Overview of the Texas City Disaster, 1947
The Texas City disaster is one of the worst industrial accidents to befall Texas and the United States (Scher, 2007). It is also one of the worst explosions in the history of the United States that was unrelated to nuclear material. The explosion commenced with a small fire that started in the cargo room of a French vessel docked in the port of Texas, and that had been loaded with ammonium nitrate (Scher, 2007).
One of the chemical characteristics of the compound is its highly inflammable and explosive nature. It was to be used during wars but had been recycled into fertilizer that would be used in the agriculture sector. The fire caused extensive damage within and outside the port. The dock was completely destroyed, a nearby chemical company was burned to ashes, and warehouses in the surrounding areas were destroyed (Scher, 2007).
Flying debris that emanated from the scene of the disaster caused small fires within the city and caused further destruction of residential houses and business premises. The explosion destroyed more than 1,000 buildings and residences (Scher, 2007). Children were injured, firefighters died, and several warehouses in the environs burned down. The property was destroyed, and lives were lost. This report will highlight certain aspects of particular interest that are relevant to the engineering profession. They include the importance of ethics, collaboration with other professionals, and the need to act in an area of one’s specialization. These aspects are important to engineers because they enhance public health and safety.
Causes
The explosion was caused by a fire that started in the cargo room and spread to other areas of the vessel. The vessel was loaded with ammonium nitrate, which was packaged in bags that were not labeled to indicate that the material was hazardous and supposed to be handled carefully. Before the cargo was loaded into the ship, one of the crew members noted that the bags were warm but did not take any precautionary measures. In the early hours of the morning, smoke coming from a small fire in the cargo room was spotted (Scher, 2007). The crew tried to fight the fire, but the inferno was so huge that they failed.
The captain ordered the crew to use steam instead of water in order to avoid destroying the consignment. This order was dangerous because ammonium nitrate oxidizes to produce oxygen. Experts argue that the steam could have aided in activating the compound by facilitating the conversion of ammonium nitrate to nitrous oxide. This compound could have increased the reaction of the ammonium nitrate and contributed to the intensity of the explosion. After the failure to extinguish the fire, the vessel exploded at around 9 a.m. and caused severe damage. The severity of the disaster was primarily attributed to the captain, who ordered the crew to close hatches in order to preserve the ammonium nitrate. This decision was dangerous, irresponsible, and unethical. It intensified the inferno and aided in activating the explosion.
Ethical Implications of the Disaster
Ethical Behavior
The Texas City disaster involved unethical behavior because of the failure to implement proper safety measures for the transport and storage of ammonium nitrate. As mentioned earlier, one of the most important roles of engineers is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. It is apparent from the effects of the disaster that public safety was ignored. Hundreds of people died, and property worth millions was destroyed. It was imperative for the captain and crew members to implement appropriate safety measures. The captain acted unethically by making an ignorant decision that sought to save the cargo rather than the lives of the crew and the public. However, after realizing that the fire was uncontrollable, he ordered the crew to abandon the ship because the fire had grown to unmanageable levels.
The captain acted ethically with regard to this decision because he saved the lives of the crew members who listened to him. Only seven of the entire team survived the explosion because many of them did not follow the order issued by the captain (Stephens, 2010). Certain reports noted that the fire started from a cigarette that had been dropped in the cargo area the previous day. This was unethical behavior because ammonium nitrate is a hazardous substance that explodes when subjected to heat. On the other hand, some crew members died because they ignored the orders of the captain to abandon the vessel.
Unethical Behavior and Associated Consequences
The Texas tragedy was a critical safety issue because it involved unethical behavior, especially on the role played by the captain. Safety management is one of the most important roles played by engineers. Captain Charles de Guillebon acted unethically and therefore contributed to the severity of the disaster. Had he acted ethically, the disaster would have been averted, and lives, as well as property, would have been saved. He failed to listen to some of his crew members who were proposing the use of hose lines to extinguish the fire (Stephens, 2010).
The captain felt that using water would be irresponsible because it would destroy the ammonium nitrate. He ignored the fact that during a disaster, the safety of the people is more important than the preservation of property or cargo. The captain did not seek the advice of his crew members. He used his power to give orders that led to the loss of many lives and loss of property. He commanded his crew to spray the fire with hot water (steam) instead of cold water (Stephens, 2010).
