Ethics for Engineers and Rules of

Professional Conduct
 Introduction
 Honesty, justice and courtesy form moral philosophy and with
mutual interest , constitutes the foundation of ethics.

 Engineer recognize such a standard, not in passive observance, but

as a set of dynamic principles guides his conduct and way of life.

 It a duty to practice the profession according to these principles of

Ethics.

 Keystone of professional conduct is integrity.

 Discharge duties with fidelity to the public, his employers and
clients and with fairness and impartiality to all.

 Duty to interest oneself in public welfare and apply the special

knowledge for the benefit of mankind.
 Professional Life
The engineer will cooperate in extending the
effectiveness of the engineering profession by
interchanging information and experience
with other engineers and students and by
contributing to the work of engineering
societies, schools and the scientific and
engineering press.
 He will not lend his name to any enterprise about
which he is not thoroughly informed and in which he
does not have a positive belief.

 He should seek opportunities to be of constructive

service in civic affairs and work for the advancement
of the safety, health and well-being of his
community.

 He will not offer to pay, either directly or indirectly,

any commission, political contribution, or a gift, or
other considera­tion in order to secure work,
exclusive of securing salaried positions through
employment agencies.
He will not advertise his work or merit in a self-lauda­
tory manner and he will avoid all conduct or practice
likely to discredit or do injury to the dignity and honor
of his profession.

 Telephone listings shall be limited to name, address and

telephone number under each branch listing in which he
qualifies.
 He will not allow himself to be listed for employment
using exaggerated statements of his qualifications.
 Relations with the Public
The engineer will endeavor to extend public
knowledge of engineering, and will discourage the
spreading of untrue, unfair and exaggerated
statements regarding engineering.
 avoid belittling the necessity for engineering
services.

He will have due regard for the safety of life and

health of public and employees who may be affected
by the work for which he is responsible.
 regard his duty to the public welfare as para­
mount.
He will express an opinion only when it is founded on adequate
knowledge and honest conviction while he is serving as a
witness before a court, commission or other tribunal.
He will not issue ex parte statements, criticisms or argu­ments
on matters connected with public policy which are inspired
or paid for by private interests, unless he indicates on whose
behalf he is making the statement.
 He will not advocate or support enactment of com­munity laws,

rules, or regulations that he believes are not in the public

interest. Remember the enactment of the KACCA Bill
He will refrain from expressing publicly an opinion on
an engineering subject unless he is informed as to
the facts relating thereto.
 Relations with Clients and
Employers
The engineer will act in professional matters for each
client or employer as a faithful agent or trustee.

 He will not undertake or agree to perform any engi­

neering service on a free basis.
 He will be conservative and honest in all estimates, re­
ports, statements, and testimony.
 He will advise his client when he believes a project will
not be successful.
 His plans or specifications will not be such as to limit free
competition, except with his client's consent.
 He will associate himself only with projects of a legiti­mate
character. Anglo releasing, Goldernberg ??

 He will not solicit or accept employment to the detri­ment of his

regular work or interest. Moonlight PJ

 An engineer in private practice may be employed by more than

one party when the interests and time schedules of the several
parties do not conflict. Is it possible??

 While in the employ of others, he will not enter into promotional

efforts or negotiations for work or make arrangements for other
employment as a principal or to practice in connection with a
specific project for which he has gained particular and
specialized knowledge without the consent of all interested
parties. It is tempting? Biblical setting. You cannot be tempted
more than you resist
He will act with fairness and justice between his client
or employer and the contractor when dealing with
contracts.

 He will insist on contractor compliance with plans and

specifications.

He will make his status clear to his client or employer

before undertaking an engagement if he may be
called upon to decide on the use of inventions,
apparatus, or any other thing in which he may have
a financial interest.
 When an engineer or manufacturer builds apparatus from designs
supplied to him by a customer, the designs remain the property of
the customer and should not be duplicated by the engi­neer or
manufacturers for others without express permission.

 Designs, data, records, and notes made by an employee and

referring exclusively to his employer's work are his employer's
property.

 A customer, in buying apparatus, does not acquire any right in its

design but only the use of the apparatus purchased. A client does
not acquire any right to the ideas developed and plans made by a
consulting engineer, except for the specific case for which they
were made.
He will guard against conditions that are dangerous or
threatening to life, limb or property on work for which
he is respon­sible, or if he is not responsible, will
promptly call such conditions to the attention of those
who are responsible.

