Engineering Ethics - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Engineering ethics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_ethics
Engineering ethics
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Engineering ethics is the field of applied ethics and system of moral principles that apply to the
practice of engineering. The field examines and sets the obligations by engineers to society, to their
clients, and to the profession. As a scholarly discipline, it is closely related to subjects such as the
philosophy of science, the philosophy of engineering, and the ethics of technology.
Contents
1 Background and origins
1.1 The 19th century and growing concern
1.2 Turning of the 20th century and turning point
1.3 Recent developments
2 General principles
2.1 Obligation to society
2.2 Whistleblowing
2.3 Conduct
3 Case studies and key individuals
4 Notes
5 References
6 Further Reading
7 External links
7.1 Australia
7.2 Canada
7.3 Germany
7.4 United Kingdom
7.5 United States
7.6 International
Background and origins

The 19th century and growing concern
As engineering rose as a distinct profession during the 19th
century, engineers saw themselves as either independent
professional practitioners or technical employees of large
enterprises. There was considerable tension between the two
sides as large industrial employers fought to maintain control
of their employees.[1]
The first Tay Bridge collapsed in
In the United States growing professionalism gave rise to the

1879. At least sixty were killed.
development of four founding engineering societies: The
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (1851), the
American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) (1884),[2] the American Society of Mechanical
1 of 10
2/03/2016 1:14 PM
Engineers (ASME) (1880), and the American Institute of Mining Engineers

ASCE and AIEE were more closely identified with the engineer as learned professional, where
ASME, to an extent, and AIME almost entirely, identified with the view that the engineer is a
technical employee.[4]
Even so, at that time ethics was viewed as a personal rather than a broad professional concern.[5][6]:6
Turning of the 20th century and turning point

When the 19th century drew to a close and the 20th century
began, there had been series of significant structural failures,
including some spectacular bridge failures, notably the
Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster (1876), Tay Bridge
Disaster (1879), and the Quebec Bridge collapse (1907).
These had a profound effect on engineers and forced the
profession to confront shortcomings in technical and
construction practice, as well as ethical standards.[7]
One response was the development of formal codes of ethics
by three of the four founding engineering societies. AIEE
adopted theirs in 1912. ASCE and ASME did so in 1914.[8]
AIME did not adopt a code of ethics in its history.[4]
The Boston molasses disaster

provided a strong impetus for the
establishment of professional
licensing and codes of ethics in the
United States.
Concerns for professional practice and protecting the public

highlighted by these bridge failures, as well as the Boston
molasses disaster (1919), provided impetus for another movement that had been underway for some
time: to require formal credentials (Professional licensure in the US.) as a requirement to practice.
This involves meeting some combination of educational, experience, and testing requirements.[9]
In 1950, the Association of German Engineers developed an oath for all its members titled 'The
Confession of the Engineers', directly hinting at the role of engineers in the atrocities committed
during World War II.[10][11][12]
Over the following decades most American states and Canadian provinces either required engineers
to be licensed, or passed special legislation reserving title rights to organization of professional
engineers.[13] The Canadian model is to require all persons working in fields of engineering that
posed a risk to life, health, property, the public welfare and the environment to be licensed, and all
provinces required licensing by the 1950s.
The US model has generally been only to require those practicing independently (i.e. consulting
engineers) to be licensed, while engineers working in industry, education, and sometimes
government need not be licensed. This has perpetuated the split between professional engineers and
those in industry.[14] Professional societies have adopted generally uniform codes of ethics. On the
other hand technical societies have generally not adopted these, but instead sometimes offer ethics
education and resources to members similar to those of the professional societies. This is not
uniform, and the question of who is to be held in the highest regard: the public or the employer, is
still an open one in industry, and sometimes in professional practice.[13]
Recent developments
2 of 10
2/03/2016 1:14 PM
Efforts to promote ethical practice continue. In addition to the

