INTRODUCTIO

N TO
ENGINEERING

Course Code : (ENG101)

FACILITATOR: BISMARK ABOAGYE BUDU

PhD (Research Student)Electrical Engineering, M.TECH( Power Syst. Eng.) AIT- SCHOOL OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES,
ENGINEERING & SCIENCES (SATES)
RESEARCH AREAS [ DPG,PM, SGSD,]
Contact: 0265634177 Email- [email protected]
OUTLINE ( LECTURES 4)

Professional
Registrations
Professional
Organizations
Engineering Ethics
OBJECTIVES OF THE LECTURES

1 2 3

 Students should
 Students should be
understand the  Students should also
characteristics and exposed to professional
understand Engineers idea
responsibilities of a organizations and
and solemn statements and
professional Engineer practical Engineering
professional Registrations
Ethics
ENGINEERING AS A PROFESSION – LECTURE 6
 ENGINEERING AS A PROFESSION

Engineering is a profession in which the knowledge of mathematics and the natural sciences is
applied with discretion and judgment in order to use economically the materials and forces of
nature for the benefit of people.
It differs from other learned professions in a number of ways: in the type of service provided, in
the training requirements for its practitioners, in the diversity of its leadership, and in the lack of
uniformity and rigidity in its registration laws.
Engineers are concerned with the creation of structures, devices, and systems for human use. In
contrast to other professionals, engineers tend to create machines, structures, processes, and the
like for the use of groups of people rather than for an individual.
They seldom deal directly with the users of their works or beneficiaries of their services, while
other professionals (e.g., attorneys, physicians, psychologists, and dentists) commonly do so.
 ENGINEERING AS A PROFESSION
Herbert Hoover, the thirty-first president of the United States and a mining engineer, comparing
engineering with other professions, made the following whimsical observations:
The great liability of the engineer compared to men of other professions is that his works are out in the
open where all can see them. His acts, step by step, are in hard substance. He cannot bury his mistakes in
the grave like the doctors.
He cannot argue them into thin air or blame the judge like the lawyers. He cannot, like the architect,
cover his failures with trees and vines. He cannot, like the politicians, screen his shortcomings by blaming
his opponents and hope that the people will forget. The engineer simply cannot deny that he did it. If his
works do not work, he is damned. That is the phantasmagoria that haunts his nights and dogs his days.
He comes from the job at the end of the day resolved to calculate it again. He wakes in the morning. All
day he shivers at the thought of the bugs which will inevitably appear to jolt its smooth consummation.
On the other hand, unlike the doctor, his is not a life among the weak. Unlike the soldier, destruction is
not his purpose. Unlike the lawyer, quarrels are not his daily bread. To the engineer falls the job of
clothing the bare bones of science with life, comfort, and hope.
CHARACTERISTICS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS

Professional engineers are expected to possess education, knowledge, and skills

in an engineering specialty that exceed those of the general public. They must be
willing to stay abreast of discoveries and technological changes by participation
in professional meetings and continuing education.
They must also possess a willingness to advance professional knowledge, ideals,
and practice and to share their knowledge with their peers. Professional
engineers must have a sense of responsibility and service to society and to their
employers and clients, and they must act honorably in their dealings with others.
They must be willing to follow established codes of ethics for their profession
and to guard their professional integrity and ideals and those of their profession.
 IDEALS AND SOLEMN STATEMENTS OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS

The ideals and obligations of engineering as a profession have been embodied in

solemn statements of intention prepared by engineering societies. Members of
the National Society of Professional Engineers subscribe to this Creed: As a
Professional Engineer, I dedicate my professional knowledge and skill to the
advancement and betterment of human welfare.
 IDEALS AND SOLEMN STATEMENTS OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS
(THE ENGINEERS PLEDGE)

