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SOCIETY POLICY

ETHICS

~ The American Society of ~ Mechanical Engineers

345 East 47th Street New Yort . NY 10017

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ASME requires ethic:al. practice by each of ita ~~e~~bers and bas adopted the follawin& Code of Ethica of Ena1neers &a referenced in tba ASH! Conatitutiou, Article C2.l.l. '

CODE or E'!'H.ICS or ENGINEDS

'l'he ~t&l. PriD.Ciplea

Enaineera up bold aDd a.dvaD.Ce tba in teart ty, honor and diani ty of the ena~erina profeaaiou by:

I. uaiq their kDowleda• aDd ald.ll for tba enhancaatlllt of huaan welfare;

II. beiq hoDaat au iapartial, and aerr±'q with fidality the public, their eapl.oyera aDCl clienta, awl

III. atrirtq to iDCr .... the co.patence aDd pnatiae of the en&ineering profeaaion.

1. £naineera ahall hold para--int the sa.£ ety, health aDCl valfare of en. public in the perfomazw:.e of their profeaaional dutiea.

5. 'F.n&in.eera ah&ll build their profeaaiaD&l reputation on

2.

3.

ED&ineera ab&ll perfora Mrri.cea only 1D. tha arua .of t.bair coapetence. 6.

ED&ineera aball coutimae tbair pro­feaaioul. daftl.o~t throqbout their careua- &Dill aball proTide oppor- 7. tunitiea for tha profeaaioaal develop­~~ent of tbo• en&1 Men UDder tbair superviaioo..

4. Enafneera aball act 1D. profuaicmal aattera for each .-ployer or client aa faithful aaenta or truateea, and shall avoid conflict• of interest.

the .. rit of their services aDd ab&ll not co•pete unfairly with othan.

!zlaiD.eera ah&ll aaaociate only with reputable persons or orpnizatioua.

En&i.Mera ab&ll 18aue public atate•nta only in an objective aDd truthful manner.

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The ASME Criteria for Interpretation of the Canons

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The ASME criteria for interpretation of the Cano.ns are advisory in character and represent the objectives toward which members of the engineering profession should strive. They constitute a body of principles upon which an engineer can rely for guidance ·1n specific aituatioua. In addition, they provide interpretive guidance to the ASME Board on Professional Practice and Ethics 1n applyin& the Code of Etb.ica of En&ineera.

• 1. Eqineera shall hold paramount the safety, health aud welfare of the public 1n the performance of their P.rofeasioD&l duties.

a. Engineers sb.&l.l recoPJ.ze that the lives, safety, health and welfare of the general public are dependent upon engineerin& judgments, decisioua aud practices incorporated into structures, machines, products, processes aud devices.

b. Enaineera sha.ll not approve or seal pl&n.a aDd/or apeeificatioua that are not of a design safe to the public health aud welfare and in couforaity with accepted ensi.neeriq at&Dd.arda.

c. Wh.euever the En&ia.eera • professional jud.-nt ia o-..r-ruled under circua.tancea vbere the safety, health, aDd welfare of the public are endangered, the Engineers shall infora their clients and/or employers of the possible couaequeucea aDd DDtify other proper authority of the situation, as may be appropriate.

c.l Engineers shall do whatever possible to provide published standards, teat codes, and quality control procedures that will enable the public to understand the desree of safety or li!e expectancy aaaoeiated with the use of the deaigna, products, or syateaa for which they are reapouaible.

c.2 Enaineera shall conduct review. of the safety and reliability of tba d .. i~, products, or syst ... for which they are responsible before Ji-riq their approval to the pl.&u for the design.

c.3 WMD.e'ftr ED&iueera observe couditiou which they believe wUl eu.daqer public safety or health, they aball infor. the proper authority of the situ.atiOD.

d. If eqineen have knovledse or reaaou to be.llrn that &DDther person or fir. II&Y be in violation of any of the provisiou of theae Canons, they shall preaent such information to the proper authority in vr1t1na and shall cooperate with the proper authority in furnishing such further information or aaaiatance aa say be required.

