18 - Engineering Codes of Ethics: Legal Protection and Empowerment for Engineers

Summary

Engineers who operate under constraints and obligations established by codes of ethics or professional responsibility maintained by professional organizations of which they are members and by state government authorities view these constraints and obligations, at times, as limitations or barriers. It is important to recognize, however, that these codes can also work to the benefit of the engineers governed by their terms. The codes of ethics of professional organizations and state authorities can serve a defensive and empowering function for engineers by providing a basis for preserving legal rights of the engineers and by reducing their risk of personal liability based on misconduct. Engineers should understand thoroughly the ethical obligations established by these codes and should identify the provisions of the codes that they can apply in their daily practice to help establish and document their personal defenses against potential future claims of misconduct.