Guidelines for Protecting the Public by LeEarl A. Bryant, PE. (NAPSA)—Thanks to Enron, our nation is focusing on ethics and how wetreat our business relationships and employees. We hope that those who violated the law and professional and business ethics will be held accountable. In Lea \ the meantime, we should examine our ie lives and the codes 3 p of ethics for our own <3 professions. Let’s reflect on typical ethical and legal requirements for LeEarl A. Bryant engineers. First, states conduct examina- tions and ethical reviews to determine if a person qualifies for recognition as a licensed, professional engineer. In most cases, state licensure is mandatory for engineers who design systems involving public safety, health or welfare. These engineersare typically those who design buildings and transportation networks, other public works projects, or have a direct affiliation with utility services, such as sanitation and electrical systems. A code of ethics and legal requirements govern their activities. Next are engineers employed by industries that do not provide direct engineering services to the public, but design engineered products, systems or processes. Most states provide an industrial exemption for these engineers. They are guided by business laws, as well as the codes of ethics published by various engineering societies, including the IEEE. Regardless of the engineering category, the codes of ethics typically include statements about engineering decisions consistent with guarding the public’s safety; health and welfare; avoiding conflicts of interest; rejecting bribery; and stating honest and realistic claims or estimates. Thus, engineers and other professionals have a responsibility for adhering to legal and ethical obligations in their field of practice. As an example, litigationisstill pending concerning alleged problems with various sports utility vehicles and their tires. Suppose that a consultant for the vehicle manufacturers knew something about a possible defect but didn’t inform the public. If he were a registered professional engineer, would he be required to alert the public to the possible problem? Or does the relationship with his client take priority over protecting the public? Tm not sure that the profession of the consultant should even matter. When public health, safety and welfare are at stake, all professions should have appropriate guidelines for notifying authorities. LeEarl A. Bryant is the first woman president of IEEE-USA, the U.S. career and public policy arm of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in Washington, D.C. You can reach her at president@ieeeusa.org.
