So in my last blog I discussed how the mistakes of the New London school explosion lead to thiols being placed in methane gas and how Texas Professional engineers came to be. This blog will cover how the American Society of Mechanical Engineers or (ASME) came about. Part of my motivation for writing this blog was a guest speaker who was a member of ASME and also served on some of their research committees. The guest lecture was very informative and made me realize the importance of what ASME really is. Initially I thought of ASME as being only a professional organization which allowed members to get the usual networking, monthly magazines, and other perks. However I learned through the guest lecture’s presentation that ASME holds a high responsibility for the safety and welfare of the public.
A little history about ASME. ASME was founded on February 16, 1880 after a rise in the study of engineering created the demand for a central organization for engineers to share ideas and hold a professional standing. Throughout it’s 131 years of existence, ASME has been responsible for some of the most important accomplishments in engineering. One of the major accomplishments of ASME was their invention of the codes and standards that are still used by engineers today. Codes and standards refer to the rules certain machines, structures, and devices must adhere to in order to be deemed safe. One instance of ASME setting codes and standards is the boiler code. Similar to the New London School explosion which I discussed in my last blog, the need for engineering codes and standards came from disasters. Boiler explosions were common during the late 19th and early 20th century due to a lack of rules to regulate how a boiler needed to be designed. As a result of public outcry an ASME committee was formed to create a boiler code which is now used to provide regulation in the design, fabrication, and inspection of boilers.
Today ASME is an internationally known organization that continues setting the universal codes and standards for engineers and companies to follow to ensure the safety of the public. As you can see from this blog and my previous blog, engineers have an important responsibility in the safety and welfare to the public and society.
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Ya Boy Archie Wright!
