Engineering ethics

There was considerable tension between the two sides as large industrial employers fought to maintain control of their employees.

These had a profound effect on engineers and forced the profession to confront shortcomings in technical and construction practice, as well as ethical standards.

[4] 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 Engineering licensure in the US) as a requirement to practice.

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.

[16] Currently, bribery and political corruption is being addressed very directly by several professional societies and business groups around the world.

[17][18] However, new issues have arisen, such as offshoring, sustainable development, and environmental protection, that the profession is having to consider and address.

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.

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 engineers and their employers must ensure the continuous improvement of their knowledge, particularly of their profession, disseminate their knowledge, share their experience, provide opportunities for education and training of workers, provide recognition, moral and material support to the schools where they studied, thus returning the benefits and opportunities they and their employers have received.

[33] 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.

In very rare cases, where even a governmental authority may not take appropriate action, the engineer can only discharge the duty by making the situation public.

These include:[22] Some engineering societies are addressing environmental protection as a stand-alone question of ethics.