This decision exposed his ignorance and incompetence because the steam increased the volatility of the ammonium nitrate until it attained an explosive threshold. One of the components of all codes of ethics in engineering organizations is the call for engineers to offer services only in areas of their competence. The decision made by Captain Guillebon demonstrated his lack of knowledge regarding the properties of the cargo that he was carrying and the potential dangers it posed in case it caught fire. First, he made a decision in an area in which he did not possess adequate knowledge to enable him to make the right decision.
Second, he ignored the advice of his crew members who acted ethically in giving their propositions because safety was a priority to them. Third, he was incompetent. He should have known that ammonium nitrate is hygroscopic and therefore absorbs moisture. Therefore, steam should never have been used to extinguish the fire. Fourth, proper safety measures had not been put in place. For instance, the ammonium nitrate was handled inappropriately because the cargo was not labeled properly (Stephens, 2010). The bags did not have instructions regarding its proper handling.
The captain’s unethical behavior had severe consequences. People died, the property was damaged, and the blast caused a very strong tidal wave that destroyed the dock (Stephens, 2010). Several business buildings and small companies were destroyed. Several business buildings in the business district, 600 automobiles, and 539 houses in the residential district were damaged (Stephens, 2010). Public safety was a critical issue because between 200 and 3000 people were injured. The majority of the victims injured outside the port were children and pedestrians. Property worth millions were destroyed primarily due to an unethical decision made by the captain. Engineering experts argue that the disaster could have been averted if the captain had allowed the crew to use water to extinguish the fire.
Engineering Ethics
Engineering is a very important profession that focuses on improving the safety, health, and welfare of people. Engineers are required to act ethically and maintain high standards of integrity (Whitbeck, 2011). Engineering directly affects the quality of people’s lives because it involves the provision of critical services. Therefore, engineers are expected to maintain honesty, integrity, fairness. Their main goals should be the protection and improvement of public health, safety, and welfare (Whitbeck, 2011).
On the other hand, the profession requires its members to act and behave in accordance with a certain code of ethics in order to maintain a high degree of ethical conduct. In performing their duties, engineers are required to adhere to certain rules. For example, the safety and welfare of the public should be a priority, and they should offer services in areas of their specialization only (Martin & Schinzinger, 2010).
Maintaining ethical behavior is one of the most effective ways of preventing industrial accidents. Disasters that result from ethical misconduct are very costly because of costs such as fines, litigation, recovery, and lost sales. For instance, the Texas tragedy led to the loss of property, lives, and money through legal battles. Promoting ethical behavior reduces the possibility of accidents (Baura, 2006). It is important to develop and implement behavior-based safety measures in order to reduce accidents. Engineers in different areas of specialization have codes of ethics that govern their actions, behaviors, and decisions (Whitbeck, 2011). These codes ensure that professionals maintain high standards of conduct and adhere to rules in order to keep accidents at a minimum.
Are Some Accidents Acceptable?
Accidents are unavoidable in industries because of human errors and other environmental factors. Certain accidents are acceptable, and people have to live with them despite their effects on society. Industrial accidents occur due to various reasons such as ignorance, human error, breakdown of machines, and other unexpected occurrences (Baura, 2006). Some occurrences are beyond human control and, therefore, should be accepted. For instance, an accident might occur due to an individual’s inability to predict the magnitude or outcome of certain decisions (Whitbeck, 2011). In this case, such accidents are not malicious but misguided. Incorrect instruction might be given, or rules of operation might be so rigid that changing them to fit certain circumstances becomes unethical. The majority of industrial accidents result from errors that can be avoided by embracing responsibility and accountability (Baura, 2006). Few accidents are acceptable because most of them are avoidable.
Can Engineers Learn From Their Mistakes?
Engineers can learn a lot from the mistakes they make. The engineering profession is a practical undertaking that involves a lot of learning and practice. Moreover, it is impossible to learn through practice without making mistakes. Engineers make many mistakes from which they learn how to improve their work. One of the ways through which they learn from mistakes is by analyzing and understanding the severity of past mistakes and developing solutions to correct them (Martin & Schinzinger, 2010).