I pledge:
To give the utmost of performance; To participate in none but honest enterprise; To
live and work according to the laws of man and the highest standards of professional
conduct; To place service before profit, the honor and standing of the profession
before personal advantage, and the public welfare above all other considerations. In
humility and with need for Divine Guidance, I make this pledge.
 IDEALS AND SOLEMN STATEMENTS OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS
(THE ENGINEERS FAITH)
The Ethics Committee of the Engineers’ Council for Professional Development (5) prepared the
following statement describing the faith of the engineer:
I AM AN ENGINEER. In my profession I take deep pride, but without vainglory; to it I owe
solemn obligations that I am eager to fulfill. As an Engineer, I will participate in none but honest
enterprise.
To him that has engaged my services, as employer or client, I will give the utmost of performance
and fidelity. When needed, my skill and knowledge shall be given without reservation for the
public good. From special capacity springs the obligation to use it well in the service to humanity;
and I accept the challenge that this implies.
Jealous of the high repute of my calling, I will strive to protect the interests and the good name of
any engineer that I know to be deserving; but I will not shrink, should duty dictate, from disclosing
the truth regarding anyone that, by unscrupulous act, has shown himself unworthy of the
profession.
 PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

The registration laws are administered by independent registration boards in the states and
jurisdictions, each operating within the framework of its own laws. Although there are statutory
differences and variations among the boards in procedures and policies, a great deal of progress
has been made in promoting uniform standards.
A common pattern for registration is the requirement that the applicant:
1. Graduate in an engineering curriculum of not less than four years.
2. 2. Acquire not less than four years’ experience in engineering work of a character satisfactory
to the Board.

3. 3. Pass a written examination..

 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Professional Organization consist of engineering bodies and its societies .

A professional body (also referred to as a professional institute) can be defined as an organization that
holds individual members who are personnel associated with an engineering profession, interest, or
occupation.
Professional society or "society" means any association or other organization of persons engaged in
the same profession, occupation, or a specialty within a profession or occupation, a primary
purpose of which is to maintain the professional standards of the persons engaged in its
profession, occupation, or specialty practice.
 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

The most prominent of the professional engineering organizations are five of the oldest and
largest groups known as the “founder societies”:
1. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
2. 2. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
3. 3. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
4. 4. American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).
5. 5. American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME).
 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS - INTERNATIONAL
Audio Engineering Society
International Association of Engineers
International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences
International Council on Systems Engineering
International Geodetic Student Organisation
International Society of Automation
International Society for Optical Engineering
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
National Society of Black Engineers
Society of Automotive Engineers
Society of Petroleum Engineers
Society of Professional Engineers
Society of Women Engineers
World Federation of Engineering Organizations
 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS - LOCAL

 Ghana Institution of Engineers

 Ghana Biomedical Convention.
 Ghana Institute of Architects..
 Ghana Institution of Surveyors.
 Institution of Engineering and Technology
 ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Primary role is to facilitate the registration of engineers (Graduate and Professional) and regulate the
professional conduct and practice of registered engineers in order to safeguard the safety and interest
of the public.
They are dedicated to the advancement of the knowledge and practice of professions through
 developing,
 supporting,
 regulating
 and promoting professional standards for technical and ethical competence
 ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

They are dedicated to the advancement of the knowledge and practice of professions through
 developing,
 supporting,
 regulating
 and promoting professional standards for technical and ethical competence
 ENGINEERING ETHICS

Ethics is the study of the morality of human actions. It is the science of determining values in
human conduct and of deciding what ought to be done in different circumstances and situations.
Engineering ethics represents the attempts of professional engineers to define proper courses of
action in their dealings with each other, with their clients and employees, and with the general
public.
 MORAL FOUNDATIONS OF ENGINEERING ETHICS
Kohlberg suggested that an individual may reason and approach moral decisions from three main levels of
moral cognitive development.
The most primitive he calls the Pre-conventional Level, in which proper conduct is regarded as what directly
benefits oneself. This is the level of development of most young children. At this level, individuals are
motivated primarily by an unquestioning submission to power, by a desire to avoid punishment, or by a
desire to satisfy their own needs.
At the next level of moral development, termed the Conventional Level, the individual accepts the norms of
one’s family, group, or society as the standard of morality. At this level, individuals are motivated by the
desire to please others and to conform to the expectations of the social unit rather than upon their self
interest. Here an act is deemed to be morally right when it is approved by convention or law and wrong
when it violates group customs or laws.
According to Kohlberg, the highest level of moral development is the Post-conventional Level, at which an
individual is motivated by what is morally reasonable for its own sake without regard to self-interest or to
social conventions. Such individuals are morally autonomous because they think for themselves and do not
respond to ulterior motives or assume that group customs are always right.
 MORAL THEORIES OF ENGINEERING ETHICS

