Transcript Examples of Technological Catastrophes

Technological Catastrophe
• Natural disasters
have received more
attention from
researchers studying
hurricanes, floods,
earthquakes, etc. The
research has mostly
been conducted by
sociologists
The great 1906 San Francisco earthquake
and fire destroyed most of the city and left
250,00 people homeless.
Principal Causes of Technological
Catastrophes
• Human factor errors (Chernobyl)
• Inadequate training of staff (Three-mile Island)
• Technological design factors (Ford Pinto)
• Organizational systems factors (asbestos)
• Socio-cultural factors (Bhopal)
• Technological terrorism (Tylenol poisoning)
From Manion, M. & Evan, W.M. (2002)
Examples of Technological
Catastrophes
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Asbestos-related illnesses
Three-Mile Island Nuclear Plant/Chernobyl
Bhopal poison gas release
DC-10 crashes
Ford Pinto fires
Laval highway bridge collapse
Minimata Bay mercury poisoning
Love Canal poisoning
Holmes & Rahe Life Stress Scale
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Death of a spouse (100)
Divorce (73)
Marital separation (65)
Jail term (63)
Death of a close family
member (63)
Personal injury/illness
(53)
Marriage (50)
Fired from job (47)
Pregnancy (40)
• Sex difficulties (39)
• Gain of a new family
member (39)
• Change in financial status
(38)
• Vacation (13)
• Minor violations of law
(11)
Characteristics of Technological
Catastrophes
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Suddenness
Power
Predictability
Low point
Perceptions of control altered
Extent of effects unclear
Disquieting publicity
Loss of trust in governmental officials
Feelings of anger/betrayal by authorities
Visible damage
Risk
Perception:Heuristics/Shortcuts/General
Inferential Rules
• Certainty: denial of uncertainty
• Availability: an event is more probable if it can
be recalled
• Worst case: judgement based upon worst
possible outcome
Hans Selye
1907-1982
• Selye was the pioneer
in stress theory.
• Stress was defined
as the nonspecific
response of the body
to any demands
made upon it.
General Adaptation Syndrome:
Hans Selye
• Alarm reaction (flight or fight)
• Resistance (adaptation—coping responses,
but at a cost to the individual
• Exhaustion (may lead to death if stress is
prolonged)
Lazarus Stress Model
• Stress involves the individual’s
appraising the personal meaning and
significance of the stressor.
• Cognitive appraisal is an active
psychological process in which the
individual judges the elements of a
situation in relation to the individual’s
existing patterns of ideas and
expectations.
• Stress occurs when the individual
perceives the environmental condition
as threatening a level of harm that will
challenge or exceed the individual’s
coping abilities.
Richard Lazarus
• An objectively neutral situation that is
perceived as threatening will cause
stress
Sources and Appraisal of Stress
• Attitudes
• Heuristics
Heuristics
• People have limits in their ability to
process information and they use
shortcuts (heuristics) to derive meaning
from their surroundings.
• Heuristics are general inferential rules that
can be used to attach meaning to
information or to simplify difficult cognitive
tasks.
Prevention Strategies
• Sensitizing scientists/engineers to the potential for
disaster in their projects.
• Organizations need to develop a code of conduct
• Governmental regulatory agencies need to have up-todate information on the emerging technologies
• Legislative & legal systems need to become much more
proactive when it comes to protecting the enviroment
• Engineering schools need to teach ethics and sensitize
their students to possible dilemmas they may face
• Community activism should increase