Who to blame... 4

[SMIAH]

I started some time ago to obtain engineering contracts from a client who acts as a manager for the construction of a highway (public-private partnerships). My role is similar to a specialist hired to provide plans related to drainage (eg, retention basins, sedimentation, gravity pipe calculations, etc…). There is always a sense of urgency with this client because the project is now under construction and in a rush. But I am not responsible for the supervision and the work once my plans are done and the site is located outside of where I work (more 200 km).

During my vacation, I told this client that another engineer would be available to continue the work in my absence. This, thinking that there wouldn’t be anything to "come out" anyway during those two weeks. But I was wrong and my client had an emergency during my absence. The other engineer has taken over and performed the work. Plans have been sent to the client, approved by government authorities. Upon my return, I checked the project and it seemed correct to me after a very quick review. It's a stilling basin at the outlet of a culvert and a ditch connecting to the creek downstream.

The construction has been made since then and I completely forgot about this project.

Yesterday the client contact me and sends me photos. I realize, by consulting our plans, that a slope of 0.1 ft/ft was specified. However, I am convinced that this is a text error on the drawing while the slope should be of 0.01 ft/ft. The construction was done without any questioning about this (duh).

The client knows that something has gone wrong. However, they do not yet know that the error comes from our plans. I hesitate to admit our mistake not to discredit myself as a "specialist". The other engineer is returning the blame on the CAD drafter who isn't here now.

The public safety is not endangered. The only problem is stability of the riprap that covers the ditch and the impossibility for fish passage (environmental requirements).

What do to? Let it go, even if I know that we made this mistake. Assume it? Blame it on the other engineer?

I'm working as a PE Engineer in a civil engineering firm.

 

[SMIAH]

I'll wait for a raise!
No kidding, I don't know why I'd do that though, as my first decision was to tell my client about it. Looks like the boss didn't want to interfere in the process... and I won't thank him for that. As I won't thank my co-worker who puts the blame on a drafter. I thank forum writers though.

 

[IRstuff]

Aside from the pure ethics question, customers appreciate candor. As many others have already intimated, a customer must place a great deal of trust in the engineers they hire. This goes far beyond the issues of insurance coverage and whatnot.

What you do, and did, here will affect your FUTURE relationship with this customer. While he may not like the situation that happened, he will be more willing to trust you in the future, knowing that you'll be straight with him in the future, and that's worth more than a different engineer with a bigger insurance company.

TTFN

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[patprimmer]

It takes years to build a reputation and seconds to destroy it.

As you seem to have realised, customers and colleagues will forgive mostly being told bad news up straight, but they rarely forgive deception.

Regards
Pat
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[BJC]

"Never wait for trouble" Chuck Yeager

 

[TDAA]

Glad you told him.

I wasn't really indicating you should try to hang it on "Bob", just a little blah, blah, blah to start the conversation.

It is interesting that this sort of big issue for you, is not that important to him at the moment. It just goes to show that we normally think things are worse than they really are.

 

[msquared48]

Kinda reminds me of the skyscraper being built in NY some years ago where a student found that the structure was weak from wind forces in the 45 degree directions to the main axes.

With a major wind storm brewing in the Atlantic, The Structural Engineer of Record, an elderly, well seasoned Structural Engineer of excellent reputation, immediately, after review, admitted his error and jumped on developing a solution.

The building stands today with the problem solved, court battles or otherwise after the fact. But the SEOR did the right thing.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
Motto: KISS
Motivation: Don't ask

 

[HgTX]

I can't resist going on a tangent related to Mike's example.

The Citicorp building and more particularly Bill LeMessurier's response to the problem is held as a shining example of engineering ethics, and I believe rightly so.

But check this out:

http://www.niee.org/cases/98 cases/cases98-9.htm

There's just no way that this case is anything other than the Citicorp building. (The crisis was in 1978, but the story didn't really come out till a New Yorker article in 1995, which explains the 1998 date on the case.) And yet they ruled that it was not ethical for the engineer and the city to solve the problem quietly instead of making a big public announcement. I find that interesting.

For those who haven't already internalized the Citicorp story, here's the best writeup I know of:

http://temp.onlineethics.org/moral/lemessurier/index.html

Back to the thread's point, though, I first heard about this when LeMessurier went on the lecture circuit shortly after he published the story, and came to talk at my school. He pointed out that when he blew the whistle on himself, his reputation was not damaged but rather enhanced, and he was there to spread the message that it is always better to come clean.

Hg

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