CHE4161 - Engineer in society

Leader(s): E Quah/S Sinclair/M Toner

Offered

Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)
Sunway First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

An introduction to the role of engineers in the context of their employment in industry and their interaction with the wider community. Students will obtain an understanding of triple bottom line reporting as a driver for management, involving financial, environmental and the social impact of business. Financial management will include project management, project risk, market analysis, project costing and finance and financial indicators. Environmental management will look at the approval process for new projects and on-going environmental improvement strategies. Social management will look at company organisation, the role of unions, occupational health and safety law and safety management.

Objectives

1. Have knowledge of the factors affecting the market for specific products and an understanding of market risks to industries involved in manufacturing businesses.
2. Understand the role of intellectual property law in protecting the rights of the inventor.
3. For a new project, be able to articulate the normal project timeline using a GANNT chart, including the hurdles required for financing the project.
4. Have knowledge of the approval process for government jurisdiction for environmental assessment and a plant safety case and have some understanding of the key points of environmental law, and occupational health and safety legislation.
5. For a manufacturing company, be able to describe a typical company structure.
6. Be able to produce an environmental improvement plan for a process and carryout a HAZOP of a part of a process and draw a fault-tree diagram.
7. Be able to estimate the equipment costs for a process, the plant capital and operating costs, including a cash flow analysis and calculate the net present value of a project using discounted cash flow and determine its financial viability.

Assessment

Project work: 60%
Examination (2 hours): 40%
Students are required to achieve at least 45% in the total continuous assessment component (assignments, tests, mid-semester exams, laboratory reports) and at least 45% in the final examination component. Students faiing to achieve this requirement will be given a maximum of 44% in the unit.

Contact hours

3 hours lectures, 2 hours practice class and 7 hours of private study per week

Co-requisites

CHE3163

Prohibitions

CHE4113, CHE4164