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2. En&ineers ab&ll. perfom aervicea only in area• of their competence.

a. Engineers ab&ll undertake to perfora engineering aaaignmenta only vhen qualified by education or experience in the specific technic&l field of engineertng involved.

b. !ngineera .. y accept an aaaigaaent requirin& edueation or experience out aide of tb.air ovu fielda of ca.petenc:e, but their services shall be reatricted to other pb&aea of the project in which they are qualified. All other pbaaea of such project •hall be perfot'lled by qualified aaaociatea, con~ultanta, or eaployeea.

3. ED&ineera ab&ll continue their profeaaioD&l develo~ut throughout their eareera, &Dd abould provide opporrunitiea for the profeaaion&l development of thoH engineer• UDder their auperviaiou.

4. Engineer• aball act 1n profeaaional mattera for each eaployer or client aa faithful agent• or truateea, and ab&ll avoid confl1eta of intereat.

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b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

I•

h.

Engineer• .aball avoid all knoVD conflict• of intereat with their e.ployera or clieuta aud a ball pro.ptl1 infon. their eaployen or c.lintl of &DY buaineaa aaaociat101l, 1ntereata, or circ:wutancea vb.ich could influenc:e their judpent or tha quality of their services.

Ezllineera aba.ll not UD.Ciertak.e an1 aaaiguaenta which would movingly create a potential conflict of intereat berveeu tbeaaelvea and their clint• or tbeir eaplo1era.

Engineer• aball not accept coapena&ti01l, fiaaaci&l or otherwise, from aore tb&D aa. par~ for aerTicea on tbe .... project, or for services pertainiq to tba aaae pro jec: t, unleaa tha cirewutancea are fully diac.loaed to, and aareed to, by all intereated. partiea.

Ezlai.Daera abal.l DOt eolicit or accept fiunc:J.al or other valuable conaideratiOGa, for apecifyina ;ba producta or aateri&l or equipment aupplien, without diac.loaure to their clinta or eaployera.

•n1t~r• aball DDt aolicit or accept aratuitiea, directly or 1Ddinetly, froa ccmtracton, tbair aaenta, OT otbar partiu dealing with. their c:.l.ie1lt1 or eaployera in c01meeti01l with work for which tbay an reapouible.

Wbe1l 1D public Mrvice aa -ben, ad'riaon, or eaployeea of a aoveru.Dtal body or depan.ant, !qiDeen •ball DDt participate 1o. con.aideraticma or acticma with reapect to Mrvicu provided by them or their oraaDization(a) in private or product euaineerin& practice.

Enaineen aball not aolicit an enaineeriq C01ltract fro• a governaeutal body ou which a principal, officer, or eaployee of their organization eervea aa a aeaber.

When, •• a re.Ut of their etud1ea, Ena1Deera believe a project( s) v1ll not be aucceaatul, they ah&ll 10 adviM their eaployer or clie~t.

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1. Engineers shall treat information coming to them 1n the course of their aaai~nta as confid.enti&l., and sb&ll not uae such information as a mean. of making personal profit if such action ia adverse to the interests of their clients, their employers or the public.

1.1 !'hey will not diac.lose coufideuti&l information concerning the business affairs or technical processes of any present or former employer or client or bidder under eva.luatiou, without his conaent, unleaa required by law.

i.2 Tbey shall not reveal confidential information or finding of any commission or board of which they are meabera unless required by law.

i.3 Deaigna supplied to Engineers by clients shall not be duplicated by the En&ineera for oth.era without the ~%preaa permission of the client(a).

j. D:la Enaiueer sb&l.l aet with fairuaaa and. justice to all parties when adainiaterina a construction (or other) contract.

k. Before UDdert&kina work for otbara in ·which the En&io.eer u.y make improv ... uts, pl&Da, deaicu-, iuventioua, or otbar recorda vhich ~y justify copyriahta or patata, tba Ena1neer aball enter into a positive aare ... ut regardina the ri&hta of respective parties.

l. Ezl&illaera ab&l.l adait &.Dd accept their ovu errors vhen proven wrong and refrain froa diatortina or &lterina the facta to justify their decisions.

~. Engineers shall not accept professional employment outside of their regular work or interest without the knowle4ae of their employers.

n. En&ineera aball not atteapt to attract au eaployee fro• another eaployer by f&lae or aialaadina repreaencation.a.