professional societies and chartering organizations efforts
with their members, the Canadian Iron Ring and American
Order of the Engineer trace their roots to the 1907 Quebec
Bridge collapse. Both require members to swear an oath to
uphold ethical practice and wear a symbolic ring as a
reminder.
In the United States, the National Society of Professional
Engineers released in 1946 its Canons of Ethics for Engineers
and Rules of Professional Conduct, which evolved to the
current Code of Ethics, adopted in 1964. These requests
ultimately led to the creation of the Board of Ethical Review
in 1954. Ethics cases rarely have easy answers, but the BER's
nearly 500 advisory opinions have helped bring clarity to the
ethical issues engineers face daily.[15]
William LeMessurier's response to

design deficiencies uncovered after
construction of the Citigroup Center
is often cited as an example of ethical
conduct.
Currently, bribery and political corruption is being addressed very directly by several professional
societies and business groups around the world.[16][17] However, new issues have arisen, such as
offshoring, sustainable development, and environmental protection, that the profession is having to
consider and address.
General principles
Codes of engineering
ethics identify a specific
precedence with respect to
the engineer's
consideration for the
public, clients, employers,
and the profession.
A practitioner shall,
regard the
practitioner's duty to
public welfare as
paramount."
Professional Engineers Ontario, [19]
Engineers, in the
fulfillment of their
professional duties,
shall hold
paramount the
safety, health, and
welfare of the public
Many engineering professional societies have prepared codes of

National Society of Professional
ethics. Some date to the early decades of the twentieth
Engineers, [18]
century.[13] These have been incorporated to a greater or lesser
degree into the regulatory laws of several jurisdictions. While these statements of general principles
served as a guide, engineers still require sound judgment to interpret how the code would apply to
specific circumstances.
The general principles of the codes of ethics are largely similar across the various engineering
societies and chartering authorities of the world,[20] which further extend the code and publish
specific guidance.[21] The following is an example from the American Society of Civil Engineers:[22]
1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and shall strive to
comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their professional
duties.[22]
2. Engineers shall perform services only in areas of their competence.[22]
3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.[22]
4. Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or
3 of 10
2/03/2016 1:14 PM
trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.[22]

5. Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit of their services and shall not
compete unfairly with others.
6. Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity, and dignity
of the engineering profession and shall act with zero-tolerance for bribery, fraud, and
corruption.[22]
7. Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers, and shall
provide opportunities for the professional development of those engineers under their
supervision.[22]
Obligation to society
The paramount value recognized by engineers is the safety and welfare of the public. As
demonstrated by the following selected excerpts, this is the case for professional engineering
organizations in nearly every jurisdiction and engineering discipline:
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers: "We, the members of the IEEE, do
hereby commit ourselves to the highest ethical and professional conduct and agree: 1. to accept
responsibility in making decisions consistent with the safety, health and welfare of the public,
and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment;"[23]
Institution of Civil Engineers: "Members of the ICE should always be aware of their
overriding responsibility to the public good. A members obligations to the client can never
override this, and members of the ICE should not enter undertakings which compromise this
responsibility. The public good encompasses care and respect for the environment, and for
humanitys cultural, historical and archaeological heritage, as well as the primary
responsibility members have to protect the health and well being of present and future
generations."[24]
Professional Engineers Ontario: "A practitioner shall, regard the practitioner's duty to public
welfare as paramount."[19]
National Society of Professional Engineers: "Engineers, in the fulfillment of their
professional duties, shall: Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public."[18]
American Society of Mechanical Engineers: "Engineers shall hold paramount the safety,
health and welfare of the public in the performance of their professional duties."[25]
Institute of Industrial Engineers: "Engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor and
dignity of the engineering profession by: 2. Being honest and impartial, and serving with
fidelity the public, their employers and clients."[26]
American Institute of Chemical Engineers: "To achieve these goals, members shall hold
paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and protect the environment in
performance of their professional duties."[27]
American Nuclear Society: "ANS members uphold and advance the integrity and honor of
their professions by using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare and
the environment; being honest and impartial; serving with fidelity the public, their employers,
and their clients; and striving to continuously improve the competence and prestige of their
various professions."[28]
Responsibility of engineers
4 of 10
2/03/2016 1:14 PM
The engineer recognizes that the greatest merit is the work and exercises his profession committed to
serving society, attending to the welfare and progress of the majority. By transforming nature for the
benefit of mankind, the engineer must increase his awareness of the world as the abode of man, his
interest in the universe as a guarantee of overcoming his spirit, and knowledge of reality to make the
world fairer and happier. The engineer should reject any paper that is intended to harm the general
interest, thus avoiding a situation that might be hazardous or threatening to the environment, life,
health, or other rights of human beings. It is an inescapable duty of the engineer to uphold the
prestige of the profession, to ensure its proper discharge, and to maintain a professional demeanor
rooted in ability, honesty, fortitude, temperance, magnanimity, modesty, honesty, and justice; with the
consciousness of individual well-being subordinate to the social good. The engineer and his
employer must ensure the continuous improvement of his knowledge, particularly of his profession,
disseminate his knowledge, share his experience, provide opportunities for education and training of
workers, provide recognition, moral and material support to the school where he studied, thus
returning the benefits and opportunities he and his employer have received. It is the responsibility of
the engineer to carry out his work efficiently and to support the law. In particular, he must ensure
compliance with the standards of worker protection as provided by the law. As a professional, the
engineer is expected to commit himself to high standards of conduct (NSPE). [1] 11/27/11
Whistleblowing
A basic ethical dilemma is that an engineer has the duty to
report to the appropriate authority a possible risk to others
from a client or employer failing to follow the engineer's
directions. According to first principles, this duty overrides
the duty to a client and/or employer.[29] An engineer may be
disciplined, or have their license revoked, even if the failure
to report such a danger does not result in the loss of life or
health.[30]
In many cases, this duty can be discharged by advising the
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
client of the consequences in a forthright matter, and ensuring
is used as a case study of
the client takes the engineer's advice. In very rare cases,
where even a governmental authority may not take
whistleblowing and organizational
appropriate action, the engineer can only discharge the duty
behavior including groupthink.
[31]
by making the situation public.
As a result,
whistleblowing by professional engineers is not an unusual event, and courts have often sided with
engineers in such cases, overruling duties to employers and confidentiality considerations that
otherwise would have prevented the engineer from speaking out.[32]
Conduct
There are several other ethical issues that engineers may face. Some have to do with technical
practice, but many others have to do with broader considerations of business conduct. These
include:[21]
Relationships with clients, consultants, competitors, and contractors
Ensuring legal compliance by clients, client's contractors, and others
Conflict of interest
Bribery and kickbacks, which also may include:
Gifts, meals, services, and entertainment
5 of 10
2/03/2016 1:14 PM
Treatment of confidential or proprietary information

Consideration of the employers assets
Outside employment/activities (Moonlighting)
Some engineering societies are addressing environmental protection as a stand-alone question of
ethics.[22]
The field of business ethics often overlaps and informs ethical decision making for engineers.
Case studies and key individuals

