ETHICS & PROFESSIONAL LIFE

28 February 2013

Plan for Today

Dimensions of professional relations
Trust & Loyalty

Two Dimensions

Professio
nal
Relations
hip

Trust
Loyalty

Duties & Obligations towards

Employers

Creating Trust

What is Trust?

Trust is the ability to rely confidently on

people, objects or circumstances.
The process of reliance introduces risk in
a relationship of trust.
If the person is fully in control then trust
is not necessary.
Trustworthy If someone is deserving of
trust

OIQs Code of Ethics for

Engineers

Ethical Obligations needed to create a

bond of trust.
Professionals need to create trust
between their clients (or employers) &
themselves.
These are binding obligations in Quebec

Trust-building Obligations

Disclosing Limits
Integrity & Transparency
Availability & Diligence
Independence & impartiality
Confidentiality
Fees

Disclosing Limits

Gather intellectual & material resources

Gather the consent of client to
experiment
Disclosing the limits of the ability to the
client is the basis of building trust
Are you reckless, responsible or naysayer?

Integrity & Transparency

Act in a fashion that demonstrates Integrity &

Transparency
At outset, inform client of terms of agreement in
writing
Avoid providing contradictory advise
Furnish client with any explanations requested
If advise is ignored, provide consequences in
writing to client
Documentation & paper trail of all client
interactions

Availability & Diligence

Engineer must show reasonable

availability & diligence in professional
practice
The engineer can cease to act for the
client under just and reasonable
grounds.

If there is a conflict of interest

If it involves illegal or fraudulent acts
If the client ignores the engineers advice

The engineer must give advance notice

of withdrawal to the client.

Independence &
Impartiality

Subordinate personal interest to that of

the client
Avoid situations of conflict of interest
Accept fees only from client or clients
representative.

Confidentiality

Must respect secrecy of all information

obtained in the practice of the profession
Released from secrecy only by the client
or when required by law.
Shall not use information that will
prejudice a client
Shall not accept a mandate from a client
that involves disclosing another clients
information

Fees

Must charge and accept fair and

reasonable fees.
Fees are considered fair when they
correspond to services rendered
Must give client necessary explanation
for fees charged

Alison Turner is a department manager at a large commercial nuclear generating plant.

She is also a member of the Plant Nuclear Safety Review Committee (PNSRC). The
committee's responsibilities include reviewing and approving design changes,
procedural changes, and submittals to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
Today Alison finds herself in a difficult situation. PNSRC is meeting to decide what
to do about a heat exchanger problem. Routine testing on the previous morning
revealed degraded cooling water flow and high differential pressure in one of the
containment spray heat exchangers of one of the two generating units. This unit has
just returned to service after two months of repairs. Test results on the second heat
exchanger were similar. Although the other generating unit has been in continuous
service, testing reveals that its two heat exchangers are operating at less than full
capacity. The most likely cause of the problem is sand blockage on the lake water side
of the four heat exchangers.
After extensive analysis by engineers in the Mechanical Engineering and Nuclear
Safety & Licensing Departments, it has been concluded that the cooling water flow falls
slightly below the minimum requirement set by the technical specifications under which
the plant is licensed. Nevertheless, based on Mechanical Engineering's analysis,
Nuclear Safety & Licensing has prepared a Justification for Continued Operation (JCO)
for submission to NRC. PNSRC is now meeting to decide whether to approve the JCO
and forward it to NRC.
As Alison reviews the JCO she is uncomfortable with one assumption made in the
analysis. The analysis assumes that the heat exchangers still have 95% of their original
heat transfer capability. It is concluded that this would be satisfactory. However, in
anticipating possible accidents, Single Failure Criteria require the plant to assume the
loss of one heat exchanger. Alison wonders if, under those conditions, the heat transfer
problem would be manageable. The JCO does not discuss what might happen under
that contingency.
Alison is the least senior member present. From the outset of the meeting,

Creating Trust What should Alison do?

Disclosing Limits Integrity & Transparency

Availability & Diligence
Independence & impartiality
Confidentiality
Fees

Loyalty to the company

Loyalty

Subordinating self-interest to the

interests of another person or
organization.
Loyalty is an attitude or character of a
person.
Loyalty is a product of a relationship. If it
is a relationship we value, we are more
loyal.

Is Loyalty Absolute?

Absolute loyalty

Judgement & loyalty

Loyalty without any questions

An emotional response

Thinking carefully about

loyalty
How much loyalty is owed?

Is there a basis to being

loyal?

Assessing when loyalty is

owed

Loyalty requires critical assessment of

companies and how they treat employees

Do I feel a sense of gratitude towards my

employer?
Is there a sense of fairness in the workplace?
Is this organization responsive to the needs
and concerns of its employees?
Does this organization offer rewards and
acknowledgements?
Am I proud of this organization?

Derek Evans used to work for a small computer firm that specializes in
developing software for management tasks. Derek was a primary contributor
in designing an innovative software system for customer services. This
software system is essentially the "lifeblood" of the firm. The small computer
firm never asked Derek to sign an agreement that software designed during
his employment there becomes the property of the company. However, his
new employer did.
Derek is now working for a much larger computer firm. Derek's job is in the
customer service area, and he spends most of his time on the telephone
talking with customers having systems problems. This requires him to cross
reference large amounts of information. It now occurs to him that by making
a few minor alterations in the innovative software system he helped design at
the small computer firm the task of cross referencing can be greatly
simplified.
Derek installs the software Monday morning. Soon everyone is impressed
with his efficiency. Others are asking about the "secret" of his success. Derek
begins to realize that the software system might well have company-wide
adaptability. This does not go unnoticed by his superiors. So, he is offered an
opportunity to introduce the system in other parts of the company. He
suggests that his previous employer be contacted and that the more
extended use of the software system be negotiated with the small computer
firm.