Bridge Failure in Genoa Italy Case Study

The engineering profession has a code of ethics that guides their functionality and operations in the field, and association with the clients or the general public. Engineers in their operations and conduction of their duties are supposed to show the highest level of ethical behavior and values and morals such as honesty, integrity, fairness, ensure public safety, health, welfare, and protection, impartiality, and equity (Davis, 45). The reason behind the tough scrutiny of this profession, against the basis of ethics, is because of its importance in the society and the kind of implications that come with their work, for one, the errors in working of the engineering profession projects and assignment may result in catastrophic devastation of human life. For instance, the bridge failure in Genoa Italy is a calamity that claimed 43 lives leaving many in severe injuries and pain.

The ethical principles and standards are of critical significance in the engineering profession and adherence is necessary. For one, the golden mean theory of ethics which is primarily based on logical application. For instance, the solution to ethical problems using the theory entails finding the mean of the two extreme possibilities. The theory was advanced by Aristotle which states that by determining the mean solution entail the excess and the too little of something enables the person to find the mean solution, which according to Aristotle is morally ethical (Pritchard, & Englehardt, 21). The practical wisdom in humans is based on the judgment of morally good, thus laying the basis of determining the value of other virtues in society. It is reflected in engineering in assessing the practical benefits and significance of projects to the public.

It is an issue of ethics as the action of the engineers and the architectural designer of the bridge jeopardized the safety, health, and well-being of the public that used the road. For instance, encasing of the cables in concrete makes it impossible for the wear and tear, corrosion, and weakening of the cables used in the bridge to be noticed. Encasing the cables in the concrete does not reduce the wear and tear on the cables as assumed by Mr. Morandi The external forces that could have contributed to the collapse of the bridge encompass; vulnerability in the concrete used to enforce the cables in supporting the bridge because of the deterioration caused by salty air from the Mediterranean Sea, heavy raining, and the harsh fumes from nearby factories.

The rate of their contribution to the catastrophic disaster that claimed 43 lives does not hold water. This has put the country and the engineering community in the light for failing to control and manage the roads and bridges effectively. There is a need for the government through the ministry of infrastructure to manage the structures of the country and protect society from adverse outcomes of failure such as the Genoa Bridge failure. The collapse of the bridge is attributed to various causes and issues which compromises the ethics of various departments, companies, and government units. The underway investigations reveal so far that the Morandi bridge collapsed due to poor design of the bridge, this puts the engineer who designed and built the road in light of engineering ethics and code of pimples for doing shoddy work (Walther, Miller, & Sochacka, 19).

Secondly, questionable building practices also further compromised the ethical standards and integrity of the company involved in the construct. The bridges touch different lives of the public and the candidate selection should be based on the consequential ethical performance standards rather than the political influence. Selecting candidates to build the country's bridges based on political influence, favoritism, and corruptions result in shoddy work that has devastating effects as illuminated in the case of Genoa Bridge Collapse in Italy. As John Lock argues in the theory of Right based ethics theory, which primarily focus on the value and importance of human rights, and maximizing the happiness among the people with valuable and positive outcome in projects and activities. The other solution entails compensation and taking care of the victims and affected persons in the tragedy.