Debate Reflection 3

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Brandon University *

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Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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Debate Reflection 3 My initial statement was that I agree with the statement “The EGM code of ethics gives an engineer all the guidelines needed to work ethically.” The EGM (Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba) Code of Ethics is an ethical agreement that provides a clear set of principles and standards for EGM members to follow in their professional work. If they think more codes need to be added, then it would’ve been added by now. The code requires EGM members to prioritize the health, safety, and welfare of the public in their professional work. For example, the 2010 Mexico oil spill, also known as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, is an example of a disaster caused by ethical lapses in the oil and gas industry. The spill occurred when an offshore drilling rig operated by British Petroleum (BP) exploded, causing millions of barrels of oil to spill into the Gulf of Mexico. BP's code of ethics emphasized safety, but the company had a history of safety violations and cost-cutting measures that compromised safety. The company had neglected maintenance and safety protocols, failed to conduct proper safety tests, and had not properly trained employees on safety procedures. Additionally, BP had a culture of prioritizing profits over safety, which led to a lack of accountability and oversight. The oil spill caused extensive damage to the environment, wildlife, and local economies, and cost BP billions of dollars in cleanup and compensation. The incident highlighted the need for companies to prioritize safety and environmental protection in their operations and to hold themselves accountable for any ethical violations. It also led to increased regulations and scrutiny of the oil and gas industry, particularly regarding offshore drilling. This example demonstrates that having an ethics code by itself is insufficient to stop ethical failures. In one of the corner people were strongly agreeing as they claimed the EGM code is perfect as it has been used for many years with having no problems. The other corner was disagreeing with the statement as if we look at American code of ethics which is quite detailed, it can guide engineers better when making decisions than it can with code of ethics (EGM). In code of ethics (EGM), each code can be interpreted differently by each engineer which might lead to engineers making wrong decisions and having different consequences by how the project turns out to be. For example, when looking at first code which talks about safety, health and welfare of the public and protection of the environment, the project might turn out to be expensive as if engineers just think about safety of people, they will end up using too many resources for the project. At the end of the debate, my initial position did not change. Codes are not broad, but they do help guide engineers make good decisions to work ethically so they are an important part of engineering and geoscience professions. Although they can be interpreted differently but they are enough to make a successful engineering project.
IEEE Bibliography “Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill,” Encyclopædia Britannica . [Online]. Available: https://www.britannica.com/event/Deepwater-Horizon-oil-spill [Accessed: 23-Mar-2023]. Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba, “Code of ethics - enggeomb.ca.” [Online]. Available: https://www.enggeomb.ca/pdf/CodeOfEthics.pdf [Accessed: 24-Mar-2023].
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