Ethics Section Chapter 10 The Engineers

Duty to Society and the Environment

Duty to Society:
Each provincial code of ethics requires engineers to consider their duty to society
as paramount
They must put the greater good of society ahead of personal gain
The need for this duty to be invoked most frequently arises in the area of
protecting the environment
Engineers are essentially caretakers of the environment
They design the infrastructure of society, the water, gas, electrical networks, and
the sewage and waste disposal systems that are important to modern lifestyle
Decisions made by engineers frequently have direct effect on the environment and
society in general, and these decisions must be made ethically, and with
consideration of the duty to society

The Ethical Dilemma of Whistleblowing:

The code of ethics requires engineers to consider their duty to society as
paramount
However, at what point does the duty to society exceed the duty to others, if the
activities of others appear to be in serious conflict with the good of society?
o Example: An engineer on one hand is obligated not to disclose
confidential information that concerns the client. On the other hand, the
engineer must report to the appropriate authority any situation that they
believe to endanger the health or safety of the public
o Failure to correct or report such a situation is considered to be professional
misconduct in every province and territory in Canada
Engineers who have concerns over unethical, unsafe, or illegal practices must first
communicate these concerns to the people involved, whether they are clients,
employers, colleagues or employees
Its very rare for an engineer to resort to reporting to authorities to get action on a
problem
This whistleblowing, as it is commonly called, is often a controversial act
A good definition of a whistleblower is the following
o Whistleblowers, usually employees, are people who believe an
organization is engaged in unsafe, unethical, or illegal practices and go
public with their charge, having tried with no success to have the situation
corrected through internal channels
Recognizing that whistleblowing is a last resort, some provincial Associations
have made this reporting process more formal
Two important points distinguish a whistleblower from a troublemaker: The
movie of the engineer involved, and the methods used to achieve the goal of
protecting the public
 A whistleblower must also be aware that the process may involve public exposure
and scrutiny and may place their career in jeopardy
Therefore, whistleblowing should not be done casually, unknowingly, or wantonly
The provincial association should be contacted instead, a formal reporting process
should be followed

The Engineers Duty to Report:

Provincial Associations of Professional Engineers have frequently taken on the
role of mediators, or conciliators to help engineers who perceive their clients,
colleagues, employers, or employees to be involved in unsafe, unethical, or illegal
practices
The association can serve a useful role in helping the engineer to define the
ethical issues involved, advising the engineer, communicating the concerns to the
client or employer in an unbiased way, and generally help resolve the issue as
informally as possible
Also, you must decide whether its the situation or conditions that must be
reported, or the individual
Example: If someone is practising engineering unethically, you might report them
to the association as a last resort, but if an employer is putting workers lives at
risk, you should probably contact the police. Failure to take immediate action to
protect human life would be considered as professional misconduct