Engineering Ethics Part 1

Categories of the Act include:

- the purpose of the act - definition of engineering - licensing - establishes the peo as the self regulating bodty - disciplinary actions - code of ethics

List Six actions that would fall under 'Conflict of Interest'.

1. Accepting Secret Commissions 2. Misusing the Employer's Facility 3. Moonlighting (that is involved with day company) 4. Influence peddling 5. Abusing Confidential Information 6. Arranging Future Employment

regarding emplooyers an enginer must

1. Avoid conflicts of interests through disclosure 2. act as a faithful agent by keeping information of client confidential

What is Engineering?

The planning, designing, evaluating, supervising, or managing in an area that requires the application of engineering principles and concerning the safeguard of life, health and property

Why is engineering regulated?

To: - Protect the public - Restrict unqualified people from practicing - Discipline unscrupulous practitioners

Define the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers.

The CCPE is a federation of the provincial Associations; every licensed engineer is indirectly a member. Its purpose is to nationally coordinated the profession, which it does through the CE Accreditation, Human Resources, Qualifications and Public Awareness Boards.

What is a moral dilemma?

situations where two moral obligations, duties, right, goods or ideals come into conflict with one another and not all of them can be fully respected.

What is a profession?

1. self selected and self dicipled group 2. posses special and unique skill 3. exercises skill in intrest of others

When dealing with other practisoners an engineer must

1. Co-oporate in working with other professional on projects 2. Conduct himself toward others with courtesy and good faith 3. Not review another's work without their knowledge unless they have been terminated 4. Not maliciously injure the reputation or business of another practitioner 5. Not give or accept bribes for engineering work in order to gain an advantage securing work 6. Uphold principle of adequate compensation 7. give proper credit 8. provide oppurtintiy for professional development and advancement through the interchange of ideas and experiences

Hierarchy of Duties in Code of Ethics

1. Duty to Public/Society (Paramount) 2. Duty to Employer 3. Duty to Colleagues 4. Duty to Subordinates 5. Duty to Profession 6. Duty to Yourself

In general, an enginner has a duty to act...

1. Fairness and loyalty to accoicates, employer, client staffs 2. Fidelity to public needs 3. Honor and integrity 4. Knowledge of developments in area 5. Competence

PEO License Types:

1. Fully Licensed Engineer 2. Temporary Engineer - transfer from province to province or state to province 3. Limited License - Can only practice in one specific area. 4. Provisional License - has met all PEO requirements accept 12 months of verifiable and acceptable work experience.

Explain the stages of the Disciplinary Process.

1. Gathering Evidence: have information collected on the situation. 2. Investigation and peer review: Investigative or complaints commite will investigate and will either move to discipline commite, dismiss, or letter suggestions will be sent to the engineer in question. 3. The disciplinary committee would have a hearing follow the setup of a formal court hearing 4. and appeals can be made in civil court.

When might advertising be inappropriate?

1. It claims a greater degree of responsibility for a specific than is the fact 2. Fails to give appropriate credit wear credit is due 3. Implies engineering responsibility for proprietary product or equipment design 4. Belittles another engineer's project firm or individuals 5. Exaggerates claims as to the performance of a project 6. Illustrates portions of the project for which the advertiser has no or lesser responsibility than is factual

Name two reasons the Hedley-Bryne case is significant.

1. It expanded scope of damages that may be recovered by tort action to include financial loss. 2. It focuses on the duty of care people with special skills must take when rendering their services (even informally) as long as they know that there skills are being relied upon.

List the six conditions for admission to the profession of Engineering.

1. Language english of french 2. Age of majority 3. Education (in Ontario you need at least 3 years - as a technologist) 4. Ethics exam PPI 5. Four Years' Experience for ontairo (one in Canada) 6. Good character - no criminal record and refrences.

What is the function of Engineer's Seal?

1. Licened enginners must sign seasl and date all final documetns 2. Seal holds legal significance 3. Bounds the work in the document to the enginenr, and implies intamte knoledge of content.

