Ethical Issues for Engineers Working in a Design Engineering Company Essay

Ethical Issues for Engineers Working in a Design Engineering Company - Essay Example In the U.S, the National Society of Professional Engineers offers guidelines on ethics and professional conduct of the engineers. Bribery and corruption are prohibited as well as ethical issues like sustainable development and environmental protection (Baura 13). For instance, the American Society for Civil engineers requires members to observe health and safety and welfare of the society while executing their duties. The society also requires the engineers to reject corruption and bribery and offer services to the best of their competence (Christine Van Gorp 91). In a design company dealing with gas and oil exploration, an engineer may be required to design oil and gas rigs. The engineer will be responsible for developing reservoir simulation codes requiring a lot of computations. The engineer will perform test analysis by applying the principles of physics and mathematics and separation of hydrocarbons (King 33). The engineer may be required to offer advice on hydraulic fracturing systems and offer sufficient advice in the design of the oil and gas rigs (Heidersbach 3). Oil wells and rigs are used to get out from the ground to the surface tankers or pipelines up to the refineries. Oilrigs support structures constructed around the oil wells while the drilling takes place (King 51). The rigs may be on the ground or floating on the sea but are used to drill down to the strata that contain the oil deposits. The pumping system is then used to get the oil to the tankers or the pipelines (Heidersbach 2). The engineer is required to hold paramount health and safety welfare to the public by performing duties only in the areas of competence. The engineer is supposed to conduct himself responsibly and lawfully so as to enhance the reputation of the Company and the engineering profession (Baura 16). If the engineer’s judgment is overruled in cases where it endangers the health and safety of the public, the engineer is supposed to immediately inform the employer or client so that appropriate action may be undertaken. The engineer is supposed to inform the professional body in case of violation of the ethical code of conduct (Baura 16). The engineer is not supposed to make material misrepresentations, omit material facts, or make statements that are geared to deceiving the public on health and safety matters (Gunn and Vesilind 59). According to the ethics code of Institute of Engineers of Ireland, engineers are supposed to promote the principles of sustainable development in order to protect the future generations and the ec osystem (Unesco 184). The members are supposed to ensure the engineering projects have minimal adverse health and safety impact to the environment (Fleddermann 59). The engineer should ensure economical use of the natural resources like water wastage and avoidance of pollution (Unesco 185). The engineer is supposed to promote environmental awareness education among the public in order to promote the welfare of the community by avoiding pollution and natural resource wastage (Unesco 186). Companies in the oil and gas industry may cause adverse effects on the environment. Some of the environmental stressors include noise, fugitive dust, vegetation clearance, drilling waste, accidental oil releases, air pollution, sedimentation, and turbidity from the onshore surface runoff (Harris, Pritchard and Rabins 77). The magnitude