5. Enaiueera shall build their professional repucation on the .. rit of their services aDd aball not coapete unfairly vith others.

a. ED&iDaera aball aaaoti&te contracts for profeaaiOD&l .aervicea on the baaia of dU01latrated co~teuce aDd qu&lificatiou for the type Qf professional service required aa4 at t&ir &D4 reaaouable prices.

b. Enaiueera aball not request, propoae, or accept professional commissiona on a contingent baaia UDder circuaataneea under vhich their profeaaioa&l juds-enta aay be coaproaiaed.

c. Enaineera shall not falsify or per:ait misrepresentation of their, or their aaaociatea, &e&deaic or professional qualification. They shall not aiarepreaent or e%&gaerate their degrees of reapouaibility in or for the subject matter of prior aaaignaeuta. Brochures or other presentations incident to the solicitation of employment shall not miarep~aent pertinent facta coucernina eaployera, eaployeea, aaaociataa, joint venturers, or their paat accoapliaa.enta.

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d. En&ineera ab&ll prepare articles for the lay or technical preaa which are only factual, dignified and free fro• oatentatioua or laudatory 1mplicatioua. Such articlea shall not i.llply other than their direct panicipation in the work deac:ribed unleaa credit 1a &1 van to others for their ahara of tbe work.

e. !zl&ineera ab&ll not ~cioualy or fa.laely, directly or indirectly, injure the profeaaion&l reputation, proapecta, practice or eaployment of aaother enaineer, no-r a'ba.ll they 1Iuiiacria1n&tely criticize another' a work.

f. Enaineera a'ba.ll not uae equipaent, supplies, labOratory or office facilities of their ~loyera to carry on outaida private practice w1 tbout couaent.

6. En&ineera a'ba.ll aaaoci&te only with reputable persona or oraanizatioua.

a. Enaineera ab&ll not knOYinaly aaaoci&te with or perait the uae of their oaaea or fir. oaaea in buaiuaa ventures by any peraon or fir. which they know, or have re.aaon to be.lieve, are •naaaina in buaineaa or profeadoaal practice• of a fraadulet or diaboaeet aature.

b. Enaineera ab&ll not uae aaaociation with uan-enaineera, corporations, or partuerah.ipa aa ·cloaka• for unethical acta.

7. En&ineera ab&ll issue public: atateaenta only in an objective and truthful .. tmer.

a. En&in.eera shall endeavor to utend public: knowleda•, aDd to prevent aisunderatandiqs of the ac:b.ie~nta of eqineeriq.

b. En&ineera aball be c:oapletely obJective aDI1 truthful ill all profeaaioaal reporta, atate .. nta or testt.Dny. Tbay shall include all relevant aDd pertinent inforaatiou ill such reports, atateaents, or teati.aDuy.

c:. Bna1neera, vba Mrviq aa upert or technical vitueaaea before any coun, c:~aaioll, or other tribuD&l, ab.&ll erpresa an enaineerina opin101l ouly vba it 1a foUDdecl upou adequate kDowledae of tbe facta 1D ia.ue, upoll a backaroun.d of techzlical c:a.peteuc• in the IUbject matter, aDd upou booast c:onTic:tion of the accuracy &Dd propriety of their teati.aDny.

d. En&ineera aball iaaue no atateaenta, c:ritic:i ... , or arruaenta on en&ineeriua aattera vhic:h are inspired or paid for by an interested party, or parties, unleaa they preface their c:o~ta by indentifying theaae.lvea, by diaclosina the identities of the party or parties on whoM behalf they are apeakinc, aDd by revealina the erlstenc:e of any pecuniary interest they .. y have in .. ttera under diacuaaion.

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e. Engineers aball be dignified and raodeat in explaining their work and raerit, and aball avoid any act tending to proaote their own interest at the expenae of the integr·ity, honor and dignity of the profession or another individual.

8. Any Enaineer aec.eptin& ~~e~~berahip 1n lha Alleriean Society of Mechanical Enaineera by thia action agreea to abide by thia Society Policy on Ethics aDd procedure• for iraplementatiou.

R.eaponaibillty: Boarci ou Profeaaioual Pr•ct.1ca· &Dd !thiea/Coun.cU ou Member Affairs

Approved: Reviaed:

March 7, 1976 Deeeaber 9, 1976 Deceaber 7, 1979 November 19, 1982 June 15, 1984 Editorial c:.baqea July 1984