Question

During routine inspections, a field engineer discovers that one of the company's pipelines is leaking hazardous chemicals into the environment. The engineer recommends that the line be shut down so that seals can be replaced and the pipe can be inspected more closely. His supervisor commends him on his thoroughness, and says the report will be passed on to the company's maintenance division. The engineer moves on to his next job, assuming things will be taken care of in a timely manner. While working in the area again several months later, the engineer notices the problem hasn't been corrected and is, in fact, getting worse. What should the engineer do?

A) Give the matter some more time. In a large corporate environment, it is understandable that some things take longer than people would like them to
B) Ask the supervisor to investigate what actions has been taken on the matter
C) Personally speak to the director of maintenance and insist that this project be given high priority
D) Report the company to the EPA for allowing the situation to worsen without taking any preventative measures

Answer 1

The field engineer should follow up with the supervisor to ensure action has been taken, escalate the matter to maintenance, or report the leak to the EPA, in accordance with their professional and ethical responsibilities.

Step-by-step explanation:

Responsibilities of the Field Engineer Regarding the Pipeline Leak

When faced with the dilemma of a pipeline that continues to leak hazardous chemicals even after a previous report was submitted, it is imperative for the field engineer to take action. It is not sufficient to give the matter more time, especially in the face of observable environmental damage. Therefore, the engineer should either follow up with the supervisor to ensure that the initial report was acted upon or, given the urgency and potential for harm, escalate the matter by contacting the maintenance division or the director of maintenance directly to demand action. If these internal steps do not yield results, the field engineer may have to consider reporting the situation to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as it is their responsibility to intervene in such cases where the environment and public health are at risk.

Chemical engineers are aware of the impact their work has on the environment and have a professional and ethical obligation to ensure safe operation of facilities that handle hazardous materials. Thus, they must rigorously evaluate each solution considering the cost, environmental impact, and efficacy when dealing with scenarios like mine fires or pipeline leaks. Taking immediate and decisive steps to address such issues aligns with their responsibility towards public safety and environmental conservation.