1. Group 1 – Ethics Presentation
HYATT WALKWAY COLLAPSE

2. The disaster Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, MO July 17th, 1981
Two walkways suspended over the lobby collapsed during an event
Dance competition, approx attendees
114 deaths, 216 injuries

3. The walkways Two walkways, 2nd floor and 4th floor
Approx. 37m long, 29,000kg weight
Vertically aligned
Flawed design meant it could not handle the dead weight
Original design: “three pairs of rods from 2nd floor to ceiling” to support 60% of minimum regulation load
Actual construction: 2 sets of rods, one set between 4th floor and ceiling, the other between 4th and 2nd floor walkways

4. Flawed design
Design was already flawed but the new design was even worse
J. D. Gillum & Associates sent preliminary plans to Havens Steel Co.
These were changed because it required the rod below 4th floor walkway needed to be screwthreaded (rods would have been damaged)
After changes, the second floor walkway now has to support the fourth floor walkway as well
Weakest point in the beams were C-channels, which were connected by a welded joint. New design specified to bolt through C-channels, compromising the structure even further
**Graphic image coming up**

5. Collapse 4th floor walkway had between 16 to 20 people
2nd floor walkway ~ 40 people
4th floor walkway fell onto the 2nd floor walkway, bringing the entire mass down to the ground floor lobby onto the spectators

6. Ethical principles Public safety is always top priority
Constructers needed to make sure the bridges were able to support at least 100% of the minimum regulated load but the initial design only supported 60%
Comes down to charges: gross negligence, incompetence, misconduct, unprofessional conduct
Big miscommunication between the two firms. Preliminary designs were interpreted as final designs
No double-checking, no thoroughness

7. Could it have been avoided?
Engineers responsible for final design would be highly incompetent if they didn’t consider load changes on the 2nd floor walkway
Earlier structural flaws before walkways were built: atrium roof structurally week
Should have double-checked all load data after the changes to the design
Cross-section shows poor material choice in combination with the design

8. Ethical issues with our own project
5 mW, red 620 – 740 nm, green 540 – 560 nm
American National Safety Institute: general public may only purchase laser pointers in Class III (maximum of 5mW power)
2.5 mW/cm-squared requires a “danger” sticker and not a “caution” sticker
Health risks: damage to the retina when exposed to laser beam for over 2 minutes
Pointing laser towards aircraft or airways is illegal
Packaging must include ample documentation clearly stating the warnings and health risks when using this device

9. Eavesdropping
Use of this device falls under the “wiretapping” category and all wiretapping laws apply
State: WV implemented the “Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Act” that requires only one of the two parties involved to consent to the wiretapping. This makes WV a “one-way state”
This is similar most states. Two-way states: CA, CT, FL, HI, MD, MA, MT, NV, NH, PA, WA – some definitions within laws can cause confusion between notification and consent
FCC uses the word “notification” instead of “consent”

10. Safety measures
This kind of product can only realistically be targeted towards law enforcement and military
Our goal is to provide a safer means to extract audio that might help with criminal prosecutions, hindering possible terrorist plots, etc.
End-user will be notified of all warnings and health risks in documentation included in the product packaging, as well as the safest ways of operating the device
End-user will also be aware of their full responsibility in abiding by local, state and federal laws

11. Questions?