Transcript
Ethics Section – Chapter 2 – Regulation of the Engineering Profession
Purpose of regulation, or government control, is to protect the safety of the public, and restrict unqualified people from practising, and to discipline unscrupulous practitioners
Each province regulates the professions respectively
Legal Definition of Engineering
Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE) defined a national definition of what professional engineering is
Each province and territory defines the term slightly
Some provinces, like BC and Quebec, include a list of machines or structures that are within the engineer’s area of practice
In Ontario, the definition of professional engineering is the following:
Any act of designing, composing, evaluating, advising, reporting, directing or supervising wherein the safeguarding of life, health, property or the public welfare is concerned and that requires the application of engineering principles, but does not include practising as a natural scientist
Difference between engineering and scientific principles or technological principles is in the depth and purpose of the study
For engineering, the CEAB defines engineering principles to be the following:
Identifying those programs that develop an individual’s ability to use appropriate knowledge and information to convert, utilize and manage resources optimally through effective analysis, interpretation and decision making. This ability is essential to the design process that characterizes the practice of engineering
Engineering principles use mathematics, basic science, and engineering science appropriate to the specific discipline
However, these concepts must be applied to the goal of optimal use of resources in the design process
Engineering differs from science mainly due to the goal of study
Engineering involves putting scientific phenomena and principles into practical application
Differs from technology mainly in the depth of study, and application of the appropriate subjects
Provincial and Territorial Associations of Professional Engineers:
For each province or territory, they have a self-governing association of professional engineers
The name of the province is included in the name of the association
Each act is “closed”, and a license is required to practice engineering in very province and territory
Regulations, by-laws and a code of ethics is written for each province or territory
Regulations are rules set up to implement, or support, the Act. It describes things like what qualifications you need to be admitted into the Association, and professional conduct
By-laws are rules set up to administer the association itself
Code of ethics is a set of rules of personal conduct to guide professional engineers. Every engineer must be familiar with the code of ethics for the respective province or territory
Admission to the engineering profession:
Each provincial association admits applicants to the profession by registering them as members of the Association and granting them licenses to practice
Applicant is typically admitted to the profession and awarded a P.Eng. if they satisfy 6 conditions
Citizenship: Must be a citizen of Canada or a permanent resident
Age: Must be the legal age of majority in the province
Education: Applicant must prove compliance with the academic requirements
Examinations: A professional practice exam must be written, and additional academic ones may be required as well
Experience: Applicant must prove compliance with experience requirements
Character: Applicant must be of good character
Nature:
Engineering experience is expected to be similar to the applicant’s area of academic study
However, if there is an incompatibility, the Association may ask why this incompatibility exists, and may require additional experience or additional studies before granting a license
For example, a mech. Eng. Graduate working in an electrical field
Examinations:
For candidates who haven’t completed university-level engineering degrees may apply for admission to the engineering profession
However, they will have to write examinations that make up for the deficiencies in their academic qualifications
In Ontario, they must have at least a three-year engineering technologist diploma
Professional Practice Exam:
Most applicants, regardless of their academic qualifications, membership in other associations or previous courses taken, must pass an examination covering professional practice, law, contracts, liability, and ethics
Non-resident or Temporary Licenses
Most provinces offer two types of engineering licenses: Full membership for residents of the province, and non-resident or temporary licenses
To obtain a temporary or non-resident license in Ontario, you must show the following:
That you’re a member of an association of professional engineers in a another province or territory of equal admission requirements
You’re qualified to work on the specified project, and are familiar with the applicable codes, standards and laws relevant to the project
Widely recognized in practising professional engineering relevant to the project
You must collaborate with a member of the association in completing the project, unless you’re highly qualified
The Engineer’s Seal:
In every province, the Professional Engineering act provides each engineer to have a seal denoting that they are licensed
All final drawings, specs, plans, reports, and other documents involving the practice of professional engineering should bear their signature and the seal of the professional engineering who prepared and approved them
Only when the document is in its final form does it need to be signed and sealed
The seal implies that the document was competently prepared, and indicates that the person who prepared them is responsible for them
Seal denotes that documents have been both prepared and approved by the person who sealed them
An engineer who seals and/or signs documents where they weren’t prepared by themselves, or by technical assistants under their direct supervision may be guilty of professional misconduct and may also be liable for fraud or negligence if this results in someone suffering from damages
Engineering Code of Ethics:
Every provincial association has a code of ethics that sets out a standard of conduct that members must follow in the practice of engineering
Each code defines the duties of the engineer to the public, to the employer (or client), to fellow engineers, to the engineering profession, and to themselves.
The major purpose of the code is to protect the general public from unqualified engineers
Professional Misconduct:
The main purpose for associations for professional engineers is to protect the public
As such, it is occasionally necessary to discipline neglectful engineers
Each association has the authority to reprimand, suspend, or expel a member who is guilty of professional misconduct
Professional misconduct is usually defined as being negligent, incompetent, or performing corrupt actions
Each provincial association has staff members, or council members, who receive complaints, prosecute persons practising engineering under false pretences, and arrange disciplinary hearings for these people
Disciplinary decisions aren’t made by staff members, but by the committee of engineers appointed by the council
