
characterizes or pervades a group ,community or
people.
What is Dilemma?
 A difficult problem seemingly incapable of a
satisfactory solution.
 A situation involving choice between equally
unsatisfactory alteratives.
What is ethical dilemma?
 Moral situation where a choice has too be made
between two equally undesirable alternatives.
 it is also known as moral dilemma.
 In these moral situations societal & personal ethical
guidelines can provide no satisfactory outcome for
solving dilemma.
Ethical dilemmas are situations involving
conflicting morals claim, and give rise in such
questions:

 What ought i to do?

 What harms and benefits result from this decision or
actions?
 What is good (virtue) or what is duty(right)?
 For eg. Reporting an accident
Reporting an accident
TROLLEY PROBLEM
Safety…
• Safety, definitions: – “A thing is safe if, were its risks fully
known, those risks would be judged acceptable by a
reasonable person in light of their settled value principles”

Safety is relative! – “A thing is safe (to a certain degree) with

respect to a given person or group at a given time if, were
they fully aware of its risks they would judge those risks to
be acceptable (to a certain degree).” What is “degree”?

• Relative safety, examples: – Safety for an engineering

prototype vs. a released product – Safety on a
manufacturing line (traditions, laws, standards, etc.). You
may encounter this!
Risk...
• Definition: A risk is the potential that something
unwanted and harmful may occur
• “Experimental” risks associated with introducing new
technology (“social experimentation”)
• Example: Toyota Prius/deaf people problem
unforseen?, exposes environment-safety trade-off
• Risks with application of familiar technology
• Example: ABS rear-end collisions • Remaining risk
resulting from trying to make a system more safe
Acceptability of Risk...
• Willingness to be subjected to risk: – People don’t
have as much of a problem with subjecting
themselves to risks – Much less willing to
involuntarily be subjected to risks
• Are risks on-the-job voluntary? What about in a
manufacturing job? – Could quit! But is this always
possible? – If piece-work-based, will workers
behave less safely?
• Safety complaints from on-the-job should always be
listened to.
Dilemmas in risk assessment
 Perspectives: Accidents & Safety
 Industry Occupational
 safety Medical services
 Transport Energy etc.
Risk:
 Risk Varying definitions - depend on area of
application
 Someone or something that creates a hazard Risk
= Probability x Consequences Sometimes dogmatic,
but usually more sophisticated
 “Risk is the effect of uncertainty on objectives”
Risk assessment ~ Safety analysis ~
Risk analysis
• Hazard identification
• Estimation of risk
• Evaluation of risk
• Identification of potential improvements Many
different situations: - A specific installation
(workplace, train station, hospital ward etc) - -
Many units, where data and statistics are available
 Risk assessment is a useful methodology, which is
very essential for design and operation of
advanced and potentially dangerous systems
 However, there are several difficulties that must be
handled with care
Example:
General problems with risk assessment

 To not use it A systematic risk assessment should be

compulsory in all hazardous activities.
 Complacency ( as a group characteristic )
• Part of explanations in many accidents
• If no accident has occurred - “everything is OK”
• Early warnings are ignored.
 Quality and validity is hard to check
• By the “customer”
• By persons at risk
• Lack of quality guidelines for risk assessment •
Scope and aim - too narrow or too wide
 Systems change (equipment, people, organisation,
technical solutions)
 Conclusion
There are many dilemmas and potential problems in
the use of risk assessment.
1. ESTABLISH THE FACTS IN A SITUATION
2. DECIDE WHETHER THE SITUATION INVOLVES LEGAL
OR ETHICAL ISSUES
3. IDENTIFY YOUR OPTIONS AND POSSIBLE
CONSEQUENCES
4. EVALUATE YOUR OPTIONS
5. CHOOSE THE BEST OPTION
6. IMPLEMENT YOUR DECISION
 Concluding There are many dilemmas and potential
problems in the use of risk assessment Avoid these
when they are known or can be anticipated. It is a
shared responsibility between analysts, risk owner
and authorities to do this.