Petroski notes that most engineering failures are much more involved than simple technical
mis-calculations and involve the failure of the design process or management culture.[33] However,
not all engineering failures involve ethical issues. The infamous collapse of the first Tacoma
Narrows Bridge, and the losses of the Mars Polar Lander and Mars Climate Orbiter were technical
and design process failures.
These episodes of engineering failure include ethical as well as technical issues.
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster (2003)
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster (1986)
Therac-25 accidents (1985 to 1987)
Chernobyl disaster (1986)
Bhopal disaster (1984)
Kansas City Hyatt Regency walkway collapse (1981)
Love Canal (1980), Lois Gibbs
Three Mile Island accident (1979)
Citigroup Center (1978),
Ford Pinto safety problems (1970s)
Minamata disease (19081973)
Chevrolet Corvair safety problems (1960s), Ralph Nader, and
Boston molasses disaster (1919)
Quebec Bridge collapse (1907), Theodore Cooper
Johnstown Flood (1889), South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club
Tay Bridge Disaster (1879), Thomas Bouch, William Henry Barlow, and William Yolland
Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster (1876), Amasa Stone
Notes
1. Layton (1986). pp. 6-9
2. The AIEE merged with the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) (1912) in 1963 to form the IEEE.
3. AIME is now the umbrella organization of four technical societies: the Society for Mining, Metallurgy,
and Exploration (http://www.smenet.org/) (SME) (1957), The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society
(TMS) (1957), the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) (1957), and the Association For Iron and Steel
Technology (http://www.aist.org) (AIST) (1974). Neither AIME, nor its subsidiary societies have adopted
a formal code of ethics.
4. Layton (1986) p. 35.
5. ASCE (2000). p. 10.
6. Flavell, Eric. "The ASCE Code of Ethics: PRINCIPLES, STUDY, AND APPLICATION". ASCE.
Retrieved Nov 27, 2013.
6 of 10
2/03/2016 1:14 PM
7. ASME member H.F.J. Porter had proposed as early as 1892 that the engineering societies adopt uniform
membership, education, and licensing requirements as well as a code of ethics. (Layton (1986). pp.
45-46)
8. Layton (1986). pp. 70 & 114.
9. Layton (1986). pp. 124-125.
10. Dietz, Burkhard, ed. (1996).
. p. 29.
11. Lorenz, Werner; Meyer, Torsen (2004).
. p. 55.
12. https://www.vdi.de/fileadmin/media/content/hg/16.pdf
13. Layton (1986)
14. Layton (1986). pp. 6-7
15. "Board of Ethical Review". National Society of Professional Engineers. 2013. Retrieved Nov 29, 2013.
16. Transparency International and Social Accountability International (2009).
. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
17. "Report Details Guidelines to Reduce Corruption in Engineering and Construction Industry" (Press
release). ASCE. 2005-06-17. Retrieved 2006-10-20.
18. "NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers". National Society of Professional Engineers. 2013. Retrieved
Nov 29, 2013.
19. PEO.
. Section 77.2.i of the Ontario Regulation 941.
Retrieved: 2006-10-19.
20. ICE (2004).
21. ASCE (2000).
22. ASCE [1914] (2006).
23. IEEE (2006).
Canon 1. (http://www.ieee.org/about/corporate/governance/p7-8.html).
Retrieved: 2006-10-19.
24. ICE (2004). p. 38.
25. "Code of Ethics of Engineers". ASME. 2013. Retrieved Nov 29, 2013.
26. IIE. "Ethics". [1] (http://www.iienet2.org/Details.aspx?id=299) Retrieved: 2011-6-01.
27. AIChE (2003).
(http://www.aiche.org/About/Code.aspx) Retrieved: 2006-10-21.
28. ANS (2003).
(http://www.new.ans.org/about/coe/) Retrieved: 2011-08-19.
29. Weil, "Whistleblowing: What Have We Learned Since the Challenger?" (http://www.nspe.org/Ethics
/EthicsResources/Otherresources/whistle.html)
30. See NSPE, Board of Ethical Review, Cases 82-5 (http://www.niee.org/cases/78-88/case82-5.htm) and
88-6 (http://www.niee.org/cases/78-88/case88-6.htm).
31. NSPE (2006-06-30). "Final Report of the NSPE Task Force on Overruling Engineering Judgment to the
NSPE Board of Directors" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-02-20.
32. See the case of Shawn Carpenter.
33. Petroski (1985)
References
. Reston, Virginia, USA:
American Society of Civil Engineers (2010) [1914].
ASCE Press. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
American Society of Civil Engineers (2000).
(PDF). Reston, Virginia, USA: ASCE Press. Retrieved 2013-11-30.
Institution of Civil Engineers (2004).
.
Retrieved 2006-10-20.
Layton, Edwin (1986).
. Baltimore, Maryland, USA: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
ISBN 0-8018-3287-X.
Petroski, Henry (1985).
. St
Martins Press. ISBN 0-312-80680-9.
National Society of Professional Engineers (2007) [1964].
(PDF). Alexandria,
Virginia, USA: NSPE. Retrieved 2006-10-20.
7 of 10
2/03/2016 1:14 PM
Further Reading
Alford, C.F. (2002).
, Cornell
University Press.
Fleddermann, C.B. (2011).
, Prentice Hall, 4th edition.
Glazer, M.P. (1991).
, New York, NY: Basic Books.
Harris, C.E., M.S. Pritchard, and M.J. Rabins (2008).
,
Wadsworth Publishing, 4th edition.
Huesemann, Michael H., and Joyce A. Huesemann (2011).
(http://www.newtechnologyandsociety.org), Chapter 14, Critical
Science and Social Responsibility, New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, British
Columbia, Canada, ISBN 0865717044, 464 pp.
Martin, M.W., and R. Schinzinger (2004).
, McGraw-Hill, 4th edition.
Van de Poel, I., and L. Royakkers (2011).
, Wiley-Blackwell.
External links
Australia
Wikibooks has more on

