Ethical Guidelines

PREAMBLE

Consulting engineering is an important and learned profession. The
members of the profession recognize that their work has a direct and
vital impact on the quality of life for all people. Accordingly, the
services provided by consulting engineers require honesty, impartiality,
fairness and equity and must be dedicated to the protection of public
health, safety and welfare. In the practice of their profession,
consulting engineers must perform under a standard of professional
behavior which requires adherence to the highest principles of ethical
conduct on behalf of the public, clients, employees and the profession.

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I. Fundamental Canons

Consulting engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties,
shall:

1. Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in
the performance of their professional duties.
2. Perform services only in areas of their competence.
3. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful
manner.
4. Act in professional matters for each client as faithful agents
or trustees.
5. Avoid improper solicitation of professional assignments.

II. Rules of Practice

1. Consulting engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and
welfare of the public in the performance of their professional duties.

a. Consulting engineers shall at all times recognize that
their primary obligation is to protect the safety, health, property and
welfare of the public. If their professional judgment is overruled under
circumstances where the safety, health, property or welfare of the
public are endangered, they shall notify their client and such other
authority as may be appropriate.
b. Consulting engineers shall approve only engineering work
which, to the best of their knowledge and belief, is safe for public
health, property and welfare and in conformity with accepted standards.
c. Consulting engineers shall not reveal facts, data or
information obtained in a professional capacity without the prior
consent of the client except as authorized or required by law or these
Guidelines.
d. Consulting engineers shall not permit the use of their
name or firm nor associate in business ventures with any person or firm
which they have reason to believe is engaging in fraudulent or dishonest
business or professional practices.
e. Consulting engineers having knowledge of any alleged
violation of these Guidelines shall cooperate with the proper
authorities in furnishing such information or assistance as may be
required.

2. Consulting engineers shall perform services onlyin the areas of
their competence.

a. Consulting engineers shall undertake assignments only
when qualified by education or experience in the specific technical
fields involved.
b. Consulting engineers shall not affix their signatures to
any plans or documents dealing with subject matter in which they lack
competence nor to any plan or document not prepared under their
direction and control.
c. Consulting engineers may accept an assignment outside of
their fields of competence to the extent that their services are
restricted to those phases of the project in which they are qualified
and to the extent that they are satisfied that all other phases of such
project will be performed by registered or otherwise qualified
associates, consultants or employees, in which case they may then sign
the documents for the total project.

3. Consulting engineers shall issue public statements only in an
objective and truthful manner.

a. Consulting engineers shall be objective and truthful in
professional reports, statements or testimony. They shall include all
relevant and pertinent information in such reports, statements or
testimony.
b. Consulting engineers may express publicly a professional
opinion on technical subjects only when that opinion is founded upon
adequate knowledge of the facts and competence in the subject matter.
c. Consulting engineers shall issue no statements,
criticisms, or arguments on technical matters which are inspired or paid
for by interested parties, unless they have prefaced their comments by
explicitly identifying the interested parties on whose behalf they are
speaking and by revealing the existence of any interest they may have in
the matters.

4. Consulting engineers shall act in professional matters for each
client as faithful agents or trustees.

a. Consulting engineers shall disclose all known or
potential conflicts of interest to their clients by promptly informing
them of any business association, interest or other circumstances which
could influence or appear to influence their judgment of the quality of
their services.
b. Consulting engineers shall not accept compensation,
financial or otherwise, from more than one party for services on the
same project, or for services pertaining to the same project, unless the
circumstances are fully disclosed to, and agreed to, by all interested
parties.
c. Consulting engineers in public service as members of a
governmental body or department shall not participate in decisions with
respect to professional services solicited or provided by them or their
organizations in private engineering practices.
d. Consulting engineers shall not solicit or accept a
professional contract from a governmental body on which a principal or
officer of their organization serves as a member.

5. Consulting engineers shall avoid improper solicitation of
professional assignments.

a. Consulting engineers shall not falsify or permit
misrepresentation of their, or their associates', academic or
professional qualifications. They shall not misrepresent or exaggerate
their degree of responsibility in or for the subject matter of prior
assignments. Brochures or other presentations incident to the
solicitation of assignments shall not misrepresent pertinent facts
concerning employees, associates, joint ventures or past accomplishments
with the intent and purpose of enhancing their qualifications and their
work.
b. Consulting engineers shall not offer, give, solicit or
receive, either directly or indirectly, any political contribution in an
amount intended to influence the award of a contract by public
authority, or which may be reasonably construed by the public of having
the effect or intent to influence the award of the contract. They shall
not offer any gift or other valuable consideration in order to secure
work. They shall not pay a commission, percentage or brokerage fee in
order to secure work except to a bona fide employee or bona fide
established commercial or marketing agencies retained by them.