Engineering Reports and Liability

Engineering Reports and Liability: A Technical Writing Primer for the 21st-Century Engineer teaches engineers how to create effective technical documentation while minimizing legal risks. Engineering Reports and Liability teaches technical writing as it pertains to engineering reports and other technical products, with emphasis on communication liability. It is estimated that one in every two or three firms is sued within their first five years of existence. Also, engineering disasters are common, and failures are all too often traced to errors or omissions in design documents, technical bulletins, or software. Engineering students need an understanding of communication liability and risk with regard to their work. Engineers become defendants when mistakes cause injury or damage, and liability (primarily standard of care and negligence) can be costly to individuals and firms alike. A preponderance of legal cases trace errors and omissions to written documentation and/or communication breakdown, and by law, engineers must archive all project documentation for a period of years. Therefore, potential liability lingers with the written word. This book provides multi-disciplinary examples of common types of engineering reports and documents, covers basics of composition and writing styles, and introduces the legal system and liability as it relates to written forms of engineering communication. - Includes case studies and problem sets as an Instructor’s Supplement for easy implementation of the course across disciplines.- Examines common types of engineering reports and documents, covers basics of composition and writing styles, and introduces the legal system and liability as it relates to written forms of engineering communication.- Presents the fundamentals of engineering ethics.