What are six causes for disciplinary action/

1. Professional misconduct 2. incompetence 3. negligence 4. breach of code of ethics (not enforceable in Ontario but built into misconduct which defines lower limit of behavior but code defines what we aspire to be) 5. physical or mental incapacity 6. conviction of serious offense Note that physical or mental incapacity falls under incompetence. All these things fall under misconduct.

Describe the framework for resolving ethical delemas.

1. Recognize existence of problem 2. Identify immediate and longer-term issues and asses relative important and urgency 3. Collect information (5W) 4. Analyze information and data (what caused the problem) 5. Create alternatives 6. Define decision criteria and priorities 7. Select preferred action, predict likely outcome, and timeline 8. Obtain Approval and implement solution with 5Ws specified

List three penalties that can be imposed by a Disciplinary Committee.

1. Revoke license of member 2. Suspend license (up to two years) 3. Impose restrictions on license (supervision/inspection) 4. Require member to be reprimanded, admonished, counseled and publish details of result, with or without names 5. Require member to pay costs of investigation and hearing 6. Require member to undertake course of study or write examinations set by Association 7. Have any order that revokes or suspends the license of a member to be published, with or without reasons for decision 8. Impose fine

To obtain a certificate of authorization must.

1. be a proffesional enginner 2. livability program 3. particpiation in copetency program

You need a certificate of authorization if?

1. moonlighting 2. corporation 3. consulting engineer

What are the five types of I.P.

1. patent 2. copywritght 2. trademark 3. Circuit topography 4. Instrustrial design

List three ways to maintain professional competence.

1. practice (doing engineering), 2. reading/subscribing to journals 3. taking formal courses (education).

a moonlighting enginner must

1. provide written statement to client about limitations and status as employee 2. make sure work does not cause conflict of interest 3. Inform employer

Regarding the public and engineer must

1. regard duty to the public as paramount 2. enhance public regard and discourage untrue statement 3. Not express public or in court unfounded options

What are three problems associated with moral dilemmas?

1. vague (is something a moral dilemma?) 2. conflicting reasoning (Do we apply this moral principle or another?) 3. Disagreement (different groups disagree about how to resolve moral dilemmas)

What is a consulting engineer? What do they have?

2 years of private practice, 5 years of relevent engineering experience, must pay any required exams, holders of certificate of documentation

define negligence

Act or omission which fails to maintain the standards that a reasonable and prudent practitioner would maintain in the circumstances.

Explain the concept of "fair and adequate compensation" with regard to Ontario Regulation 941, the Professional Engineers' Act.

An engineer is entitled to fair compensation for the work they perform for their level of experience. The idea is not to undercut each other, but to maintain a fair and equitable pay scale for all engineers.

Explain a professional engineer's duty with regard to an "engagement to review the work of another practitioner".

An engineer is required to check and review work if another engineer asks them to, and becomes partly responsible for the work thereafter. It is also important to tell another engineer that you are reviewing their work (not ask for their permission).

What virtues (hint: Aristotle) are important in the Code of Ethics?

Aristotle believed that there were certain virtues, defined as Golden Mean between extremes in behavior Within the Code of Ethics, some of these virtues include: - Integrity - Honor - Loyalty - Good Faith - Courtesy - Fidelity - Fairness

Explain the concept of "conflict of interest".

Conflict of interest?! You don't know what that is? Geez...it's when you are making a decision in which you already have a vested interest. Hence a CONFLICT of your INTERESTS.

what is a whistle blower

Duty to report malpractice and upload honor and integrity of profession

Enginerign principles are

Engineering Principles are the Applications of math and science to creative and practical uses

What is ethics?

Ethics is about making the best possible decisions concerning people, resources and the environment..

Define the term "idiot proof" with regard to engineering design and discuss one positive and one negative aspect of this kind of design.

