Near Accident

One of your coworkers, a close friend, almost had an accident on the factory floor that would have slowed down production and possibly injured some of the operators. Over the years you have noticed that your friend has been consuming more and more alcohol after work and on the weekends. You suspect that alcohol may have been involved in the near accident. When confronted, your friend denies any alcohol problem. The company has a strict policy against drinking or being under the influence of alcohol during working hours. The penalty for violating the policy is dismissal. Jobs are hard to find. Your concern for your friend’s family makes the decision to inform management even more difficult.

Questions:
1. From a utilitarian perspective, what do you think you should do? Explain.
2. From a respect for persons perspective what do you think you should do? Explain.
3. All things considered, what do you think you should do? Explain (especially insofar as your answer differs from the two previous answers).

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© 1997 National Society of Professional Engineers
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