Engineering Ethics: Responsibilities, Best Practices, and Challenges

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of engineering ethics, focusing on the responsibilities of engineers, best practices, and standard challenges within the profession. It defines engineering responsibility as the duties and actions expected in their field, emphasizing the importance of improving human welfare through innovation and problem-solving. The essay outlines key responsibilities such as research, design, operations, development, construction, and management, highlighting their significance in addressing societal needs and ensuring operational quality. It also delves into specific engineering ethics, including prioritizing public safety, practicing within areas of specialization, issuing truthful statements, upholding ethical conduct, and avoiding deceptive practices. The essay further discusses best practices, such as innovative designs and wireless communication, alongside standard challenges like providing clean water and securing cyberspace. The document emphasizes the importance of these elements in motivating engineers and guiding their professional endeavors. Desklib provides access to solved assignments and resources for students.

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ENGINEERING ETHICS
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A. ENGINEERING RESPONSIBILITY
Definition
The responsibility of the engineers basically entails what they are entitled to do and
perfume in their area of practice (Whitbeck 32). The result of engineering profession help to
improve the welfare of human being through furnishing shelter, food and comfort of man by
making work easier, they also make transportation and communication safer and easier. This is a
professional art which essentially employ science to maximum conversion of natural resources to
help benefit man. Basically engineers will use the natural things and make them man made with
an idea of helping to solve the problem in man’s daily life. For instance, engineers develop
aircraft from the flying birds, engineers develop submarine from fish. The following are some
basic responsibility of engineers in the society;
Overview of topic
i. Research
All engineers do research to help them acquire how new principle and process through
employment of mathematical as well as applying scientific concepts, inductive reasoning and
experimental techniques (Smith 45). Also through the research engineers will help to solve a
problem which occurs in the society. The problems may be new to the engineers or can be a long
terms problem whose solution has not been obtained. Research will also make the engineers to
be up to date with the newest technology around the world.
ii. Design

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Engineers are always well known for designing, this is done to help solve the problem in
the society with the required specification. Since in engineering a fault made in design may result
into a greater loss, a perfect design is always required in all the engineering disciplines. For
example, a structural engineers will do a perfect design to balance the beams to ensure that there
is no collapse which occur after the building has been erected, electrical engineers will as well do
a perfect design to help balance the current flowing and the amount of current which will be used
in the electrical devices like electrical cookers (Henrry 32). In the design, the engineers will
select methods, determine the shapes, specify materials and durability to meet the performance
specifications.
iii. Operations
Operating engineers help in controlling of the machines during the operation, for example
in electrical engineering (control engineers) help in controlling the operation of the power
stations, production sectors, communication, and transportation among others. The engineers will
determine procedures as well as supervises the stuff in order to achieve dependable and
economic operation of most complicated machines.
iv. Development
Engineers will basically employ the results obtained from the research to a very useful purpose
in engineering works. Creativity and ingenious application of new skills may lead to working
model of new chemical process, electrical circuit, gadgets of optronics and industrial machines.

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v. Construction
The engineers who are entitled with this responsibility always perform the site analysis
and prepare the site and determine the procedures which will be cost effective as well as safely
yield the desired quality of the design (John). They will always direct the placement of the
materials which will be suitable, they also organize the equipment and personnel in the site of
construction.
vi. Management
Engineers in most cases are entitled with the responsibility of managing the operation.
This they achieve as they inform and instruct their junior on how and where to perform some
required tasks to avoid some damage which may occur during the operation in a company. This
will also help to maintain the quality of operation the company delivers (Hurlt 231).
Significance relevance to design and practice
These responsibilities of engineers are highly relevant in their practice, through their
responsibilities they help solve daily problems which man encounters in his daily life. These
problems may be very important while others are just to help make life comfortable for man. Of
which both of the solution are very important to human being.
B. ENGINEERING ETHICS
Engineering forms an essential and technical area of study thus members of the field
should show and exhibit high levels of integrity and honesty since engineering possess a great
influence on quality of human life in general. In addition, the quality of engineering services