the topic of:
Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and

Managers, Australia
Ethical Decision Making (http://www.apesma.com.au
/?page=486)
Wikiquote has quotations

related to:
Engineers Australia
Code of Ethics (http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/shado/About%20Us
/Overview/Governance/CodeOfEthics2000.pdf)
Canada
Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC)
Act, Bylaws and Code of Ethics (http://www.apeg.bc.ca/resource/publications
/actbylawscode.html)
Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA)
EGGP Code of Ethics (http://www.apegga.org/About/ACT/code.htm)
Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba (APEGM)
Code of Ethics (http://www.apegm.mb.ca/pdf/ethics00.pdf)
Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO)
Code of Ethics (See link on front page.) (http://www.peo.on.ca/)
8 of 10
2/03/2016 1:14 PM
L'Ordre des ingnieurs du Qubec (OIQ)

Code of Ethics of Engineers (http://www2.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/dynamicSearch
/telecharge.php?type=2&file=%2F%2FI_9%2FI9R3_A.htm)
Iron Ring
The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer (http://www.ironring.ca/)
University of Western Ontario
Software Ethics (http://www.uwo.ca/its/pps/softethics.html) - A Guide to the Ethical and Legal
Use of Software for Members of the University Community of the University of Western
Ontario
Germany
Verein Deutscher Ingenieure
Ethical principles of engineering profession (https://www.vdi.de/fileadmin/media/content
/hg/16.pdf)
United Kingdom
Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE)
Anti-Corruption Action Statement (http://www.acenet.co.uk/documents
/Forum_ActStatement.pdf)
Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
(http://www.ice-london.org.uk/london
/documents/charter_and_bylaws_2005.pdf)
Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
(http://www.theiet.org/about/ethics/index.cfm)
Engineering Council (EC)
(http://www.engc.org.uk/ecukdocuments/internet
/document%20library/Statement%20of%20Ethical%20Principles.pdf)
United States
National Academy of Engineering
Online Ethics Center of the National Academy of Engineering (http://www.onlineethics.org/)
List of links to various professional and scientific societies' codes of ethics
Onlineethics.org (http://www.onlineethics.org/Resources/ethcodes.aspx)
9 of 10
2/03/2016 1:14 PM
National Institute for Engineering Ethics (http://www.murdough.ttu.edu/pd.cfm?pt=NIEE)

(NIEE)
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
Code of Ethics (http://www.nspe.org/Ethics/CodeofEthics/index.html)
Board of Ethical Review and BER Cases (http://www.nspe.org/Ethics/BoardofEthicalReview
/index.html)
Ethics Resources and References (http://www.nspe.org/Ethics/EthicsResources/index.html)
American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
Code of Ethics (http://www.aiche.org/About/Code.aspx)
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Code of Ethics (http://www.asce.org/inside/codeofethics.cfm)
Standards of Professional Conduct for Civil Engineers (https://www.asce.org
/pdf/ethics_manual.pdf)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Code of Ethics (http://www.asme.org
/Education/PreCollege/TeacherResources/Code_Ethics_Engineers.cfm)
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Code of Ethics (http://www.ieee.org/about/corporate/governance/p7-8.html)
The Order of the Engineer
The Obligation of an Engineer (http://www.order-of-the-engineer.org/oblig.htm)
Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)
Code of Ethics (http://www.sme.org/cgi-bin/presshtml.pl?/press/ethics.htm&&&SME&)
International
Global Infrastructure Anti-Corruption Centre (http://www.giaccentre.org/index.php)
Transparency International
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Engineering_ethics&oldid=706028071"
Categories: Ethics of science and technology Engineering Professional ethics
This page was last modified on 21 February 2016, at 00:58.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional
terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit
organization.
10 of 10
2/03/2016 1:14 PM

Engineering Ethics - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Engineering Ethics - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Engineering Ethics - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Engineering ethics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Background and origins

In the United States growing professionalism gave rise to the