CE Laws, Ethics & Contracts

Reading Material #1
Introduction to Engineering Ethics

By: Engr. Patrick Louie Jay Federizo, MSCE

 Ethics in Engineering Sense
• Ethics: synonyms for “morally correct” or justified
- set of justified moral principles of obligation,
rights, and ideals
• Ethics: particular beliefs or attitudes concerning
morality
• Ethics: area of study or inquiry – an activity of
understanding moral values, resolving moral
issues, and justifying moral judgments
 Ethics in Engineering Sense
• In one sense, word ethics and its grammatical variants are
synonyms for “morally correct” or justified. In this usage,
engineering ethics amounts to the set of justified moral
principles of obligation (duties), rights, and ideals that must
be endorsed, as they apply generally and to engineering in
particular, by those engaged in engineering. Clarifying such
principles and applying them to concrete situations is the central
goal of engineering ethics as an area of study.
• In a second sense, word ethics refers to the particular beliefs
or attitudes concerning morality that are endorsed by specific
groups or individuals. Using this sense, engineering ethics
consists of the requirements specified in the currently accepted
engineering codes of ethics. Alternatively, engineering ethics may
refer to the actual conduct of individuals who are engineers.
• In the sense we will use most ethics refers to an area of study
or inquiry– an activity of understanding moral values,
resolving moral issues, and justifying moral judgments.
 Engineering Ethics
• The study of the moral values, issues, and
decisions involved in engineering practice.
• The moral values take on forms including
– Responsibilities,
– Ideals,
– Character qualities ,
– Social policies,
– Relationships desirable from individuals and
corporations engaged in engineering.
Ethics and Practicing Engineering
Engineering
Firm
Engineer
Global Manager
Environment Colleagues Family

Engineering
Profession
Industry & Clients or
Other Firms Consumers

Law,
Government
& Public
 Engineering is a Profession
• Satisfies an indispensable social need
• Requires trust, discretion, judgment
• Applies knowledge and skill not possessed by the
public
• Promotes professional ideas
• Has standards of admission
• Employs a code of ethics, ensuring
• appropriate conduct and competence
Engineering Ethics: The Public Welfare
• Engineers have a responsibility to advocate the
public welfare
– Expected by the public
– Matter of ethical and legal duty
• Conflict of interest when your employer puts self
interest above the public good
– whistle blowing be result (self interest)
 Engineering Code of Ethics
• Some professional organizations have addressed the
complexity of moral issues in their fields by developing
codes of ethics
• Professional codes of ethics consist primarily of
principles of responsibility that delineate how to
promote the public good.
 Engineering Code of Ethics
Professional codes of ethics consist primarily of principles of
responsibility that delineate how to promote the public good
• Shared Values: The great diversity of moral views makes it
essential that professions establish explicit (unambiguous)
standards.
• Support: Codes give positive support to those seeking to
act ethically. “I am bound by the code of ethics of my
profession to …”
• Guidance: Give helpful guidance concerning the main
obligations of engineers. More specific directions may be in
supplemental materials or can be developed by discussion
based on fundamental guidance. Give forum to discuss.
 Engineering Code of Ethics….
• Education & Mutual Understanding: Good
tool for classroom and continuing education.
• Avoidance and Discipline: Can serve as the
formal basis for investigation of unethical
conduct. Professional societies do suspend
members based on violations.
• Contributing to the Professional Image:
Positive image to the public of a committed
professional. Represents self-regulation of the
profession that helps reduce other regulation.
• Inspiration: Reflects profession’s positive
statement of intent. Show that you have support
of others for following positive ethical practices.
 Engineering …..Moral Dilemmas
Kickbacks (Reward)
• A County Engineer in Virginia demanded a 25%
kickback in secret payments for highway work
contracts he issued.
• In 1967 he made such an offer to Allan Kammerer,
a 32 year old civil engineer who was vice
president of a young and struggling consulting firm
greatly in need of the work.
• Kammerer discussed the offer with others in the
firm, who told him it was his decision to make.
• Finally Kammerer agreed to the deal, citing as a
main reason his concern for getting sufficient work
to retain his current employees.
 Whistle-Blowing
• Whistle blowing is alerting relevant persons to some moral
or legal corruption, where “Relevant persons” are those in a
position to act in response.
• Whistle-Blowing indicates serious corporate culture
problems
• “Whistle-blowing” - the act of a man or woman who,
believing that the public interest overrides the interest of
the organization he[sic] serves, publicly “blows the whistle”
if the organization is involved in corrupt, illegal, fraudulent,
or harmful activity.
• Some of the enemies of business now encourage an
employee to be disloyal to the enterprise.
• They want to create suspicion and disharmony and pry into
the proprietary interests of the business.
• However this is labeled -industrial espionage, whistle-
blowing or professional responsibility - it is another tactic
for spreading disunity and creating conflict
 Engineering Dilemmas: WHISTLE BLOWING
• Carl Houston was a welding supervisor for a nuclear power
facility in Virginia (1970) for Stone & Weber. He saw
– Improper welding procedures
– Use of wrong materials
– Welders were not trained properly
– The Situation was dangerous
• He reported to Stone & Weber’s Manager, who ignored
him.
• He threatened to write to Stone & Weber’s Headquarters.
Shortly thereafter he was fired on trumped – up charges.
• Finally he wrote to Senators Howard's Baker and Albert
Gore.
• The Senators prompted the Atomic Energy Commission to
investigate, which confirmed his allegations.
 whistle-blowing : Examples
• Incompetence
• Criminal Behavior
• Unethical Policies
• Threat to Public Safety
• Injustices to Workers
 Moral Guidelines to Whistle-Blowing
It is morally permissible for engineers to engage in
whistle-blowing concerning safety:
1. If the harm that will be done by the product to the public is
serious and considerable
2. If they make their concerns known to their superiors
3. If getting no satisfaction from their immediate superiors, they
exhaust the channels available within the corporation,
including going to the board of directors.
In order for whistle-blowing to be morally obligatory
however, DeGeorge gives two further conditions:
4. He [or she] must have documented evidence that would
convince a reasonable, impartial observer that his [or her]
view of the situation is correct and the company policy
wrong.
5. There must be strong evidence that making the information
public will in fact prevent the threatened serious harm.