 He will not complete, sign, or seal plans and/or speci­

fications that are not of a design safe to the public health
and wel­fare. If the client or employer insists on such
unprofessional conduct, he shall call building authorities'
attention to the case and withdraw from further
consulting business or service on the project. It is
challenge to design Engineers
 He will present clearly the consequences to be expected from
deviations proposed if his engineering judgment is overruled
by non-technical authority in cases where he is responsible
for the technical adequacy of engineering work.

 He will not apply his signature of approval or seal on plans

that do not meet accepted engineering standards. A Kenyan
Electrical Engineer is out of job

He will engage, or advise his client or employer to en­gage, and

he will cooperate with, other experts and specialists
whenever the client's or employer's interests are best served
by such service.
 He will not undertake responsible engineering work for which
he is not qualified by experience and training. Judge yourself

He will disclose no information concerning the business affairs

or technical processes of clients or employers without their
con­sent.

He will not accept compensation, financial or otherwise, from

more than one interested party for the same service, or for
services pertaining to the same work, without the consent of
all interested parties.

He will not accept commissions or allowances, directly or

indirectly, from contractors or other parties dealing with his
clients or employer in connection with work for which he is
responsible.
He will not accept financial or other considerations, in­
cluding free engineering designs, from material or
equipment sup­pliers for specifying their product.
He will not be financially interested in the bids as or of
a contractor on competitive work for which he is
employed as an engineer unless he has the consent
of his client or employer.

 He will not accept personal consideration in any form.

 This assures that his recommendations for the award

of a contract cannot be influenced.
He will promptly disclose to his client or
employer any interest in a business which
may compete with or affect the business of
his client or employer. He will not allow an
interest in any business to affect his decision
regarding engineering work for which he is
em­ployed, or which he may be called upon to
perform.
 Relations with Engineers
The engineer will endeavor to protect the engineering
profession collectively and individually from
misrepresentation and misunderstanding.

 The engineer will insist on the use of facts in reference to an

engineering project or to an engineer in a group discussion,
public forum or publication of articles.

He will take care that credit for engineering work is given to

those to whom credit is properly due.
 Whenever possible, he will name the person or
persons who may be individually responsible for
designs, inventions, writ­ings, or other
accomplishments.
 He will not accept by voice or silence, credit
rightfully due another engineer.
 He will not sign or seal plans or specifications
prepared by someone other than himself or an
employee under his super­vision
 He will not represent as his own the plans, designs, or
specifications supplied to him by a manufacturer or
supplier of equipment or material.
He will uphold the principle of appropriate and adequate
compensation for those engaged in engineering work,
including those in subordinate capacities, as being in the
public interest and maintaining the standards of the
profession.

 He will not undertake work at a fee or salary that will not

permit professional performance, according to accepted stand­
ards of the profession.

 He will not accept work in the geographic area in which he

practices or intends to practice at a salary or fee below that
recog­nized as a basic minimum in that area. Market driven
economy???

 He will not accept remuneration from either an em­ployee or

employment agency for giving employment.
 When hiring other engineers, he shall offer a salary according
to the engineer's qualifications and the recognized stand­ards in
the particular geographical area. A big challenge to employer
esp. consulting eng. Firms

He will endeavor to provide opportunity for the pro­fessional

development and advancement of engineers in his employ.

 He will encourage attendance at professional or tech­nical

society meetings by his engineer employees.

 He should not unduly restrict the preparation and pres­entation

of technical papers by his engineer employees.
 He will encourage an employee's efforts to improve
his education.
 . He will urge his engineer employees to become
regis­tered at the earliest possible date.
 He will assign a professional engineer duties of a
nature to utilize his full training and experience,
insofar as possible, and delegate lesser functions to
sub-professionals or to technicians.
 He will not restrain an employee from obtaining a
better position with another employer by offers of
short-term gains or by belittling the employee's
qualifications.
He will not directly or indirectly injure the
professional reputation, prospects or practice
of another engineer. However, if he considers
that an engineer is guilty of unethical, illegal
or unfair prac­tice, he will present the
information to the proper authority for action.

 He will report unethical practices of another

engineer with substantiating data to his
professional or technical society, and be willing
to appear as a witness.
He will exercise due restraint in criticizing another engineer's
work in public, recognizing the fact that the engineering
societies and the engineering press provide the proper forum
for tech­nical discussions and criticism.

 He will not review the work of another engineer for the same
client, except with the knowledge or consent of such engi­neer,
or unless the connection of such engineer with the work has
been terminated. Cite the cases.

He will not try to supplant another engineer in a par­ticular

employment after becoming aware that definite steps have
been taken toward the other's employment.

 He will not attempt to inject his services into a project at the

expense of another engineer who has been active in develop­
ing it.
He will not compete with another engineer on the basis of .charges for work
by underbidding, through reducing his normal fees after having been
informed of the charges named by the other.

