24/09/2015

It specifies;

 What is clearly required?

 Obey the Law
 Heed the Engineering Standards

 Do not Offer or Accept Bribes

 Speak and Write Truthfully

 Maintain Confidentiality
Often a “code of ethics” provides a
straight forward solution to dilemmas,
but not always!
 Introduction
 Roles of Codes
 Abuse of Codes
 Limitations of Codes
 Ethical Relativism
 Justification of Codes
The Code of Ethics is a basic guide for
professional conduct and imposes duties on
practitioners, with respect to:
 society;
 employers;
 clients;
 colleagues, including employees and
subordinates;
 the engineering profession; and
 himself/herself
 Itstates the “moral responsibilities of
engineers” as seen by a ‘Profession’ as
well as the ‘Professional Society’ as it
express the collective commitment to
ethics
 Stressing engineer’s responsibilities
but also it gives freedom to exercise
them
Engineering Codes of Ethics

Roles of Codes:
 Serving & Protecting the Public
 Providing Guidance
 Offering Inspiration
 Establishing Shared Standards
 Supporting Responsible Professionals
 Contributing to Education
 Deterring Wrong Doing
 Strengthening Profession’s Image
Engineering Codes of Ethics
 Serving & Protecting the Public – Health, Safety, Welfare
 Providing Guidance – Provide main Obligations of Engrs., Specific
Directions are given in applying the Code
 Offering Inspiration – Motivation for Ethical Conduct (in promoting Health,
Safety, Welfare)
 Establishing Shared Standards – Public is assured of a minimum standard
of excellence on which it can depend
 Supporting Responsible Professionals - +ve support to professionals
seeking to act ethically, Serving legal support for engineers
 Contributing to Education – to encourage a shared understanding
 Deterring Wrong Doing – can serve for investigating unethical behavior
 Strengthening Profession’s Image – by lessening the demand for more
government regulation
Engineering Codes of Ethics
Abuse of Codes:
Misuse / exploitation leads to public distrust about the profession

Example:

NSPE code:
The engineer “shall not solicit or submit engineering proposals on the basis of
competitive bidding”
This prohibition was felt by the NSPE to best protect the public safety by
discouraging cheap engineering proposals that might slight safety costs in
order to win a contract
Engineering Codes of Ethics
Limitations of Codes:

 May not be able to straightforwardly address all situations

as sometimes ‘codes are restricted to general wording’,
hence, inevitably contain substantial areas of vagueness
 Codes can be flawed, both by omission and commission
(former ban in engg codes on competitive bidding)
Engineering Codes of Ethics
Ethical Relativism*:

 Stephen Unger – many of the entries in codes of ethics

state responsibilities that would exist regardless of the
code (eg) when priority of protecting the safety, health
 Michael Davis – some codes are conventions arrived at
by mutual agreement within the professions and they
create moral responsibilities

*belief
Engineering Codes of Ethics
Justification of Codes:

 A justified professional code will take account of both the

profession’s public good and social frameworks and
institutional settings. As these factors change, and as a
profession advances, codes of ethics are revised – codes
are not set in concrete
Engineering Codes of Ethics
Codes of Ethics :
 AIChE - American Institute Of Chemical Engineers
 ASCE - American Society Of Civil Engineers
 ASME - American Society Of Mechanical Engineers
 IEEE – The Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers
 NSPE – National Society for Professional Engineers Code
of Ethics for Engineers
 ABET - Accreditation Board For Engineering And
Technology
 Refer pg.no. 297-299 & 300-325 in the text book.
While writing & analyzing ‘case study’, refer these
pages to apply suitable code of ethics by a society.
Engineering Codes of Ethics

NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:

Preamble
I. Fundamental Canons**
II. Rules of Practice
III. Professional Obligations

• *NSPE = National Society of Professional Engineers

• ** standards / rules / principles
 Engineering Codes of Ethics

NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:

Preamble
Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
I. Fundamental Canons

Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:

 Hold paramount the health, safety and welfare of the
public in the performance of their professional duties.
 Perform services only in areas of their competence.
 Issue public statements only in an objective and
truthful manner.
 Act in professional matters for each employer or
client as faithful agents or trustees.
 Avoid deceptive (misleading, false) acts in the
solicitation of professional employment
 Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically,
and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation,
and usefulness of the profession.
Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
II. Rules of Practice
 Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
 Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
II. Rules of Practice
Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
III. Professional Obligations
Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
 Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
 Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
 Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
 Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
 Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
 Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
 Engineering Codes of Ethics
NSPE* Code of Ethics for Engineers:
Engineering Codes of Ethics
IEEE Code of Ethics:
We, the members of the IEEE, in recognition of the
importance of our technologies in affecting the quality of life
throughout the world, and in accepting a personal obligation
to our profession, its members and the communities we
serve, do hereby commit ourselves to the highest ethical and
professional conduct and agree:

1. to accept responsibility in making engineering decisions

consistent with the safety, health and welfare of the
public, and to disclose promptly factors that might
endanger the public or the environment;
2. to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever
possible, and to disclose them to affected parties when
they do exist;
3. to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates
based on available data;
4. to reject bribery in all its forms;
Engineering Codes of Ethics
IEEE Code of Ethics:
5. to improve the understanding of technology, its
appropriate application, and potential consequences;
6. to maintain and improve our technical competence and to
undertake technological tasks for others only if qualified
by training or experience, or after full disclosure of
pertinent limitations;
7. to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical
work, to acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit
properly the contributions of others;
8. to treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as
race, religion, gender, disability, age, or national origin;
9. to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or
employment by false or malicious action;
10. to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional
development and to support them in following this code of
ethics.
Approved by the IEEE Board of Directors -- August 1990
 Engineering Codes of Ethics
Case Study:
A Chemical Engineer working in the environmental division of a
computer manufacturing firm learns that her company might be
discharging unlawful amounts of lead & arsenic into the city
sewer. The city processes the sludge into a fertilizer used by local
farmers. To ensure the safety of both the discharge and the
fertilizer, the city imposes restrictive laws on the discharge of lead
& arsenic. Preliminary investigations convince the engineer that
the company should implement stronger pollution controls, but
her supervisor tells her the cost of doing so is prohibitive and that
technically the company is in compliance with the law. She is also
scheduled to appear before town officials to testify in the matter.
 Engineering Codes of Ethics
1. “Ethical Problem” here?

2. “Ethical or Moral Dilemma” here?

o moral reasons – obligations, right, goods, ideals come into conflict
(applications ‘unclear’)

3. “Moral Values” here?

o moral values are myriad and come into conflict, requiring ‘good
judgment’ about how to reconcile and integrate them

4. What should she do?

5. “CODES” any?

AIChE – American Institute of Chemical Engineers

6. Which you oversee as ‘unethical’? (immoral – failing to do action)

Engineering Codes of Ethics
Engineering Codes of Ethics
 Engineering Codes of Ethics
Codes by AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers)

1. To be honest – issue statements or present information’s in an

truthful manner
2. Responsibility to the employers – to avoid conflicts of interest
and never breaching confidentiality
3. Responsibility to the public
4. Protect the environment