Engineering Code of

Ethics
Intro To Engineering GET1000
NSPE Code of Ethics Fundamental
Canons
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.
NSPE Code of Ethics
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 shall not aid or abet the unlawful practice of engineering by a person
or firm.
f) 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.
NSPE Code of Ethics (cont.)
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.

https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
NSPE Code of Ethics (cont.)
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.

https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
NSPE Code of Ethics (cont.)
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.
https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
NSPE Code of Ethics (cont.)
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.
https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
NSPE 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 promote their own interest at the expense of the dignity
and integrity of the profession.
f) Engineers shall treat all persons with dignity, respect, fairness and without
discrimination.
https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
NSPE Professional Obligations
(cont.)
2. Engineers shall at all times strive to serve the public interest.
a. Engineers are encouraged 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 are encouraged to extend public knowledge and appreciation of
engineering and its achievements.
d. Engineers are encouraged to adhere to the principles of sustainable development1 in
order to protect the environment for future generations.
e. Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers
and should keep current in their specialty fields by engaging in professional practice,
participating in continuing education courses, reading in the technical literature, and
attending professional meetings and seminars.
https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
NSPE Professional Obligations
(cont.)
3. Engineers shall avoid all conduct or practice that
deceives the public.
a) Engineers shall avoid the use of statements containing a
material misrepresentation of fact or omitting a material
fact.
b) Consistent with the foregoing, engineers may advertise for
recruitment of personnel.
c) 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.
https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
NSPE Professional Obligations
(cont.)
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.
https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
NSPE Professional Obligations
(cont.)
5. Engineers shall not be influenced in their professional
duties by conflicting interests.
a) Engineers shall not accept financial or other considerations,
including free engineering designs, from material or
equipment suppliers for specifying their product.
b) 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.
https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
NSPE Professional Obligations
(cont.)
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.
https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
NSPE Professional Obligations
(cont.)
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.
a) 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.
b) 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.
c) Engineers in sales or industrial employ are entitled to make engineering
comparisons of represented products with products of other suppliers.
https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
NSPE Professional Obligations
(cont.)
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 nonengineer, a
corporation, or partnership as a "cloak" for unethical acts.
https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
NSPE Professional Obligations
(cont.)
9. Engineers shall give credit for engineering work to those to whom credit is
due, and will recognize the proprietary interests of others.
a) Engineers shall, whenever possible, name the person or persons who may be
individually responsible for designs, inventions, writings, or other accomplishments.
b) 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.
c) 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.
d) Engineers' designs, data, records, and notes referring exclusively to an employer's
work are the employer's property. The employer should indemnify the engineer for
use of the information for any purpose other than the original purpose.
https://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
Challenger Space Shuttle Failure
• Space shuttle challenger
 Rubber O-ring seals were installed between each fuel
segment in rocket booster
 Seal not tested in extreme cold
 At this low temp, O-ring properties changed
(stiffened) and failed to seal joint
 Pressurized burning gas escaped the booster and
caused failure of an adjacent tank
St. Francis Dam in LA
At 11:57 p.m. on March 12,
1928, the dam catastrophically
failed, and the
resulting flood took the lives of
what is estimated to be at
least 600 people.

Dam was designed and built by the

City of LA with no oversight from
anyone else. Chief Engineer was
self taught.
Failure was due to an
insufficient foundation.