“Engineers invent the future and their work affects the lives of millions of

people, for better or worse. That raises enormous ethical issues in every
branch of engineering, from computing through biotechnology and energy
to civil and electrical”

Engineering Career Skills 3

Ethics in Engineering
What is ethics?

Good(?) ? Bad(?)
Ethics can be a very broad (and subjective) topic…
The responsibility of individuals and companies.

Q. Google’s corporate moto is/was “Don’t be (……?)”

Why care about ethics (from a career perspective)?

Reputation Legal repercussions

Career progress
Let’s look at some potential ethical topics for consideration for your
product idea:

1. Responsible and ethical manufacture

2. Honest advertising
3. Environmental impact (production, use and disposal?)

4. Privacy and data handling

5. Health and safety

6. Copying of ideas from other technologies

7. Idea ownership and recognition of personal contribution

Let’s look at some case studies:

January 2020
1. Responsible and ethical manufacture
2. Honest advertising
3. Environmental impact (production, use and disposal?).
4. Privacy and data handling
5. Health and safety
6. Copying of ideas from other technologies
7. Idea ownership and recognition of personal contribution
 Case study 2

October 2000

vs.
 Case study 2

vs.

1. Responsible and ethical manufacture

2. Honest advertising
3. Environmental impact (production, use and disposal?).
4. Privacy and data handling
5. Health and safety
6. Copying of ideas from other technologies
7. Idea ownership and recognition of personal contribution
 Case study 3

March 2018
 Case study 3

1. Responsible and ethical manufacture

2. Honest advertising
3. Environmental impact (production, use and disposal?)
4. Privacy and data handling
5. Health and safety
6. Copying of ideas from other technologies
7. Idea ownership and recognition of personal contribution
 Case study 4

October 2016

Galaxy Note 7
 Case study 4

1. Responsible and ethical manufacture

2. Honest advertising
3. Environmental impact (production, use and disposal?)
4. Privacy and data handling
5. Health and safety
6. Copying of ideas from other technologies
7. Idea ownership and recognition of personal contribution
 Case study 5

September 2016
 Case study 5

1. Responsible and ethical manufacture

2. Honest advertising
3. Environmental impact (production, use and disposal?)
4. Privacy and data handling
5. Health and safety
6. Copying of ideas from other technologies
7. Idea ownership and recognition of personal contribution
 Engineering Career Skills 3 – Assignment 3
Ethical Considerations Report

Think about the relevance of these ethical issues for your product idea:

1. Responsible and ethical manufacture

2. Honest advertising
3. Environmental impact (production, use and disposal?)
4. Privacy and data handling
5. Health and safety
6. Copying of ideas from other technologies
7. Idea ownership and recognition of personal contribution
 Engineering Career Skills 3 – Assignment 3
Ethical Considerations Report
Produce a report that addresses these potential ethical issues for your product idea and
discusses how these impact its potential development by Heronics.

- The report should ideally include:

- An introduction summary that describes your product idea.
- Discussion of each of the identified ethical areas presented and their importance/relevance
to your product idea.
- Research into and discussion of any example ethical issues for similar products already on
the market or in development.
- A summary plan for how your product idea should be developed by Heronics when taking
into consideration any of the ethical issues you have identified.
 Engineering Career Skills 3 – Assignment 3
Ethical Considerations Report
Assignment 3 details:

- Assignment type: Individual (i.e. to be completed individually and not in your team).
- Assignment format: Written report no longer than 8 pages (with diagrams/pictures as required).
- Weighting of marks: 20% of total for the course.
- Submission procedure: To be submitted via the link on Moodle.
- Submission deadline: 12 noon, 4th February 2020.