What Does It Mean For Professional Engineers To Act Ethically?

Over the past few years, there has been much concern about ethics. It may seem as though the world is becoming more and more unethical by the day. The world and its population is suffering due to climate change, technological advances, and other issues that have been created by a lack of responsibility and ethics.

Ethics is required in all professions, but some more than others. Licensed professionals all have to abide by a code of ethics. Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals may come to mind, but let’s not forget professional engineers.

Nowadays, being an engineer comes with a lot of responsibility. Professional engineers work to create buildings, bridges, roads, and other structures that are safe for the public. They act in the service of society, so there is a lot on their shoulders. Engineers have an obligation to help create the best possible world.

Society has put a lot of trust in professional engineers. Engineering has become one of the most trusted professions. Most people trust that engineers will tell the truth and act in an ethical manner at all times.

However, not all professional engineers can be trusted. In the automotive and aviation industries, there were some huge scandals that were caused by engineers hiding flaws and cheating on tests in order to get products out on the market. These issues have led to emissions problems and even deaths.

Even products that are considered to be ethical can be controversial. For example, there have been debates about how ethical electric cars really are. One of the key issues is the mining of cobalt for the lithium-ion batteries. These ethical scandals make the public question their trust in engineers, but what do engineers understand by ethics?

A common term used is “ethical engineer.” This term refers to being competent, being honest, acting with integrity, and continually broadening knowledge and skills.

Ethics is often described as doing the right thing. This can be described as something that you are sure will be good even when nobody’s looking at you. Ethics should be integrated in all decisions that professional engineers make.

Ethical decision making among engineers should be driven by a commitment to their company’s code of conduct. However, an ethical culture can only be embedded in a company if individual engineers have the support of their employers. Education and training can create a more ethical culture. As a result, many university engineering courses are now integrating ethics as part of their teaching.

Keep Your License With Help From a Tampa Professional Engineers Licensing Lawyer

Professional engineers have a huge responsibility. These professionals shape our society and have an obligation to create a safe world.

Are ethics playing a bigger role in your profession? Are you worried that your license may be affected? If so, contact a Tampa professional engineers licensing lawyer from The Law Offices of David P. Rankin, P.A. I have represented more than 100 professional engineers before the Florida Board of Professional Engineers. To schedule a consultation, fill out the online form or call (813) 968-6633.

Source:

imeche.org/news/news-article/feature-engineering-ethics-in-the-spotlight