Engineering ethics Fundamental Canons

On privacy, see the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Code of Ethics, Section 1.7. On sustainable development, see the ASCE Code of Ethics, Canon 1, parts e and f, and the ASME Code of Ethics of Engineers, Fundamental Canon 8. 

This is a more defensible version of the vague employee-loyalty-to-employer canons found in many codes of engineering ethics. For example, as noted, Fundamental Canon 1.4 of the NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers states, Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees. ... 

The Code of Ethics of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers contains, as the second of its fundamental canons , the statement Engineers shall perform services only in the area of their competence . On the face of it, this is reasonable bnt a little thought shows that, if it is interpreted strictly, it will either stifle technological innovation or ensure that technological innovation is carried out only by nonengineers. Clause 20 of the BCS Code of Conduct is better in this respect it states Members shall only offer to do woik or provide service which is within then-professional competence and shall not lay claim to any... 

The preceding codes have many common elements, the most important of which is protection of public safety, health, and welfare. For example. Canon 1 in the NSPE code, after the words Engineers, in fulfillment of their professional duties, shall lists, as Fundamental Canon 1, Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public. All of the other engineering society codes presented above include responsibility for safety, health, and welfare of the public in their first listed provision. Holding paramount protection of public safety, health, and welfare is the first consideration in the vast majority of engineering codes of ethics. 

As another example of the high bar set by codes of engineering societies, consider this competency provision in the IEEE code which indicates that individuals are to maintain and improve [their] technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for others only if qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure of pertinent limitations. In similar fashion, the ASME code includes a Fundamental Canon which states Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers and shall provide opportunities for the professional and ethical development of those engineers under their supervision. ... 

Incidentally, ethics codes, many of which are presented in Chapter 12, contain many provisions directly applicable to marketing consistent with the way marketing is presented in this chapter. For example, Fundamental Canon 2 of the ASCE Code of Ethics states that Engineers shall perform services only in areas of their competence. For additional discussion of the crucial role of ethics in marketing of engineering services, refer to Heightchew (1999) and Snyder (1993). 

Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the performance of their duty (fundamental canon 1, ASCE code of ethics, 1976) ... 

Many engineering codes of ethics, such as that of the ASCE, directly address the requirement of engineers to promote and preserve public safety. This Code of Ethics has seven Eundamental Canons. Fundamental Canon 1 of the ASCE Code of Ethics states that Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and shall strive to comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their professional duties (ASCE 2013). The word paramount suggests that this Canon supersedes all others, in case of conflict between different parts of the Code. 

The Guidelines to Practice Under the Fundamental Canons of Ethics provide more detail. It further states that Engineers shall recognize that the lives, safety. 

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