ENGINEERING ETHICS

1
ENGINEERING ETHICS
2
Engineering Ethics

• Engineering Ethics combine rules for professional
  behavior and profession-wide commitment to serve
  the public
• Honesty
• Performing your duties in a fair and equitable
  manner
• This extends beyond an individuals sense of
  right and wrong
• Extends beyond cultural or legal lines

3
Ethical Dilemmas

• Situations evolving from conflicts between sets
  of moral considerations
• Loyalty to employer, customer, general public
• Due to varying groups with differing interests
  within the general public, the concept of
  public welfare may be vague
• Guidelines for resolution of these ethical
  dilemmas come from personally adopting one of
  several Codes of Ethics

4
NSPE

• NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers
• Preamble
• Fundamental Canons
• Rules of Practice
• Professional Obligations

5
NSPE Code of Ethics (Preamble)

• Engineering is an important and learned
  profession. As members of this profession,
  engineers are expected to exhibit the highest
  standards of honesty and integrity.
• Engineering has a direct and vital impact on the
  quality of life for all people. Accordingly, the
  services provided by engineers require honesty,
  impartiality, fairness, and equity, and must be
  dedicated to the protection of the public health,
  safety, and welfare.
• Engineers must perform under a standard of
  professional behavior that requires adherence to
  the highest principles of ethical conduct.

6
Fundamental Canons (NSPE)

• Engineers, in the fulfillment of their
  professional duties, shall
• Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of
  the public.
• Perform services only in areas of their
  competence.
• Issue public statements only in an objective and
  truthful manner.
• Act for each employer or client as faithful
  agents or trustees.
• Avoid deceptive acts.
• Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly,
  ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the
  honor, reputation, and usefulness of the
  profession.

7
Safety, Health, Welfare of Public

• Notify client and appropriate authority of
  circumstances that endanger life or property.
• Approve only engineering documents that conform
  with applicable standards.
• Report alleged Code violations to appropriate
  professional bodies and, when relevant, to public
  authorities

8
Work Only in Area of Competence

• Undertake assignments only when qualified by
  specific technical education or experience.
• Do not sign plans or documents when you lack
  competence or supervisory control.

9
Issue Truthful andObjective Public Statements

• Be objective and truthful in professional
  reports, statements, or testimony.
• Publicly express technical opinions founded upon
  facts and competence.

10
Act as Faithful Agent

• Disclose all known or potential conflicts of
  interest
• Do not accept compensation from more than one
  party for services pertaining to the same
  project, without full disclosure and agreement.

11
Avoid Deceptive Acts

• X deceives Y if
• X denies what is the case, or
• X asserts what is not the case, or
• X conceals information from Y, or
• X even fails to reveal information to Y
• which is important for Y, or
• which Y should customarily expect X to reveal to
  Y, given Xs relationship to Y

12
Avoid Deceptive Acts

• Do not falsify or misrepresent qualifications or
  pertinent facts pertaining to you or your
  associates.
• Do not offer, give, solicit or receive, (directly
  or indirectly) a bribe or kick-back.
• Avoid any appearance of impropriety.

13
Professional Obligations

• Acknowledge errors, accept personal
  responsibility, do not distort or alter facts.
• Advise clients or employers when you believe a
  project will not be successful.
• Do not promote your own interest at the expense
  of the profession.
• Serve the public at all times
• Avoid issuing statements with factual errors or
  omissions

14
Still More Professional Obligations

• Do not, without consent, use specific knowledge
  from one project to gain new employment.
• Do not, without consent, use equipment, supplies,
  etc of employer for private practice.
• Give credit where due recognize the proprietary
  interests of others.

15
It That It?

• No! There are a lot of details which you should
  look up for yourself
• http//www.nspe.org/ethics/eh1-code.asp
• http//www.asme.org
• http//www.ieee.org
• http/www.tbpe.state.tx.us/
• See Ethics Quiz, part of license application
• Ethics codes are voluntarily subscribed to, but
  widely accepted as behavioral models

16
Texas Engineering Practice Act
17
Its The Law!
http//www.tbpe.state.tx.us/
18
Ethics in Engineering What We Can Do vs. What We
Should Do
19
How to Handle the Ethical Dilemma

• Be sure of facts if reporting unethical behavior
  be certain your position is solid and well
  documented
• Avenues for recourse
• If no harm yet, try to resolve privately
  informal without any personal attacks
• If private resolution wont work, go to first
  line management timely actions can avoid further
  problems
• If first line management wont act, many
  companies have a formal procedure

20
When All Else Fails, The Last Resort

• If harm to public is serious and considerable
  all corporate channels of action do not provide
  satisfactory resolution, then external whistle
  blowing is morally permissible (required?)
• Must have well documented evidence that would
  convince reasonable, impartial observer
• Must be strong evidence that public notice will
  prevent serious harm.

21
More on Whistle Blowing

• What type of problems might warrant whistle
  blowing?
• Gross incompetence
• Criminal behavior
• Major public safety threat
• Major un-addressed threat to company employees

22
Personal Ethics

• Examples of everyday violations
• Copying software,CD or DVD
• Copying homework or exams
• Borrowing pens, pencils, paper clips, from
  employer
• Using work copy machine for personal use
• Fudging your income taxes

23
Reasonable CareModel of Responsibility

• As a professional, you have a duty to perform to
  accepted standards unless those standards are
  below those that a non-professional would adopt
• If so, you should apply the tougher standard
• If at a given time, this standard should apply
  and you fail (or neglect) to apply it at that
  time, and harm is caused to someone as a result
  of your failure
• You are then responsible for the negligent act!

24
Ethics Summary

• Engineers have a moral and social
  responsibility, they are not just hired help
• A corporation is only as ethical as its people
• You can be held personally and legally
  responsible for your actions as a professional,
  regardless of your position
• It is important to know and understand your
  employers ethical standards and they should
  figure into your employment decision

25
END