It is helpful to examine further the moral underpinnings of ethical behavior. What makes certain actions
morally right and others morally wrong? Martin and Schinzinger describe four types of moral theories
that help to answer this question:
1. Utilitarianism. This theory considers the good and bad consequences of an action and seeks to maximize
utility, defined as the overall balance of good over bad consequences. Our actions ought always to produce
the most utility, considering everyone affected by those actions.
2. 2. Duty ethics. This theory maintains that there are duties which ought to be performed even though
performing them may not always produce the most good: to be fair, to be honest, etc.

3. 3. Rights ethics. Under this theory, an action is morally right if it does not violate the rights of
other people.
4. 4. Virtue ethics. This theory regards an action right if it supports good character traits (virtues)
and wrong if it manifests bad character traits (vices).
 CODES OF ENGINEERING ETHICS

The Code of Ethics for Engineers published by the National Society of Professional Engineers
(NSPE), is reprinted in the following paragraphs by permission of NSPE. The NSPE Code of
Ethics consists of a preamble, six fundamental canons or authoritative rules, five rules of
practice, and nine professional obligations. This document comprises basic rules of professional
behavior suitable for all engineering specialties.
 CODE OF ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS: JULY 1996–PRESENT
(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.
 CODE OF ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS: JULY 1996–PRESENT
(FUNDAMENTAL CANONS)

I. Fundamental Canons Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:

1. Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public.
2. Perform services only in areas of their competence.
3. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
4. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
5. Avoid deceptive acts.
6. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honor,
reputation, and usefulness of the profession.
 CODE OF ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS: JULY 1996–PRESENT
(RULES OF PRACTICE)

II. Rules of Practice

1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.
a. If engineers’ judgment is overruled under circumstances that endanger life or property, they shall notify
their employer or client and such other authority as may be appropriate.
b. Engineers shall approve only those engineering documents that are in conformity with applicable
standards.
c. Engineers shall not reveal facts, data or information without the prior consent of the client or employer
except as authorized or required by law or this Code.
d. Engineers shall not permit the use of their name or associate in business ventures with any person or firm
that they believe is engaged in fraudulent or dishonest enterprise.
e. Engineers having knowledge of any alleged violation of this Code shall report thereon to appropriate
professional bodies and, when relevant, also to public authorities, and cooperate with the proper
authorities in furnishing such information or assistance as may be required.
 CODE OF ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS: JULY 1996–PRESENT
(RULES OF PRACTICE)

II. Rules of Practice

2. Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.
a. Engineers shall undertake assignments only when qualified by education or experience in the specific
technical fields involved.
b. Engineers shall not affix their signatures to any plans or documents dealing with subject matter in
which they lack competence, nor to any plan or document not prepared under their direction and
control.
c. Engineers may accept assignments and assume responsibility for coordination of an entire project and
sign and seal the engineering documents for the entire project, provided that each technical segment
is signed and sealed only by the qualified engineers who prepared the segment.
 CODE OF ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS: JULY 1996–PRESENT
(RULES OF PRACTICE)

II. Rules of Practice

3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
a. Engineers shall be objective and truthful in professional reports, statements, or testimony. They shall
include all relevant and pertinent information in such reports, statements, or testimony, which should
bear the date indicating when it was current.
b. Engineers may express publicly technical opinions that are founded upon knowledge of the facts and
competence in the subject matter.
c. Engineers shall issue no statements, criticisms, or arguments on technical matters that are inspired or
paid for by interested parties, unless they have prefaced their comments by explicitly identifying the
interested parties on whose behalf they are speaking, and by revealing the existence of any interest
the engineers may have in the matters.
 CODE OF ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS: JULY 1996–PRESENT
(RULES OF PRACTICE)

