Live support chatEngineering Ethics: The Deepwater Horizon Disaster
In Engineering Ethics: The Deepwater Horizon Disaster, you'll learn ...
- The incredible story of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill and its environmental impact on the Gulf region
- The root causes of the explosions that led to the death of 11 workers
- How the emphasis on schedule recovery led to risky decisions prior to and on the day of the explosion
- How the principles of Engineering Ethics apply to this case
Overview
Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.
Credit: 1 PDH
Length: 15 pages
On April 20, 2010, the Macondo well erupted below the Deepwater Horizon, creating one of the worst environmental catastrophes in United States history. A gas cloud resulting from the well blowout ignited, then all hell broke loose on the massive oil rig.
The disaster, which killed 11 workers and injured 17 more, is considered to be the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry, with environmental impacts that will continue far into the future. Sixteen-thousand total miles of the Gulf of Mexico, including the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, were affected by the 3.19 million barrels of oil that leaked into the Gulf.
In this course, you’ll learn what caused the explosions on the Deepwater Horizon. You’ll learn how the crew’s impeccable safety record would seem to point to a robust safety culture. But, we’ll dig a little deeper and you’ll find there was trouble brewing beneath the surface.
The course will examine the decisions and actions of personnel involved in the Deepwater Horizon disaster from an ethical point of view.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained
This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:
- The Deepwater Horizon’s problems with drilling practices, the blowout plan, test procedures and maintenance of critical equipment and why those problems went unaddressed
- The root causes of the explosion and subsequent oil spill
- How an overemphasis on schedule recovery played a role in the disaster
- How the oil spill impacted the Gulf immediately following the spill and for years after
- Multiple ethical lapses viewed through the lens of the NSPE Code of Ethics
Certificate of Completion
You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 10 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.
| This course is applicable to professional engineers in: | ||
| Alabama (P.E.) | Alaska (P.E.) | Arkansas (P.E.) |
| Delaware (P.E.) | District of Columbia (P.E.) | Florida (P.E. Other Topics) |
| Georgia (P.E.) | Idaho (P.E.) | Illinois (P.E.) |
| Illinois (S.E.) | Indiana (P.E.) | Iowa (P.E.) |
| Kansas (P.E.) | Kentucky (P.E.) | Louisiana (P.E.) |
| Maine (P.E.) | Maryland (P.E.) | Michigan (P.E.) |
| Minnesota (P.E.) | Mississippi (P.E.) | Missouri (P.E.) |
| Montana (P.E.) | Nebraska (P.E.) | Nevada (P.E.) |
| New Hampshire (P.E.) | New Jersey (P.E.) | New Mexico (P.E.) |
| New York (P.E.) | North Carolina (P.E.) | North Dakota (P.E.) |
| Ohio (P.E. Self-Paced) | Oklahoma (P.E.) | Oregon (P.E.) |
| Pennsylvania (P.E.) | South Carolina (P.E.) | South Dakota (P.E.) |
| Tennessee (P.E.) | Texas (P.E.) | Utah (P.E.) |
| Vermont (P.E.) | Virginia (P.E.) | West Virginia (P.E.) |
| Wisconsin (P.E.) | Wyoming (P.E.) | |
Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.
Credit: 1 PDH
Length: 15 pages
