The Case of the Lakewood "Hi-Stak" (Texas A&M University Engineering Ethics Cases )

On May 23rd, 1994, West Michaels, an employee of the Buchanan Company, a large construction vehicle manufacturer, had an accident and was seriously injured while operating a "Hi-Stak" crane. The crane had been purchased from the Lakewood Company, a large manufacturing firm, which had designed, manufactured, and sold hundreds self-contained storage/retrieval systems.

Lakewood agreed to investigate the incident and modify the model of the crane to ensure its safety.The case raises questions as to whether Buchanan should give approval to the modified Lakewood design. Another issue that is obviously involved is Lakewood's responsibility to ensure the safety of their products.

The materials include diagrams of the equipment involved, a detailed description of the accident investigation, and several numerical problems based on the case.

The Case of the Lakewood "Hi-Stak" maintained by Texas A & M University. (Opens in new window)

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