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Ethical Issues in The Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse1

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10 views

Ethical Issues in The Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse1

Uploaded by

rajithasubhash42
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Ethical Issues in the Hyatt Regency

Walkway Collapse

Violations of Professional Responsibility


The Hyatt Regency walkway collapse, which occurred on July 17, 1981, in Kansas City,
Missouri, remains one of the deadliest engineering failures in U.S. history. This tragedy was
caused by several critical ethical violations in the field of engineering. One of the major breaches
was the failure to prioritize public safety. The skywalks were not designed or tested properly to
support the weight they were meant to bear. A crucial change to the design was made during
construction without proper assessment or review, which put many lives in danger. This failure
to follow the fundamental principle of safety led directly to the catastrophic collapse.

Another serious violation was carelessness in design and oversight. The design of the walkways
was changed halfway through construction. The new design was weaker than the original one
and was not properly tested for its ability to carry the load. When the walkways could not bear
the weight, they collapsed. Engineers have a responsibility to ensure that every design is fully
checked and safe before implementation, and this oversight showed a lack of professionalism.

Lastly, there was a failure to properly document the design changes and a breakdown in
communication between the engineers, the construction team, and the hotel management. The
changes made to the walkway design were not documented properly, and the engineers
responsible for the original design were not informed about the changes. This communication
failure resulted in confusion and unsafe construction. Proper documentation and clear
communication are critical in engineering, and the lack of these led to the collapse. These
violations highlight how important it is for engineers to follow ethical standards and maintain
clear communication to avoid such disasters.

Roles of different Stakeholders


The Hyatt Regency walkway collapse happened because of mistakes made by the engineers,
contractors, and hotel management. Each of them had important duties to keep people safe, but
they did not follow them properly. The engineers were in charge of designing the skywalks and
making sure they were safe. However, they changed the design during

construction without testing it properly. This made the walkways weaker, and because it wasn’t
checked correctly, the engineers failed to protect the safety of the people.
The contractors were responsible for building the walkway. They should have followed the
original design and made sure the construction was safe. But they didn’t understand the changes
to the design, and they kept building the walkway without checking if it was safe. Their
carelessness led to the collapse, as they didn’t raise any concerns about the changes.

Hotel management was also responsible for ensuring the safety of their guests. They trusted the
engineers and contractors without checking if the walkways were built safely. When they saw
signs that something was wrong, they didn’t take action. By not overseeing the project properly,
they failed to protect the people in the hotel. This disaster shows how important it is for everyone
involved in a project to communicate well, be careful, and make safety a priority.

Application of Ethical Theories


The Hyatt Regency walkway collapse can be looked at using utilitarianism, which is about doing
what is best for the most people. In this case, the engineers, contractors, and hotel management
did not make choices that helped the most people. The design changes made during construction
were not tested for safety, which led to the deaths and injuries of many people. If the engineers
and contractors had followed safety rules, it would have saved lives and protected guests. By not
focusing on safety, they caused harm, which goes against the main idea of utilitarianism – to
make the most people safe and happy.

Another ethical idea that applies here is deontological ethics, which is about following rules and
duties. According to this idea, the engineers, contractors, and hotel management had clear
responsibilities to make sure the walkway was safe. The engineers should have tested their
design carefully before building it. The contractors should have followed the correct design, and
the hotel management should have checked that everything was safe. By not doing these things,
they broke their duties, which could have stopped the collapse.

In conclusion, both ethical ideas show how the failure to follow safety rules and responsibilities
led to the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse.

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