Ethics and Professional Engineer Complete all parts of this

Ethics and Professional Engineer Complete all parts of this question (Parts A -C). What is meant by providing advice within one\'s competencies and how is this different to providing competent advice? Give an example. Describe two circumstances where a conflict of interest might arise as an engineer, what actions could be taken to avoid these conflicts of interest? If you became aware of a public safety issue relating to a product that your organisation designs and manufacturers what are relevant factors to consider in determining whether to release information to the public (ie becoming a whistleblower)?

Solution

ANS

b) For engineers, a conflict of interest arises when their professional judgment is influenced by considerations which have nothing to do with neither the public’s nor the client’s interest 4. This notion refers to the real conflict of interest as well as the perceived or potential conflict

Example:

Engineer A is a professional engineer in private practice. Development Contractor X (Contractor) for whom Engineer A works from time-to-time as a consultant, was asked by a local building inspector to have a foundation the Contractor built inspected by a Professional Engineer since the foundation had cracks that were visible to the inspector. Since Engineer A’s firm designed the house foundation for the Contractor, Engineer A performed the inspection for the Contractor. Engineer A determined the foundation had some minor surface cracks but nothing that Engineer A considered unsafe. In Engineer A’s estimation, the cracks were not unusual for the type of foundation involved. Engineer A sends the building inspector a letter (which Engineer A also sealed) stating that Engineer A had inspected the foundation and in Engineer A’s professional opinion, the foundation was structurally safe. The building inspector responded with a letter to the contractor stating he was not accepting Engineer A’s letter and told the contractor to hire another engineer to inspect the foundation.

Was it ethical for Engineer A to inspect his own work or should an independent professional engineer be retained to inspect Engineer A’s work?

Solution: It was not ethical for Engineer A to inspect his own work. In view of the fact that a question has been raised by the building inspector concerning the sufficiency of the foundation, it would be appropriate for there to be an independent third-party review of the foundation.

Example 2:

Some conflicts arise as a result of the current interest in privatization. For example, environmental engineers are very much involved in providing operations and maintenance (O&M) services at water and wastewater treatment plants. This is a valuable service to many municipal and industrial clients who choose to outsource these services rather than operate with their own personnel. When an \"independent professional\" recommends privatizing O&M and concurrently has an economic interest in a commercial O&M company, what independence exists? Or when this same engineer writes an \"independent\" paper enumerating the virtues of outsourcing O&M, how does anyone know which hat is being worn?

c) Before disclosing any information and becoming a whistleblower one needs to thoroughly examine the consequences of outcomes. If the product design and its use causes harm to the public then one certainly should come out with the information against the organisation. Public privacy and safety are two important relevant factors that need to be considered.Also one needs to check if any laws are being broken by the company and the company is cleverly manipulating its workers to do it, then its the legal responsibility of the individual to disclose the information.