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BAHRIA UNIVERSITY (KARACHI CAMPUS)

Assignment – 4, CLO-2
SPRING SEMESTER – 2020
Engineering Ethics

Class: 8 ( D)
Course Instructor: Engr. M. Khalid
Max Marks: 05
Due Date:24-June-2020
Student’s Name: _________Muhammad Zain Latif___________
Enrollment No: ______46311___

Question # 1:
Describe a real or imagined traffic problem in your neighborhood involving children and elderly people who
find it difficult to cross a busy street. Put yourself in the position of:

(a) A commuter traveling to work on that street.

It is quiet difficult to manage time because it is a complete rush hour. Due to heavy traffic people are
unable to move and reach at their desired destinations on time which is the root cause to many problems.
(b) The parent of a child or the relative of an older person who must cross that street on occasion.
People disobey traffic laws because everyone is in a state of hurry which at time causes major accidents
and the people traveling/crossing roads get hurt and they have to walk in between the roads to avoid such
things.
(c) A police officer assigned to keep the traffic moving on that street.
Police officer at first try to mange things accordingly but once the crowd is in huge numbers, The police
officer leaves everything aside because the situation gets out of control.
(d) The town's traffic engineer working under a tight budget.
At first I will perform my duties which are being assigned to me but later on when there is heavy traffic.
Instead of managing traffic my first priority would be to clear the traffic route.

Describe how in these various roles you might react to

(e) Complaints about conditions dangerous to pedestrians at that crossing.
Streets are often overcrowded, footpaths are narrow and roads are difficult to cross. In many areas there
are not enough places to sit, inadequate protection from the weather and footpaths are so crowded
that pedestrians are forced into the road. According to me there should be a proper path for pedestrians
to walk on so they don’t have to face problems mentioned above.

(f) Requests for a pedestrian crossing protected by traffic or warning lights.

 As a pedestrian you should always use good judgment and not interrupt the flow of traffic. ...
 You must not suddenly leave a curb and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is close enough
to be a danger to you. ...
 At an uncontrolled intersection, pedestrians should be careful and watch out for any oncoming
traffic.

Question # 2:
Discuss what you see at the main similarities and differences between Three Mile Island and Chernobyl?

In 1979 at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in USA a cooling malfunction caused part of the core to
melt in the #2 reactor. The TMI-2 reactor was destroyed. Some radioactive gas was released a couple of
days after the accident, but not enough to cause any dose above background levels to local residents. The
same incident happened On April 26, 1986, the world's worst nuclear accident happened at
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the Chernobyl plant near Pripyat, Ukraine, in the Soviet Union. An explosion and fire in the No. 4 reactor
sent radioactivity into the atmosphere. Plant operators made several mistakes, creating a poisonous and
unstable environment in the reactor core. The main similarity is the both were nuclear incidents.

Though Fukushima and Chernobyl are both level 7 nuclear accidents, the health consequences in Japan to

date are much less severe. ... So far, Fukushima Dai-ichi has released about one-tenth of the amount of
radioactive material that escaped Chernobyl, according to an official from the International Atomic Energy
Agency. There's clear evidence that Chernobyl was the world's worst nuclear accident. Whereas residents
near Three Mile Island eventually returned home, the citizens of Pripyat did not. Today, Chernobyl still has
a 1,000-square-mile exclusion zone that restricts access to visitors. Three Mile Island-2 was an accident of a
completely different type from Chernobyl. ... Unlike Chernobyl, TMI-2's reactor vessel did not fail and
contained almost all of the radioactive material. Containment at TMI did not fail.

Question # 3:
It has been said that Three Mile Island showed us the risks of nuclear power and the Arab oil exchange the
risk of having no energy. Forcing hazardous products or services from the market has been criticized as
closing out the options of these individuals or countries with rising aspirations who can now afford them and
who may all along have borne more than their share of the risks without any of the benefits. Finally,
pioneers have always exposed themselves to risk. Without risk there would be no progress. Discuss this
problem of "the risk of no risk".

