Ethics in Engineering

Importance of ethics:
In this modern day and age, where every little action is scrutinized, its important for an engineer
to demonstrate the highest levels of ethical standards. Engineers bear responsibilities to their
respective institutions, environment and society. Their decisions can have some unforeseen
effects which may often be irreversible. Hence, the importance of having a morally righteous
ethics code and ensuring its proper implementation cant be stressed enough.
Scenario and the principle related:
For the particular scenario conceived, the principal selected from Guidelines for Code of
Professional Conduct from Board of Engineers Malaysia as follows:

Section 4: 4.3 A registered engineer shall not solicit or accept financial or valuable
consideration, directly or indirectly, from outside agents in connection with the work for
which he is responsible
Section 1: 1.0 A registered engineer shall at all times hold paramount the safety, health
and welfare of the public.

Consider this. An inspection engineer at a public institution during his examination of an underconstruction suspended bridge, which is to serve as a way to provide means of land
transportation between the mainland and an island, comes across some structural flaws which are
contributed to by use of sub-standard material and inapt design. On learning about these findings,
the contractor approaches the inspection engineer with the intent of offering bribe to overlook the
shortcomings. The engineer obliges.
The engineer maintains his workings and approves of the ongoing construction. Once the bridge
is completed and comes under public use, the stress starts to take its toll on the bridge and with
steady deterioration it leads to an accident. The bridge collapses and the incident claims a
number of lives.
Due to the engineers negligence and failure to abide by ethics code, the following consequences
were incurred:

A large sum of financial and time loss results as all the raw material used and labor
employed become undone. Time is further used on clearing the post-accident site.
The company responsible for the project suffers a blow to their reputation from media
backlash.
Above all, the casualties are the worst outcome. The human life is invaluable and should
be considered ahead of anything else.

So in order to avoid such disasters, its vital to have a number of improvements made. These are
stated below:

Establish a committee that specifically has the function of monitoring the behavior and
conduct of engineer(s). Regular checks by the committee would ensure that work is
carried out with utmost integrity.
A stern sanction should be set in case the engineers fail to abide. The penalty could
further include a hefty fine and some jail time as well.
Awareness campaigns could be used as reminders for engineers to not astray from their
moral obligations. This can be done be the organization/board to which the engineers are
affiliated.
Finally, engineers should be encouraged to come forward and report suspicious activities,
such as approach from third-parties, which lead to violation of code of ethics.