 The practice of engineering is a learned profession, re­quiring of its

members sound technical training, broad experience, personal ability,
honesty and integrity. The selection of engineering services by an
evaluation of these qualities should be the basis of comparison rather than
competitive bids.

 Competition between engineers for employment on the basis of

professional fees or charges is considered unethical practice by all
professional engineering groups. Any engineer who is re­quested to submit
a competitive bid to an owner or a governmental body should remove
himself from consideration for the proposed work.

 Cite The proposed Engineers Act - Professional Services Committe

 It shall be considered ethical for an engineer to solicit an
engineering assignment, either verbally or written. Such solici­
tation may be in the form of a letter or a brochure setting forth
factual information concerning the engineer's qualifications by
training and experience and reference to past accomplishments
and clients.

 Should the engineer be asked for a proposal to perform

engineer­ing services for a specific project, he should set forth
in detail the work he proposes to accomplish and an indication
of the calendar days required for its accomplishment. The
engineer's qualifications may be included if appropriate. A
statement of monetary remunera­tion expected shall be avoided
until he has been selected for the proposed work.
 Should the owner insist upon a statement regarding
remuneration prior to selection of the engineer, the
engineer may designate the recognized professional
society minimum fee schedule for the par­ticular type
of service required in the state geographical area
where the work is to be done.

He will take a professional attitude in negotiations for
his services and shall avoid all practices which have a
tendency to affect adversely the amount,. quality, or
disinterested nature of pro­fessional services; such as
charging inadequate fees for preliminary work or full
services, competing for an engineering assignment on
a price basis, spending large amounts of money in
securing business or consenting to furnish monetary
guarantees of cost estimates.
He will not use the advantages of a salaried position to compete unfairly
with another engineer.

 While in a salaried position, he will accept part-time engineering work

only at a salary or fee not less than that recognized as standard in the area.

 An engineer will not use equipment, supplies, labora­tory, or office

facilities of his employer to carryon outside private practice without
consent.

He will not become associated in responsibility for work with engineers who
do not conform to ethical practices.

 He will conform with registration laws in his practice of engineering.

 He will not use association with a non-engineer, a cor­poration, or

partnership, as a "cloak" for unethical acts; but must accept personal
responsibility for his professional acts.
 Miscellaneous
 An engineer who is in sales or industrial employ is en­titled to
make engineering comparisons of the products offered by
various suppliers, but will avoid aspersions upon their
character, standing, or ability.

 If, in sales employ, he will not offer, or give engineer­ing

consultation, or designs, or advice other than specifically ap­
plying to the operation of the equipment being sold.

 No engineer in the employ of equipment or material supply

companies will tender designs, plans, specifications, advice or
consultation to operations beyond the limits of a machine or
item of material or supply, except as is required for proper
functioning of the particular item.
 He will not use his professional affiliations to secure the
confidence of other engineers in commercial enterprise and
will avoid any act tending to promote his own interest at the
expense of the dignity and standing of the profession.

 He will admit and accept his own errors when proven

obviously wrong and refrain from distorting or altering the
facts in an attempt to justify his decision.

 Any firm offering engineering services must, in con­formance

with the laws of the state in which it operates, have its
operations under the direction and responsibility of registered
pro­fessional engineers.

 He will not attempt to attract an engineer from an­other

employer by methods such as offering unjustified salaries or
benefits.
 Engineers' Creed
As a Professional Engineer, I dedicate my professional
knowledge and skill to the advancement and betterment of
human welfare.
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.
 Questions to be Considered
 Facts: Eng. “A” had be retained by an Owner for certain
engineering services under written agreement. Prior to the
completion of his work, “A” was notified by the owner
that his services were being terminated. Subsequently,
Eng. “B” was retained by the Owner for the same work.
Eng. “B” was notified by Eng.“A” that the termination of
his service was by unilateral action of the owner and was
not “accepted” by Eng. “A”
 Question: Was it ethical conduct on “B’s” part to
accept the contract in view of the unilateral
termination of “A’s” services without his consent,
and over his objection?
 FOOD FOR THOUGHT
 Facts: Consulting engineering firms issue, or cause
to be issued by their retained public firms, press
releases announcing retention of the firm for a
particular project. The press releases generally state
the nature and scope of the project, the purpose and
benefits of the project to the client or the public, and
in many instances some factual data about the
background and qualifications of the firm.
 Questions: Does the issuance of press releases by
or the consulting firm constitute advertising of a
self-laudatory nature proscribed by canons of
Ethics?