Code of
Ethical Conduct
What are
ethics?
Engineering judgement
involves more than just
technical analysis.
Engineering ethics are
founded on professional
competence, personal
integrity and social
responsibility.
Ethics has to do with
what my feelings tell
me is right or wrong.
Ethics consists of the
standards of behaviour
our society accepts.
Ethics are a system of
moral principles.
Setting ethical standards
helps build public trust in
our profession.
The new
Code came
into force on
1 July 2016
Applies to
IPENZ members
and Chartered
Professional
Engineers
Review of Code
recommended by
Canterbury
Earthquakes Royal
Commission
Sets out
engineers’ duty
to the public and
to each other
• Report adverse consequences
What’s
changed?
• Report breaches by other engineers
• Keep skills up to date
• Treat others with respect and courtesy
Each
situation
is different
Nothing
is black
and white
It’s all about
judgement
Find out
more
ipenz.nz/ethics
Scenarios
1.
You are a consulting
engineer. You are
engaged by an insurance
company to design a
repair to an earthquake
damaged house. You
provide a solution that is
compliant with good
industry practice.
The insurance
company does not like
your solution and asks
that you change your
recommendation
and report.
What should
you do?
You are employed by
a company to study
a company’s
manufacturing waste
discharge in order to
seek a permit to
discharge.
2.
Your study concludes
that the discharge
from the plant will
violate environmental
standards and that the
corrective action will
be very costly.
You verbally notify
the company, which
immediately
terminates your
contract, with full
payment for the
services performed.
2.
It instructs you
not to submit a
written report to
the corporation.
Your contract
contained a
confidentiality
obligation.
A short time later, you
learn that the relevant
authority has called a
public hearing, where the
company will present
data to support its claim
that the present plant
discharge meets
minimum standards.
What, if
anything,
should you
do now?
Do you owe
any obligation
to the
company?
Are you obliged
to report the
violation of
environmental
standards to the
authority?
2.
What are
your ethical
obligations?
You are the owner of an
engineering firm.
Your firm is negotiating
a contract in another
country, in which it has
not worked previously.
3.
A high-ranking official
in this country tells you
that it is an
established and legal
custom to give
personal gifts to the
officials who are
authorised to award
contracts.
This official also informs
you that while this
condition will not be
included in the contract,
no further work will be
awarded to your firm
without such gifts.
3.
If you do not comply,
the government will
also be less
cooperative in the
completion of the first
contract. You also
learn that other firms
have given such gifts
to officials.
Under what
circumstances should
the "customs" of a
country be excluded
or integrated into a
firm’s own customary
behaviour?
3.
Should the gift be
given openly or
"under the table",
and how would
that affect the
action?
At what point
does a gift
become a
bribe?