Codes, ethics government

Engineering is a divided profession, and different codes of ethics govern different engineers. Here we compare two very different codes of ethics ... 

An association s code of ethics governs the conduct of its members. Compliance with the code varies. In many associations, it is largely ignored and not enforced in others, compliance with the code is necessary for continued membership. In some cases, compliance with the industry code of ethics is required for continued licensure to practice. In professional health associations, compliance can be enhanced through the use of peer review to assure that members provide an appropriate standard of care. 

Hoke, T. 2011. Defining Ethical Behavior. A Question of Ethics column. Civil Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, May, p. 48. (This column addresses the question does the Society s Code of Ethics govern a member s private activities as well as his or her professional activities ). 

The aim of the Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry is to ensure that the promotion of medicines to members of the health professions and to administrative staff is carried out in a responsible, ethical and professional manner. The Code recognises and seeks to achieve a balance between the needs of patients, industry, health professionals and the general public, bearing in mind the political and social environment within which the industry operates and the statutory controls governing medicines. 

Before there were laws in the United States for governing specifically the behavior of professionals, there were standards or codes of ethics established by professional guilds and associations. These codes of ethics stated in a formal way the type and level of professional performance that a professional association expected from its members. These expectations were derived from the... 

Chemistry, like any discipline, has a social structure. It relies on the interactions, behaviors, and expectations of individuals in order to function. Every social structure has a code of practices that constitutes its behavioral norms, that is, a set of rules governing what are acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. These rules are the moral philosophy of that social structure. When people find themselves in a situation in which there is a conflict or dilemma, the decision-making processes that they use to make the behavioral choices that follow are called ethical decision-making skills. Ethics, then, is the process whereby an individual, faced with a moral dilemma, arrives at a morally defensible decision. 

As well as domestic legislation, there is extensive European legislation governing member states. The European Community has over the years established measures to harmonize the regulation of medicines throughout Europe. In 2001, all European Community Directives adopted between 1965 and 1999 on the regulation of medicines were consolidated into a Community Code . At the time, the Code could not incorporate the new Clinical Trials Directive harmonizing EU controls on the approval and conduct of clinical trials (i.e. Directive 2001/20/EC). The Community Code has, however, since been amended to take into account the Directive s ethics. 

One of the incentives behind the launch of SAS was the UK government s positive attitude towards environmental reporting and social/ethical issues (see section 2.6). Also, Robin Cook the Foreign Secretary, had supported the drawing up of a social/ ethical code of conduct for operating overseas. 

This unfortunate experience led to a National Commission being established to develop the basic ethical principles governing research involving human subjects. Guidelines were developed to assure that human research is conducted in accordance with those principles. Federal regulations protect human research subjects under the National Research Act, 45 Code of Federal Regulations 46, and 21 Code of Federal Regulations 50. 

In 1964, the World Medical Association established a statement of ethical principles to provide guidance to physicians and other participants in biomedical research involving humans. It was developed to correct the perceived deficiencies in the Nuremberg Code, especially on physician-led research with patients. The Declaration governs international research ethics and defines rules for research combined with clinical care and non-therapeutic research . The Declaration of Helsinki was revised in 1975, 1983, 1989 and 1996 and is the basis for GCP used today. A summarised version of the Declaration of Helsinki is shown in Table 6.1. 

A profession is an occupation generally involving a relatively long and specialized preparation on the level of higher education and is usually governed by its own code of ethics. Nearly every profession has some safety and health aspects, some of them with distinct safety and health sub-disciplines [p. 14]. 

This Statement of Ethical Principles sets a standard to which members of the engineering profession should aspire in their working habits and relationships. The Statement is fully compatible with the principles in the UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser s Universal Ethical Code for Scientists, with an emphasis on matters of particular relevance to engineers. The values on which it is based should apply in every situation in which professional engineers exercise their judgement. 

---