The Ethics of Acceptable Safety

Ibrahim Habli; Tim Kelly; Kevin N.J. Macnish; C. Megone; Mark  Nicholson; Andrew Rae

The Ethics of Acceptable Safety

Ibrahim Habli, Tim Kelly, Kevin N.J. Macnish, C. Megone, Mark Nicholson, Andrew Rae

Philosophy

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Engineers of safety-critical systems have a duty to address ethical issues that may arise in the development, assessment, operation and maintenance of these systems. Dealing with ethical dilemmas during safety risk assessment is particularly challenging, especially when making and justifying decisions concerning risk acceptability. This is complicated by organisational issues and contractual limits that do not necessarily align with the boundaries of ethical responsibility. In this paper, we explore some of these dilemmas and discuss the duties of engineers to identify, analyse and respond effectively to ethical concerns about safety risk decisions. We illustrate these through short case studies that highlight particular issues relating to the ethics of safety advice, safety and cost tradeoffs, novel technologies and institutional support.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 23rd Safety-Critical Systems Symposium
Editors	Mike Parsons, Tom Anderson
Publication status	Published - 2015
Event	23rd Safety-critical Systems Symposium, SSS 2015 - Bristol, United Kingdom Duration: 3 Feb 2015 → 5 Feb 2015 Conference number: 23 https://scsc.uk/e300

Conference

Conference	23rd Safety-critical Systems Symposium, SSS 2015
Abbreviated title	SSS 2015
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	Bristol
Period	3/02/15 → 5/02/15
Internet address	https://scsc.uk/e300

Cite this

@inproceedings{120141fc5f134ce194eeb19e4f226b3c,

title = "The Ethics of Acceptable Safety",

abstract = "Engineers of safety-critical systems have a duty to address ethical issues that may arise in the development, assessment, operation and maintenance of these systems. Dealing with ethical dilemmas during safety risk assessment is particularly challenging, especially when making and justifying decisions concerning risk acceptability. This is complicated by organisational issues and contractual limits that do not necessarily align with the boundaries of ethical responsibility. In this paper, we explore some of these dilemmas and discuss the duties of engineers to identify, analyse and respond effectively to ethical concerns about safety risk decisions. We illustrate these through short case studies that highlight particular issues relating to the ethics of safety advice, safety and cost tradeoffs, novel technologies and institutional support.",

author = "Ibrahim Habli and Tim Kelly and Macnish, {Kevin N.J.} and C. Megone and Mark Nicholson and Andrew Rae",

year = "2015",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-1505689082",

editor = "Parsons, {Mike } and Tom Anderson",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the 23rd Safety-Critical Systems Symposium",

note = "23rd Safety-critical Systems Symposium, SSS 2015, SSS 2015 ; Conference date: 03-02-2015 Through 05-02-2015",

url = "https://scsc.uk/e300",

}

TY - GEN

T1 - The Ethics of Acceptable Safety

AU - Habli, Ibrahim

AU - Kelly, Tim

AU - Macnish, Kevin N.J.

AU - Megone, C.

AU - Nicholson, Mark

AU - Rae, Andrew

N1 - Conference code: 23

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - Engineers of safety-critical systems have a duty to address ethical issues that may arise in the development, assessment, operation and maintenance of these systems. Dealing with ethical dilemmas during safety risk assessment is particularly challenging, especially when making and justifying decisions concerning risk acceptability. This is complicated by organisational issues and contractual limits that do not necessarily align with the boundaries of ethical responsibility. In this paper, we explore some of these dilemmas and discuss the duties of engineers to identify, analyse and respond effectively to ethical concerns about safety risk decisions. We illustrate these through short case studies that highlight particular issues relating to the ethics of safety advice, safety and cost tradeoffs, novel technologies and institutional support.

AB - Engineers of safety-critical systems have a duty to address ethical issues that may arise in the development, assessment, operation and maintenance of these systems. Dealing with ethical dilemmas during safety risk assessment is particularly challenging, especially when making and justifying decisions concerning risk acceptability. This is complicated by organisational issues and contractual limits that do not necessarily align with the boundaries of ethical responsibility. In this paper, we explore some of these dilemmas and discuss the duties of engineers to identify, analyse and respond effectively to ethical concerns about safety risk decisions. We illustrate these through short case studies that highlight particular issues relating to the ethics of safety advice, safety and cost tradeoffs, novel technologies and institutional support.

M3 - Conference contribution

SN - 978-1505689082

BT - Proceedings of the 23rd Safety-Critical Systems Symposium

A2 - Parsons, Mike

A2 - Anderson, Tom

T2 - 23rd Safety-critical Systems Symposium, SSS 2015

Y2 - 3 February 2015 through 5 February 2015

ER -