Overview
Many organizations, particularly smaller businesses, do not have a written set of standards to provide guidance to their employees on ethical matters related to their job duties. While each job title, company and industry deals with unique circumstances, there are some standards of professional conduct for engineers that are considered the norm across a broad range of job titles, companies and even industries. In matters such as conflicts of interest, use and protection of employer's assets, and disclosure of proprietary information, there are universal standards of accepted conduct for engineers working for employers based in developed countries (although the detailed policies may vary between companies).
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has developed a document titled "Standards of Professional Conduct" for its members. In addition to the aforementioned examples of ethical issues, the ASCE's standards cover issues such as maintaining accurate and complete records, outside employment/activities, acceptance of bribes or kickbacks and whistle blowing. The ASCE's standards serve as an excellent model for companies seeking to provide guidance to engineers on ethical matters related to their position and the performance of their work tasks. It also provides a universal set of principles to guide individual engineers on ethical matters in the absence of an employer policy.
In this course, the student will review ASCE's document titled "Standards of Professional Conduct".
The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of fifteen questions at the end of this course to earn PDH credits.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained
This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:
- An engineer's obligation to ensure legal compliance, maintain workplace and public safety and and provide a productive work environment
- Policies regarding outside employment/activities
- Dealing with conflicts of interest
- Use and protection of an employer's assets, including computers and the internet
- The importance of maintaining accurate and complete records
- Policies regarding the giving and acceptance of gifts, meals, services, entertainment, bribes and kickbacks
- Preserving an employers confidential or proprietary information
- Guidance on purchases of goods and services
- Guidance on relationships with clients, consultants and competitors
- The importance of environmental compliance
- The protections afforded by (and the limitations of) whistle blowing laws
Course
Click on the following link to the PDF document to review the course material before taking the quiz for credit.
"Standards of Professional Conduct"
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