Title: This brief reply [0] got some love so I thought I&#x27;d elaborate. Company ultimately did the right thing so I&#x27;m leaving out elements that would identify them.<p>I was once asked to remove a hardware safety mechanism from a medical device [1] and replace it with a software only function. Technical first, then we&#x27;ll discuss wetware.<p>The process was started by, and results displayed on, an embedded Windows PC [2]. The PC didn&#x27;t control any safety critical operations. Hardware peripherals had their own sensors, firmware, and safety mechanisms. You could incinerate the PC at any point and be fine.<p>There was a Big Red Button acting as a physical power cut-out. Request was to remove the physical button and rely only on a software (touch screen). Death was a remote harm, but moderate injury &#x2F; user stuck in device &#x2F; panic attack was plausible. And it&#x27;s Windows, so duh.<p>Managers didn&#x27;t contest my logic, but the request came down from none other than the Chairman of the Board of Directors of a publicly traded company, who was also a major shareholder and took a personal interest in the project. He ran over every layer of management until he ran into my skinny ass. I&#x27;m the runt of the litter that would have been pecked to death in the nest if his parents weren&#x27;t so amazing.<p>I said no way. Not going to happen. Not going to do it. But I never hinted at resignation. They were going to have to fire me or go around me while I take discoverable notes.<p>That Big Red Button is still there to this day.<p>&quot;Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.&quot; - Margaret Mead<p>Some suggestions for people in similar circumstances:<p>1. Live within your means and have savings. Hard to stand your ground if you&#x27;re living paycheck to paycheck.<p>2. Suggest reasonable alternatives and keep cool.<p>3. Document. Even if it&#x27;s just an email to yourself. Who, what, where, when, why, and how much. Update it as the situation evolves. Stick to raw facts you have direct knowledge of.<p>4. Research and cite applicable regulations or similar situations. Bring it up with company legal &#x2F; regulatory affairs staff. Email them after the meeting with a summary of what you discussed.<p>5. Bypass chain of command. Make sure people calling the shots have been given your data.<p>6. Don&#x27;t resign. Just put your tools down.<p>7. ---- I&#x27;ve never had to cross this line, but theoretically….<p>8. Sign nothing that looks like a liability release or NDA (often included in severance offers) if they terminate you.<p>9. Contact government regulators. OSHA, FDA, FAA, etc.<p>10. Nuclear option is go to the press, but I don&#x27;t suggest that unless you can afford to bring a lawyer and love a shit show. You probably already signed an NDA before this point. But personally, if it involved risk of death, I&#x27;d do it.<p>References:<p>[0] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;twitter.com&#x2F;LdnmaSentinel&#x2F;status&#x2F;1589822045592096768" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;twitter.com&#x2F;LdnmaSentinel&#x2F;status&#x2F;1589822045592096768</a><p>[1] The studious among you will note the similarities to the Therac-25: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Therac-25" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Therac-25</a><p>[2] At one point we had requirements for hardware peripherals that only had Windows drivers. Otherwise would have gone Linux or some RTOS.<p>Edits: formatting
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