Ethics Discussant About Hoover Dam

Every professional has got ethical requirements that act as the moral guidelines of the member of that profession. Engineering, being one of the most revered professions in this country also comes with lots of challenges and if left uncontrolled would bring about lots of issues that would land the engineers in legal battles almost on daily basis. Honesty and integrity are the most important ethical requirements for any engineer and anything that they do should always have the wider public in mind and they should be done in such a way as not harm them. Before engaging in t massive project, like in the case of building of the Hoover Dam, engineers should take it upon themselves to evaluate whether the activities that will be involved from the initial stages to the conclusion of the project meet the public health standards, promote safety and also take into account the welfare of the citizens. This presentation looks into the engineering values that were at work in the decision to construct the Hoover Dam.

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Values that guided the major players

Hoover Dam is a massive dam lying across Arizona-Nevada border and was constructed with the major aim of taming the Colorado River and providing water along with hydroelectric power to the Southwest which was a developing part of the country. Before undertaking the project, the engineers involved must have been guided by specific values that ensured that the project went to conclusion. First they designed the reservoir in such a way as to be able to contain large volumes of water without putting the public life in danger of overflow and collapse. To this regard it is clear that they held paramount the safety, health and the welfare of the general public, which is one for the ethical requirements for the engineers. Again, the engineers involved in the design and construction of the dam were keen to stick to their areas of competence. This is clearly evident from the fact that everything in the dam is near perfect. The dam is the largest not just in the United States but in the western hemisphere and it displays magnificent example of what competent engineers can build. Performing services specifically in the area of ones competence is one of the fundamental values that define the ethical standards of engineers and it is one of the values that appeared to have guided the players in this case. The values highlighted were the key guiding ethical principles of the players in the case and they clearly bring out the importance of the existence of the ethical standards in the field of engineering.

Sharing the values

The values that most likely guided the players as they undertook the project are still relevant and positive to this day. They enabled the commencement and completion of a historic dam. The dam has been changing peoples lives for the better since it was launched. Taking the general public into consideration when undertaking such a megaproject, and seeing into it that they are safe from the likely catastrophes are values worth sharing. Sticking to ones area of competencies also a desirable value for the engineers since it ensures that the result is both admirable and meeting the standard conditions. It is therefore important for the engineers to share these desirable values when practicing.

The best decision

The decision made by the players in the designing and building of the Hoover Dam was the best they could have made given what they valued and what they knew. These people valued improved life for the public. They desired a better life for the citizens especially those living in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada. They knew that by putting up the dam in a properly constructed manner they were poised to upgrade the lives of the public by providing water for irrigation and power to millions of homes in these states. The decision to build a dam at this site was therefore the best they could have made given the current situation.

Interest being served

Everything done about this project was done for the public good. The people of the said states severely needed water to irrigate their farms and electricity to power their homes and industries. It then follows that it is the public interest that was being served by the project.

The benefactors

The citizens of the six states served by the dam were made better off by the decision to put up the project. It gave these states a green look that was previously lacking. Their homes and industries were also sufficiently served by the electricity which was really not the case before.

Regulations

In as much as the project went through to completion, it was marred by various drawbacks especially by the workers strike. The workers engaged in a six day strike that occurred in August 1931 because of their poor working conditions. They worked in a tunnel filled with dust and carbon monoxide which greatly affected their health. It then appears that there were no proper regulations to protect the worker as of that time. There is need to change the regulations to ensure that the workers are protected at all cost.

Lessons for engineers

The case presented gives the present and the future engineers a very important lesson to learn. The most important lesson in this case is that any project should be done when considering how it will affect the general public. The project should only go on if it has been proven that it will not have detrimental effects on the health of the citizens and that it will instead work to uplift their lives. From the presentation, it is clear that the guiding principles spelling out the ethical standards are very important. Generally the public should be given first priority when contemplating of undertaking any major project as has been seen in the case of the Hoover Dam. The engineering profession is a noble one guided by ethical principles that when carefully observed will ensure that any work undertaken by members of this society will be a success and will not put the individual at loggerheads with the law.