II. Rules of Practice

4. Engineers shall act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
a. Engineers shall disclose all known or potential conflicts of interest that could influence or appear to influence
their judgment or the quality of their services.
b. Engineers shall not accept compensation, financial or otherwise, from more than one party for services on the
same project, or for services pertaining to the same project, unless the circumstances are fully disclosed and
agreed to by all interested parties.
c. Engineers shall not solicit or accept financial or other valuable consideration, directly or indirectly, from outside
agents in connection with the work for which they are responsible.
d. Engineers in public service as members, advisors, or employees of a governmental or quasi-governmental body
or department shall not participate in decisions with respect to services solicited or provided by them or their
organizations in private or public engineering practice.
e. Engineers shall not solicit or accept a contract from a governmental body on which a principal or officer of their
organization serves as a member
 CODE OF ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS: JULY 1996–PRESENT
(RULES OF PRACTICE)

II. Rules of Practice

5. Engineers shall avoid deceptive acts.
a. Engineers shall not falsify their qualifications or permit misrepresentation of their or their associates’
qualifications. They shall not misrepresent or exaggerate their responsibility in or for the subject matter of prior
assignments. Brochures or other presentations incident to the solicitation of employment shall not misrepresent
pertinent facts concerning employers, employees, associates, joint venturers, or past accomplishments.
b. Engineers shall not offer, give, solicit, or receive, either directly or indirectly, any contribution to influence the
award of a contract by public authority, or which may be reasonably construed by the public as having the effect
or intent of influencing the awarding of a contract. They shall not offer any gift or other valuable consideration
in order to secure work. They shall not pay a commission, percentage, or brokerage fee in order to secure work,
except to a bona fide employee or bona fide established commercial or marketing agencies retained by them.
 CODE OF ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS: JULY 1996–PRESENT
(PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATIONS)

1. Engineers shall be guided in all their relations by the highest standards of honesty and
integrity.
a. Engineers shall acknowledge their errors and shall not distort or alter the facts.
b. Engineers shall advise their clients or employers when they believe a project will not be successful.
c. Engineers shall not accept outside employment to the detriment of their regular work or interest.
Before accepting any outside engineering employment, they will notify their employers.
d. Engineers shall not attempt to attract an engineer from another employer by false or misleading
pretenses.
e. Engineers shall not actively participate in strikes, picket lines, or other collective coercive action.
f. Engineers shall not promote their own interest at the expense of the dignity and integrity of the
profession.
 CODE OF ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS: JULY 1996–PRESENT
(PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATIONS)

2. Engineers shall at all times strive to serve the public interest.

a. Engineers shall seek opportunities to participate in civic affairs; career guidance for youths; and work for the
advancement of the safety, health and well-being of their community.
b. Engineers shall not complete, sign, or seal plans and/or specifications that are not in conformity with
applicable engineering standards. If the client or employer insists on such unprofessional conduct, they shall
notify the proper authorities and withdraw from further service on the project.
c. Engineers shall endeavor to extend public knowledge and appreciation of engineering and its achievements.
3. Engineers shall avoid all conduct or practice that deceives the public.
d. Engineers shall avoid the use of statements containing a material misrepresentation of fact or omitting a
material fact.
e. Consistent with the foregoing, Engineers may advertise for recruitment of personnel.
f. Consistent with the foregoing, Engineers may prepare articles for the lay or technical press, but such articles
shall not imply credit to the author for work performed by others.
 CODE OF ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS: JULY 1996–PRESENT
(PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATIONS)

4. Engineers shall not disclose, without consent, confidential information concerning the business affairs or
technical processes of any present or former client or employer, or public body on which they serve.
a. Engineers shall not, without the consent of all interested parties, promote or arrange for new employment or
practice in connection with a specific project for which the Engineer has gained particular and specialized
knowledge.
b. Engineers shall not, without the consent of all interested parties, participate in or represent an adversary interest
in connection with a specific project or proceeding in which the Engineer has gained particular specialized
knowledge on behalf of a former client or employer.
5. Engineers shall not be influenced in their professional duties by conflicting interests.
c. Engineers shall not accept financial or other considerations, including free engineering designs, from material or
equipment suppliers for specifying their product.
d. Engineers shall not accept commissions or allowances, directly or indirectly, from contractors or other parties
dealing with clients or employers of the Engineer in connection with work for which the Engineer is responsible
 CODE OF ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS: JULY 1996–PRESENT
(PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATIONS)

