Engineers' Roles, Responsibilities, and Sustainable Development

This document discusses the various roles and responsibilities of engineers, both technical and managerial, and emphasizes the importance of employing principles of sustainable development. It also highlights the need for engineers to anticipate and plan for natural disasters and ensure safety in engineering projects. Additionally, the document emphasizes the importance of effective communication and documentation in teamwork and the engineering sector.

Running head: REFLECTING WRITING TASK 2
ENEG20001 AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERING PRACTICE T3 2018
REFLECTING WRITING TASK 2

REFLECTING WRITING TASK 2 2
Lo3. Discuss Engineers' Roles, Responsibilities And The Need To Employ Principles Of
Sustainable Development.
What?
Engineers play various roles during their careers with some being technical and others
management based. The technical roles involve factual use of scientific material and
principles while the managerial roles include coordination and financial management.
So what
As engineers, they owe it to the community to provide direction regarding specific
problems and solutions for the same. As such they should possess extensive creative and
innovation power to reduce the effect of human activity on nature while ensuring that human
life is not endangered (Trevelyan, 2015). In a bid to do so, they need to shape their inventions
in ways that t enhance sustainability while not compromise the forward motion or
development of the human race and their mechanisms.
What else
On 14 August 2018, the Morandi Bridge in Genoa Italy partially collapsed killing
more than 43 people. The bridge was built in the 1960s at the cost of more than
3.8billioneuros. The repair of the bridge is yet to begin building. The cost is estimated to
surpass 4 billion. Such accidents have become increasingly common in the recent past as
some were built long ago and have been in use through various climatic changes and natural
disasters.
What now
Safety is paramount when it comes to the engineering sector or field. Engineers are
usually advised to anticipate a variety of issues and risks that could befall a given project. As

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such they should plan for the worst of natural disasters such as magnitude nine earthquakes or
tsunamis. They should provide the same training to the handymen and the workers of whose
services they subcontract during the construction of such projects. Requisite policies should
also be put in place to minimise risk and other safety hindrances when using facilities and
projects built by the engineers.
Learning outcome 4: manage information and documentation
What
Teamwork is crucial in every aspect of life especially in the engineering sector by the
massive amount of work that needs to be done. Working as a team can help ensure that the
workload per each is not as big as it would have been if each person is working alone.
Nonetheless working as a team involves challenges such as information flow documentation
of the processes involved.
So what
Documentation and communication of the processes involved in any project are very
crucial in the engineering sector. Documentation of procedures used in undertaking specific
steps can help in the maintenance procedures of essential machinery and segments of
architecture. Reports and the preservation of the same are fundamental in that it facilitates
easier reference in the future and can help in the development of solutions for problems that
may arise much later.
What else
I believe that most construction companies have the means and capabilities to
document and keep the reports and other crucial information regarding significant
components and processes in the engineering sector. Some companies fail to properly train

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the employees on the correct documentation and interpretation of the same communication in
the team is also a challenge since everyone uses their copy of the reports and other
communication. This poses the problem of other team members lagging on significant
improvements or changes that may have been made by other (Wertz et al. 2013). This can
devastate the efforts of the team and cause others to repeat already handled sections.
What now
I have learnt that there is great importance in the proper management of documents
and the other crucial communications in teamwork the engineering sector. My team and I
have resolved to include the specific interventions in order to ensure that there is improved
communication
Timely completion of the sections assigned to each.
 Each member should write down the critical points of his/her work neatly and present
the requisite drawings neatly.
 A single report book will be kept and will be updated after every meeting.
 We will have regular meets of at least twice every week to monitor how each one of
us is handling their part of the work and offer them support if the need arises.
 We will provide an online group forum where each member can inform the others on
their daily progress and the challenges they have faced.
Learning outcome 3: communicate effectively across a range of forums
What
Communication is one of the most fundamental components of a successful project
and career. Poor communication can cause rejection of proposals, conflicts and undue
professional friction. Professional or good communication, on the other hand, can help an

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individual to cooperate better with his colleagues and hence improve the results and success
rate of their work or project (Riemer, 2007).
So what
Given the importance of this excellent skill, there is a need for my teammates and me
to develop better communication skills across a variety of platforms and media. Interpersonal
relationships can only be improved if we talk and communicate effectively in a professional
manner. I believe this will improve the extensive cooperation and coordination level amongst
us and will boost our morale in the progress of the projects that we engage in throughout our
careers.
What else
The internet has made email communication better. My team uses the provision
regularly and professionally. An example of a professional email I sent to teammates reads
“ Hey teammate
I just tried your line and left you a voicemail but wanted to try your email in case it is more
convenient. I am reminding you of our meeting at 8 am tomorrow at the pavilion. Give me a
call or reply to confirm if convenient. Thanks”
A poor email would probably read as follows:
“Hey Jeff
Why are you ignoring my calls? Is it that you want to Miss the meeting tomorrow?
Ensure that you’ve done your part of the project. Please don’t keep letting us down. Thanks”
What now

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I believe the use of emails is effective since some people are more comfortable with
the means over calling. In an era where technology is highly advanced this makes for a
courteous and efficient way to pass information within the team. My team and I are working
to better communication on multiple platforms each time for better project management and
teamwork.

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Bibliography
Riemer, M.J., 2007. Communication skills for the 21st century engineer. Global J. of Engng.
Educ, 11(1), pp.89-100.
Trevelyan, J., 2015. Sustainable air conditioning for everyone. In Dynamic ecolibrium:
Sustainable Engineering Society Conference (SENG 2015) (p. 106). Engineers
Australia.
Wertz, R.E., Purzer, Ş., Fosmire, M.J. and Cardella, M.E., 2013. Assessing information
literacy skills demonstrated in an engineering design task. Journal of Engineering
Education, 102(4), pp.577-602.