For instance, the Challenger explosion was an engineering mistake that demonstrated the importance of implementing proper safety precautions. Other failures help engineers make better designs in order to avoid accidents. The Texas tragedy was a mistake that provided several lessons on the importance of competence, safety precautions, and adherence to ethics. Engineers learn from mistakes only when they use the lessons learned to make better designs and reduce the probability of similar accidents occurring.
Several lessons were learned in the process of writing this report. First, it is important for engineers to adhere to ethics in order to enhance public safety and health. The aforementioned disaster resulted from the captain’s ignorance of engineering ethics. Second, it is necessary for engineers to collaborate with professionals in related fields in order to improve their knowledge and competence regarding certain matters that affect their profession.
The captain failed to seek advice from other professionals regarding the dangers associated with the storage and transport of ammonium nitrate. In order to avoid such occurrences in the future, it is important to implement proper safety precautions by labeling all cargo and providing instructions regarding its handling and storage. It is also important to educate the public on ways to improve their safety and health. For instance, the public should avoid disaster areas. Many people died in the Texas tragedy because they ran into the disaster scene to witness the happenings. Finally, following instructions and orders is important for all engineers. Some crew members ignored the captain’s order and died in the tragedy. I might have demonstrated several important competencies by completing this report. These competencies include expansion of knowledge and skills base, application of engineering concepts, and possession as well as the application of professional attributes.
Can an Engineer Make the World Safer?
Engineers play a critical role in making the world safer through their work by providing solutions to problems that make life unsafe (Martin & Schinzinger, 2010). For instance, the design of bridges, manufacture of life-saving equipment, and safe transport solutions make the world safer and improve the lives of people. Safety in transport and communication is provided by engineers who work hard to provide solutions to everyday problems. In the transport sector, engineers play a great part in improving the safety of road, air, and water transport. Through the embracement of technology and innovation, they develop new designs of airplanes, automobiles, and water vessels to make travel safer and faster (Martin & Schinzinger, 2010).
As mentioned earlier, public safety is an important aspect of the profession’s code of ethics. Engineering organizations require their members to uphold safety as a priority in their undertakings. Engineers work in all fields to improve human safety and public health. Examples of these areas include drug testing, chemical analysis, internet safety, geological surveys, manufacturing, and implementation of standard protocols and procedures in industries (Martin & Schinzinger, 2010). Engineers play an important role in making the world a safer place.
Several challenges were faced during the production of information. They included the presence of numerous sources that had varied reports of the tragedy, complexity in determining the authenticity of sources, and difficulty in interpreting results. These challenges were overcome by assessing information from reliable sources such as government databases, organizational reports regarding the disaster and academic sources published by reputable publishing houses. The problem of applying engineering ethics was solved by identifying the mistakes that caused the disaster and comparing them to certain engineering concepts.
Conclusion
The Texas City disaster of 1947 was one of the worst tragedies to befall the city and the United States. The tragedy happened due to a fire that started in the cargo section of the ship, where the ammonium nitrate was stored. Initial efforts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful because the captain ordered the crew to avoid water and use steam. This decision was critical because if water had been used instead of steam, the tragedy could have been avoided. This occurrence is an example of the effect of unethical behavior at work. The captain disregarded the importance of safety and instead made the preservation of the cargo a priority.
The disaster led to the loss of property and lives. It is important for engineers to uphold ethics in their work in order to avoid such industrial accidents. Ignorance, human error, and breakdown of machines are common causes of industrial accidents. The Texas tragedy could have been avoided had the captain acted ethically and put the safety of the public before the preservation of the cargo. Some accidents are acceptable because they happen despite the implementation of precautionary measures. Engineers play a key role in making the world safer. Their work in different sectors such as communication, transport, and construction improve safety and public health.
References
Baura, G. (2006). Engineering Ethics: An Industrial Perspective. New York, NY: Academic Press. Web.
Martin, M. W., & Schinzinger, R. (2010). Introduction to Engineering Ethics. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Web.
Scher, L. (2007). The Texas City Disaster. New York, NY: Bearport Publishing Company. Web.
Stephens, H. W. (2010). The Texas City Disaster, 1947. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press. Web.
Whitbeck, C. (2011). Ethics in Engineering Practice and Research. London, England: Cambridge University Press. Web.