6. Engineers shall not attempt to obtain employment or advancement or professional engagements by untruthfully criticizing other
engineers, or by other improper or questionable methods.
a. Engineers shall not request, propose, or accept a commission on a contingent basis under circumstances in which their judgment may be
compromised.
b. Engineers in salaried positions shall accept part-time engineering work only to the extent consistent with policies of the employer and in
accordance with ethical considerations.
c. Engineers shall not, without consent, use equipment, supplies, laboratory, or office facilities of an employer to carry on outside private
practice.
7. Engineers shall not attempt to injure, maliciously or falsely, directly or indirectly, the professional reputation, prospects, practice, or
employment of other engineers. Engineers who believe others are guilty of unethical or illegal practice shall present such
information to the proper authority for action.
d. Engineers in private practice shall not review the work of another engineer for the same client, except with the knowledge of such
engineer, or unless the connection of such engineer with the work has been terminated.
e. Engineers in governmental, industrial, or educational employ are entitled to review and evaluate the work of other engineers
when so required by their employment duties.
f. Engineers in sales or industrial employ are entitled to make engineering comparisons of represented products with products
of other suppliers.
 CODE OF ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS: JULY 1996–PRESENT
(PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATIONS)

8. Engineers shall accept personal responsibility for their professional activities, provided, however, that Engineers may seek
indemnification for services arising out of their practice for other than gross negligence, where the Engineer’s interests
cannot otherwise be protected.
a. Engineers shall conform with state registration laws in the practice of engineering.
b. Engineers shall not use association with a non engineer, a corporation, or partnership as a “cloak” for unethical acts.
9. Engineers shall give credit for engineering work to those to whom credit is due, and will recognize the proprietary interests
of others.
c. Engineers shall, whenever possible, name the person or persons who may be individually responsible for designs, inventions,
writings, or other accomplishments.
d. Engineers using designs supplied by a client recognize that the designs remain the property of the client and may not be
duplicated by the Engineer for others without express permission.
e. Engineers, before undertaking work for others in connection with which the Engineer may make improvements, plans, designs,
inventions, or other records that may justify copyrights or patents, should enter into a positive agreement regarding ownership.
f. Engineers’ designs, data, records, and notes referring exclusively to an employer’s work are the employer’s property. Employer
should indemnify the Engineer for use of the information for any purpose other than the original purpose.
 GROUP DISCUSSIONS
Mr. Smith is a professional engineer employed by AB Pump Company. Mr. Smith has lunch with Mr. Jones, representing
YZ Seal Corporation. The men discussed YZ’s product line at some length during lunch. Over dessert, the men begin
discussing football and learn that they are both huge fans of the Green Bay Packers professional football team. Mr. Jones
calls Mr. Smith a couple of days later and invites him to watch the Packers game on Sunday in YZ’s corporate suite.
Mr. Smith accepts the invitation and attends the game. The men spend the afternoon watching their beloved Packers. The
subject of business never even comes up in the conversation. As they exit the suite after the game, Mr. Williams, a
salesman employed by EF Seal Corporation, spots the two men. Mr Williams knows both men, but chooses not to
approach them. A couple of weeks later, Mr. Smith sends out a request for quotation to both YZ Seal Corporation and EF
Seal Corporation to supply several hundred thousand dollars worth of pump seals. Both companies submit quotations and
are evaluated in accordance with AB’s normal bid evaluation process.
Mr. Smith is responsible for performing the technical bid evaluation, but is not involved in the final purchase decision.
YZ Seal Corporation is awarded the contract based on technical merit and lowest life cycle costs. The next day, John
Smith is called into the office of AB Pump Company’s president. The company president is concerned about a phone call
that he received from Mr. Williams, representing EF Seal Corporation, who is alleging that an inappropriate relationship
may exist between Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones of YZ Seal Corporation. Hence resulting in their inability to win the contract.
i) Did Mr. Smith have a conflict of interest? ii) Did Mr. Smith have an apparent conflict of interest?
REFERENCES BOOKS

Engineering in Perspective by Tony Ridley ( Imperial College London, UK)

Engineering in Perspective , Lessons for Successful career, Tony Ridley, ( 8th Edition )
Engineering to Engineering Design, 5 th Edition, by James W. Delly
THANKYOU