There is solution to every problem. In the past few years as technology started evolving, Countries were in
a run to be nuclear powers. They didn’t realize about the pros and cons of it. We have witnessed a number
of incidents regarding nuclear plants and bombardment for example the famous Hiroshima and Nagasaki
incident and many more. Countries want to strengthen their economy and become nuclear power in order
to save themselves from other countries and to write their names in the books of gold.
The sentence is more or less accurate “the risk of no risk”, but there are a lot of elements involved in it
Which includes , Problem formulation, Risk assessment, Risk perception, Risk communication, and none
other than Risk management. It is good to take calculated risks where you know your strengths and loop
holes but taking risks bluntly and then blaming others for it is quiet a foolish stance.

Question # 4:
Discuss the notion of safe exit, using evacuation plans for communities near nuclear power or chemical
process plants?

The following are things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your property from the effects of a
nuclear power plant emergency:

 Build an Emergency Supply kit with the addition of plastic sheeting, duct tape and scissors.
 Obtain public emergency information materials from the power company that operates your local
nuclear power plant or your local emergency services office. If you live within 10 miles of the power
plant, you should receive the materials yearly from the power company or your state or local
government.

 Sign up for emergency updates, if available, from your local emergency management agency to
receive timely and specific information for your area.

If an accident at a nuclear power plant were to release radiation in your area, local authorities would
activate warning sirens or another approved alert method. They also would instruct you through the
Emergency Alert System (EAS) on local television and radio stations on how to protect yourself.
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 Follow the EAS instructions carefully.

 Minimize your exposure by increasing the distance between you and the source of the radiation.
This could be evacuation or remaining indoors to minimize exposure.
 If you are told to evacuate, keep car windows and vents closed; use re-circulating air.
 If you are advised to remain indoors, turn off the air conditioner, ventilation fans, furnace and other
air intakes.
 Shield yourself by placing heavy, dense material between you and the radiation source. Go to a
basement or other underground area, if possible.
 Stay out of the incident zone. Most radiation loses its strength fairly quickly.

The following are guidelines for the period following a nuclear power plant emergency:

 Stay tuned to local radio or television stations for the latest emergency information.
 Public shelters are locally managed and operated in response to events.  If you have been told to
evacuate or you feel it is unsafe to remain in your home, go to a designated public shelter.  To find
the nearest open shelter in your area, text SHELTER + your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA), example:
shelter 12345.
 Act quickly if you have come in to contact with or have been exposed to hazardous radiation.
 Follow decontamination instructions from local authorities.
 Change your clothes and shoes; put exposed clothing in a plastic bag; seal it and place it out of the
way.
 Seek medical treatment for unusual symptoms, such as nausea, as soon as possible.
 Help a neighbor who may require special assistance - infants, elderly people and people with access
and functional needs may require additional assistance.
 Return home only when authorities say it is safe.
 Keep food in covered containers or in the refrigerator.

Question # 5:
A worker accepts a dangerous job after being affected on annual basis of $2000. The probability that the
worker may killed in any one year is 1 in 10000. This is known to the workers. The bonus may therefore be
interpreted as a self-assessment of life with a value equal to $2000 divided by 1/10000 or $20 million. Is the
worker more or less likely to accept the job if presented with statistically nearly identical figures of $100000
bonus over 50 years (neglecting interest) and a 1/200 probability of a fatal accident during the period?

The worker has accepted the first job due to the high probability of any harm or damage being caused
at an annual rati o. The worker has been offered an annual bonus of $2000 over a year which
probably means the worker will be making up to $100,000 in 50 years which is basically the same ratio as the
new job offered but with a lower safety ratio. Furthermore, if the worker was offered the same
money with a higher probability of a fatal accident during that period then the work is most likely
to leave that job. It clearly shows that the amount of money being offered to the worker is same
but the chances of getti ng a fatal injury has been increased 5 times more now.
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