Idiot proof is the concept of designing something that is so easy and safe to use that it would be incredibly difficult for someone to hurt themselves with the product. It is good because it can decrease the number of injuries that arise from using certain products and prevent some lawsuits regarding the potential dangers associated with the product; however, it can never be said to be entirely idiot proof, since you cannot design something with which it is impossible to hurt yourself. You can never predict everything that people may do (improperly) with a product.

What Kantian duties are listed in the Code of Ethics?

Immanuel Kant devised formalism or "duty ethics" - Rational people have a fundamental duty to follow the categorical imperative of social conscience Within the code of ethics some of these duties include: - duty to disclose - duty to public need - standard of care - duty to report without fear or favor

What theoretical right does the code of ethics provide engineers?

John Locke stated that humans have a certain set of rights. Within the Code of Ethics, engineers are given certain right, including: - right to moonlight - right to fair pay - right to refuse unethical assignment - right to a safe workplace

How do we keep trade secret safe?

Keep them secret. Go after pepole who give them way by charging them with negligence. Sign a non discloure agreement.

Kohlberg vs gilligian

Kohlberg's Theory: Proposes three main levels of moral development distinguished by the degree of moral cognitive development that is the kind o reasons and motivation and individual adopt in response to moral questions. 1. Preconventional level: Whatever benefits oneself and avoids punishment 2. Conventional Level: act however expected by family, group society 3. Postconventional Level: moral autonomy. Reached when individual perception of right and wrong is not reducible to self-interest or social convections. Gilligan's Theory: Kohlberg's study was focused on males and their tendency to use some universal system of right and wrongs to rank then determine which moral value trumps other. Gilligan looked at women and saw that women applied the ethics of care which means that context in relationships is more important than universal guideline.

Compare Kohlberg and Gilligans theorys on moral devlopment.

Kohlberg's Theory: Proposes three main levels of moral development distinguished by the degree of moral cognitive development. (Preconventional, Convential, Postconventional ) Gilligan's Theory: Kohlberg's study was focused on males and their tendency to use some universal system of right and wrongs to rank then determine which moral value trumps other . Gilligan looked at women and saw that women applied the ethics of care which means that context in relationships is more important than universal guideline.

Define incompetence.

Lack of knowledge skill or judgment, or suffering from physical or mental condition that makes practitioner unfit to carry out the responsibilities of the P. Eng.

Define the term "Legislation".

Legislation is when statutes are enacted by elected legislatures. A statute is a codification of the law as the legislature determines at the time of enactment.

Explain the concept of "moonlighting" with regard to Ontario Regulation 941, the Professional Engineers' Act.

Moonlighting is a right engineers have, in which they can work somewhere other than their regular day job, usually as a contractor on their own "spare" time.

What is a moral dilemma.

Moral dilemmas are situations where two moral obligations, duties, right, goods or ideals come into conflict with one another and not all of them can be fully respected.

What do you do if an employer overrules you>

Must communicate your view in writting and get a responce showing they undertstand. If something is ethicaly wrong or illegal must protest!

What is the mandate of the OSPE?

OSPE is the Ontario Society for Professional Engineers whose mandate is to advocate professional engineers, separating the regularity (PEO) from non-regularity (OSPE) functions.

Explain the concept of "proprietary information" with regard to Ontario Regulation 941, the Professional Engineers' Act.

Proprietary information will be kept confidential (loyalty to employer), faithful to the employer and clients. If you move to a new company, you can bring your skills but not your prior intellectual property.

Why do we study ethics?

Why Ethics: We study ethics because it increases our ability as engineers to confront moral issues raised by technological activity and confront tricky moral dilemmas.

What is professional miscount?

a) negligence, (b) failure to make reasonable provision for the safeguarding of life, health or property of a person who may be affected by the work for which the practitioner is responsible, (c) failure to act to correct or report a situation that the practitioner believes may endanger the safety or the welfare of the public, (d) failure to make responsible provision for complying with applicable statutes, regulations, standards, codes, by-laws and rules in connection with work being undertaken by or under the responsibility of the practitioner, Under 941 plus more including harassment