Introduction to Engineering and Profession Ethics Lecture7-Engineering Ethics- Dr.Khaled Bakro د. خالد بكرو

1. Lecture 7
Dr. Khaled Bakro
Engineering Ethics
Introduction to Engineering
and Profession Ethics

2. Objectives
After reading this chapter, you will be able to
Know why it is important to study engineering ethics.
Understand the distinction between professional and
personal ethics.
See how ethical problem solving and engineering
design are similar.

3. Introduction
Ethics
 rules and ideas for human behavior.
They tell us what we ought to do.
Engineering Ethics
the systematic study of the rules and
ideals of the engineering profession.

4. Ethics – Definition
The rules or standards governing the
conduct of the members of a profession.
Study of morality and the moral choices
that we all have to make in our lives.

5. Why Is Engineering Ethics Important?
People rely heavily on engineers to provide them
with safe and reliable goods and services.
Engineers must perform under a certain standard
of professional behavior which requires
adherence to the highest principles of ethical
conduct.
Mistakes made by unethical and/or incompetent
engineers do not just cost money, they could cost
many lives.

6. Why important?
Growing dependency on
technology and science.
Disastrous Consequences.
Public trust and expectation.
Closely related to public and
environment.

7. What are ethics not?
Laws that carry a criminal penalty
Detailed instructions for every possible situation
Flexible and changing depending on each unique
person or situation

8. Where do ethics come from?
Values of a society
Values of a school, business, or organization
Values from family and heritage
Values of an individual

9. What Is a Code of Ethics
 Primarily, a code of ethics provides a framework for ethical judgment
for a professional.
 The key word here is “framework.” No code can be totally
comprehensive and cover all possible ethical situations that a
professional engineer is likely to encounter. Rather, codes serve as a
starting point for ethical decision making.
 A code can also express the commitment to ethical conduct shared by
members of a profession. It is important to note that ethical codes do
not establish new ethical principles.
 They simply reiterate principles and standards that are already
accepted as responsible engineering practice.
 A code expresses these principles in a coherent, comprehensive, and
accessible manner.
 Finally, a code defines the roles and responsibilities of
professionals

10. Code of Ethics (IEEE)
( Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
1. to accept responsibility in making engineering
decisions consistent with the safety, health and
welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly
factors that might endanger the public or the
environment;
2. to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest
whenever possible, and to disclose them to
affected parties when they do exist;
3. to be honest and realistic in stating claims or
estimates based on available data;

11. Code of Ethics (IEEE)
4. to reject bribery in all its forms;
5. to improve the understanding of technology, its
appropriate application, and potential consequences;
6. to maintain and improve our technical competence
and to undertake technological tasks for others only if
qualified by training or experience, or after full
disclosure of pertinent limitation;
7. to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of
technical work, to acknowledge and correct errors,
and to credit properly the contributions of others;

12. Code of Ethics (IEEE)
8. To treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors
as race, religion, gender, disability, age or national
origin;
9. To avoid injuring others, their property,
reputation, or employment by false or malicious
action;
10. To assist colleagues and co-workers in their
professional development and to support them in
following this code of ethics.

13. Fundamental Canons
Engineers in their professional duties, shall:
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 .
5. Avoid deceptive (‫)خادع‬ acts.
6. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and
lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and
usefulness of the profession.

14. Rules of Practice
Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and
welfare of the public.
Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of
their competence.
Engineers shall issue public statements only in an
objective and truthful manner.
Engineers shall act for each employer or client as faithful
agents or trustees.
Engineers shall avoid deceptive acts.

15. Professional Obligations 1
Engineers shall be guided in all their relations by the
highest standards of honesty and integrity.
Engineers shall at all times strive to serve the public
interest.
Engineers shall avoid all conduct or practice that
deceives the public.
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.
Engineers shall not be influenced in their professional
duties by conflicting interests.

16. Professional Obligations 2
Engineers shall not attempt to obtain employment or
advancement or professional engagements by untruthfully
criticizing other engineers, or by other improper or
questionable methods.
Engineers shall not attempt to injure, maliciously or
falsely, directly or indirectly, the professional reputation,
prospects, practice, or employment of other engineers.
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.
Engineers shall give credit for engineering work to those to
whom credit is due, and will recognize the proprietary
interests of others.

17. The Code of Ethics of the National
Society
of Professional Engineers
The National Society of Professional Engineers
(NSPE) ethics code is very detailed. The NSPE
ethical code of conduct is used in making judgments
about engineering ethic-related cases that are brought
before the NSPE’s Board of Ethics Review.

18. Engineer’s Creed
The NSPE engineer’s creed is:
• To give the utmost of performance;
• To participate in none but honest enterprise;
• To live and work according to the laws of man and the
highest standards of professional conduct; and
• To place
■ service before profit,
■ the honor and standing of the profession before
personal advantage, and
■ the public welfare above all other considerations.
In humility and with need for Divine guidance.

19. These are additional definitions
that should be studied carefully
Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism
Conflict of Interest
Contract
Professional Responsibility

20. Possible sources of conflict
Personal integrity vs. corporate loyalty
 business interests such as cost.
Career
Deadline
Insufficient knowledge

21. Reality...
You will face ethical conflicts when you go out there.
Your decisions is final and irreversible.
Your action WILL have impact on our society.
Unfortunately, solutions to ethical conflicts are not
simple.

22. Fundamental Question???
“Can we do it?”
“SHOULD WE DO IT?”

23. REMEMBER!!!
You are professional.
You are a member of a profession that has many
worthy accomplishments.
You and your profession can do much to help, to
improve the quality of life.

24. REMEMBER!!!
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE --- DON’T FAIL

25. When faced with a problem, how do you:
• learn the details about the problem?
• get ideas for possible useful solutions?
• determine the positive and negative impacts of
• minimize the possibility of “harm”?
a given solution?
Answer: COMMUNICATE

26. REVIEW YOUR WORK
• Is your design safe?
• Can it be implemented easily?
• Does it fix the problem?
• Is it cost effective?

27. FINISH THE JOB:
DOCUMENT YOUR WORK
• Reviews
• Update All Materials
• Date Everything

28. FINISH THE JOB:
DOCUMENT YOUR WORK
•Hold Paramount the health and welfare of the public
•Perform services only in areas of their competence
•Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful
manner
•Act for each employer or client as a faithful agent or trustees
•Avoid deceptive acts
•Conduct themselves honorably, ethically, and lawfully so as
to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the
profession

29. YES!
According to NSPE:
 Engineers shall not allow their associates to misrepresent
their qualifications, or the qualifications of prior
assignments or projects.
 The Software Engineers at Microsoft knew full well that the
product was not Y2K ready and were already working on
patches to repair any errors
 Engineers should also hold the public safety paramount!
 By allowing windows NT to be sold as Y2K ready the
engineers allowed many networks around the world to be
built on that assumption hence putting at risk these
networks (The US Military uses Windows NT for some of its
defense functions)

30. Can choose to be ethical!

31. Summary
Now that you have reached this point in the text
You should understand the importance
of engineering ethics and why you
should live by these codes of ethics
You should understand the engineer’s
creed and reasons why you should take
the pledge.