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should be geared towards protecting health, safety and welfare of human beings as workers and
consumers. In relation to this, a standard mode of conduct and rules governing the service
delivery and operations of engineers have since been formulated known as engineering ethics of
conduct and demands strict conformity to it. They include the following:
 High consideration of public safety, health and welfare
Engineers are expected to keenly take in consideration the safety of members of the public living
around areas they are providing engineering services. They should therefore asses the nature and
manner of their activities and its impacts on the neighboring community. For example, their
activities should not eventually expose the community to environmental risks and pollution
resulting to health issues.
 Service performance in areas of specialization
Engineers are required to engage themselves in activities that directly relates to their areas of
study and specialization (White 111). This ethic standard is geared towards maximizing the
quality of engineering services and prevention of accidents after completion of intended projects
inform of collapse of structures resulting from low quality of engineering work due to lack of or
shortage of technical know-how. In general, this mode of engineering ethic will eventually
protect the life and safety of the public and consumers of the engineering services and minimize
the losses that could accrue from the effects of poor quality of engineering works.
 Objective and truthful issuance of public statements
Engineers are expected by this ethic to issue true, honest and objective oriented statements to the
public relating to the engineering services provision of their engagement. They are therefore not

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expected to participate in activities that endangers the normal lives of the neighboring
community without giving a statement of warning to them.
 Honorable, ethical, responsible and lawful conduct
This ethic requires engineers to conduct themselves in strict adherence to the law of land,
whereby, they should not engage in any manner of activity that violates the existing law, for
example, unlawful acquisition of raw materials for engineering works, non-compliance to tax
payment requirements and abuse of workers. Nevertheless, engineers should perform their roles
in an honorable, ethical and responsible manner to show good reputation and importance of the
profession.
 Avoidance of deceptive acts
This ethic demands that engineers should avoid engaging themselves in provision of services
against the outlined quality expectations from the contract, for example, utilization of cheap and
low quality materials to maximize profits. In addition, no gifts or awards should be given out in
order for engineers to win a tender or contract.
Significance relevance to design and practice
The above outlined engineering ethics is important to the design and practice of
engineering activities in that they facilitate better understanding of the market demands and
specifications, requirements of design, legal measures and practice requirements and
environmental conservation and protection measures from engineering activities.

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C. BEST PRACTICES AND STANDARD CHALLLENGES
Definition
Best practices to engineers are basically the achievement or admirable practices which the
engineers have done so far (Whitbeck 121). While the standard challenges are the challenges
which the engineers encounters while performing their duties as practicing engineers.
Overview of topic
Best practices of engineers
These may include the following;
i. Performing the best designs of high storey building
ii. Coming up with the wireless communication
iii. Designing a computerized controlled aircraft which can move into the space
iv. Inventing a wireless transmission of electrical power
Standard challenges
i. Providing safe and clean water
ii. Preventing a nuclear terror
iii. Securing a cyberspace
iv. Making solar energy economical
v. Advancing health informatics
vi. Restoring and improving urban infrastructure

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vii. Developing carbon confiscation methods
Significance relevance to design and practice
The best practices of engineers actually motivates engineers to work on more inventions and
design, it also makes the engineers proud of their works done successfully. Standard challenges
of engineers is very important to engineers as it will make engineers to know what they are
entitled to achieve in their line of professional work. When they perfectly understands this they
will definitely work towards achieving it.

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Work Cited
Henrry, Peter. Engineering ethic and responsibility . Chicago : CRC, 2011.
Hurlt, Bill. Engineering ethics . Stoke: Springer , 2011.
John, Peter. Responsibility of engineers . Hull: Springer , 2011.
Smith, Daniel. RCR for engineing : Introduction to engineering and research . London: CITI program ,
2015.
Whitbeck, Caroline. Ethics in engineering practice and research . Hull: cabridge university press, 2011.
White, Paul. Practices of engineering : Ethics and responsibility . Manchester : CRC, 2013.