Why Ethics Are Important In Engineering

Professional engineers do not simply create things. Engineering comes with a lot of responsibility. The decisions engineers make come with consequences. They could even cause harm to the public.

That’s why professional engineers need to meet high standards. They must also follow engineering ethics. Ethics are principles and guidelines that engineers must follow when they make decisions to ensure that the public is safe and free from harm.

Ethics consists of various principles, such as protecting public safety, being honest and faithful, and acting with integrity. Ethics matter. There should be a degree of trust between a professional engineer and the public.

Ethical leadership is also important. More than 90% of professional engineers surveyed say that ethical issues exist in the engineering field and could be improved. These problems need to be addressed by leadership. Leading ethically is critical to success. Ethical leaders model respectful behavior. Managers need to lead by example and step out of their comfort zone to get professional engineers to perform their jobs with integrity. Read on to learn more about why ethics are important in the engineering field.

Safety

Ethics help promote safety. Professional engineers are expected to notify the applicable parties when dangerous conditions exist. This prevents harm and ensures your work meets the highest safety and reliability standards. Prioritizing safety also improves productivity and reduces costs associated with injuries.

Quality

Engineering ethics are in place to improve the quality of your work. That’s because you should only perform tasks that closely align with your education and experience. This is important if you decide to work toward a leadership position. You may manage individuals who are experts in areas you know little about. Your goal will be to enable specialists to do their highest quality work.

Sustainability

Ethics in the engineering field can promote sustainability by helping you think about your work’s long-term impact on the environment. Sustainability is important to business because it can improve your organization’s reputation and increase financial performance.

Protection 

Engineering ethics also help protect individual engineers by discouraging professionals from engaging in unethical or illegal behavior. The code of ethics states that engineers are not allowed to obtain employment or advancement by untruthfully criticizing other engineers.

By acting in an ethical manner, you can also help protect your company’s interests. You are not allowed to disclose sensitive or confidential company information without explicit consent, nor can you harm other engineers’ professional reputations.

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

Professional engineers are vital to society, but they need to be careful of what they do. Their decisions can affect the lives of others and possibly cause harm.

A Tampa professional engineers licensing lawyer from The Law Offices of David P. Rankin, P.A. can help you stay ethical. I have represented more than 100 professional engineers before the Florida Board of Professional Engineers. To schedule a consultation, call (813) 968-6633 or fill out the online form.

Source:

online.hbs.edu/blog/post/ethics-in-engineering