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Knowledge of Information Damaging to Client's Interest - Case No. 76-4
An engineer has a conflict between honoring an agreement with a former employer and reporting a hazard to protect the public interest.
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Gifts to Foreign Officials - Case No. 76-6
This case provides guidelines on what gift-giving practices are acceptable.
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Promotional Letter - Emphasis on Non-Insurance of Other Firms - Case No. 76-7
This case raises questions about what information is appropriate to include in a promotional letter.
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Supplanting - Promotion of Work by Former Employees - Case No. 77-11
A group of engineers leave their employer to start their own firm. As the new firm contacts clients from its former employer, each firm casts doubt on the capability of the other firm to provide competent services.
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Contingent Contract - Industrial Design - Case No. 77-12
Payment for work on a contingency or commission basis is considered by some to undermine the professional standing of engineers, and, in some circumstances, to create a conflict of interest. Others view it as creating an incentive for an engineer to deliver the best services of which she is capable.
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Use of Another's Project Study - NSPE Case No. 77-5
This case covers the pursuit of a contract and use of a study authored by a competing firm. It raises questions about the limits that are required in order to keep competition for a contract fair.
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Obligation to Write Letter of Recommendation for Other Engineers - Case No. 77-7
The Board of Ethical Review (BER) discusses the nature of the obligation to write letters of recommendation and the value of professional-society membership in one engineer's respect for another.
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Related Services for Private Party Following Public Employment - Case No. 78-10
The situation of engineers leaving public employ and then working in the same area in the private sector is a delicate issue. The engineer has had access to government knowledge that a private client may desire. This case raises questions about the ethical permissibility of such employment.
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Employment of Former Convicted Engineer - Case No. 78-2
A group of engineers leave their employer to start their own firm. As the new firm contacts clients from its former employer, each firm casts doubt on the capability of the other firm to provide competent services.
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Binary Service to Same Client - Case No. 78-3
Two Engineers co-own both an engineering firm and a consulting firm called Elecricity Services. Their engineering firm is awarded an assignment by the board of directors of the water plant on the basis of reports and recommendations provided by their other comany, Electricity Services.
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Design Commissions and Fund Raising - Case No. 78-4
A promotion committee is organized to finance a variety of public works projects by issuing bonds to the public. They don't know, however, if they should allow engineering firms to contribute funds to the promotion fund.
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Post-Interview Change in Joint Venture Team - Case No. 78-5
This case describes possible methods of making amends for a firm's deficit in a particular area of expertise that a client needs to complete his project.
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Commission Basis of Payment Under Marketing Agreement - Case No. 78-7
An engineer, experienced in providing services to the international community, wants to draw on that experience to provide international marketing services to U.S. engineering firms in return for a commission on the services those firms gain as a result of his marketing help.
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Advertising of Company - Case No. 78-8
Two examples of advertising or gifts to potential and current clients are judged under the Code of Ethics.
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Services on Same Project - Case No. 78-9
A city engineer selects an engineering firm for a city project assignment based on its technical proposals. However, other firms view the selection of the firm as biased.
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Protest of a Low Fee Proposal - Case No. 80-1
Three competing firms submit price proposals with significant price differences. The lowest price proposal is challenged on the grounds that competent engineering services could not be provided within this budget.
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Participation of Engineer with Competing Firms for Same Contract - Case No. 80-4
An engineer agrees to a joint venture for the same project with two competing firms. He does not inform either firm that he has discussed a joint venture with the other firm.
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Whistleblowing - Case No. 82-5
An engineer who is employed by a government contractor objects to a subcontractor's poor performance and is ignored and silenced by management.
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Ethical Duty of Employer and Employee - Case No. 82-7:
An engineer actively participates in professional and technical societies. This participation accords with the policy of the engineer's employer, but the engineer's immediate supervisor tries to block or prevent some of these activities.
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Using Technical Proposal of Another Without Consent - Case No. 83-3
An engineer submits a proposal to a county council, a member of which makes this proposal available to another engineer developing a proposal for a different county project. The second engineer uses the first engineer's information and data without the first engineer's consent.
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Engineer's Dispute With Client Over Design - Case No. 84-4
A client believes an engineer's designs are too costly, but the engineer fears that anything less may endanger the public.
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Engineer's Recommendation For Full-Time, On-Site Project Representative - Case No. 84-5:
An engineer is concerned for worker safety during construction but yields to his client's objections to the cost of an on-site representative.
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Joint Authorship Of Paper - Case No. 85-1
This case addresses issues of fair authorship credit in research practice.
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Engineer's Duty To Report Data Relating to Research - Case No. 85-5
A graduate student intentionally omits some of his research data.
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Engineer's Disclosure of Potential Conflict Of Interest - Case No. 85-6:
An engineer discloses a potential conflict between his interests and those of his client.
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Complimentary Seminar Registration - Case No. 87-5
A pipe company invites engineers to a complimentary educational seminar on the use of its products. This could be compared to perks and gifts given to physicians by drug companies.
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Feasibility Study - Case No. 88-1
An engineer is in a position to decide the outcome of a feasibility study to her personal advantage.
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Signing of Drawings By Engineer In Industry - Case No. 88-5
An example of why signing off on one's drawings is essential to responsible engineering.
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City Engineer - Case No. 88-6:
An engineer privately informs other city officials of an environmental threat, a problem her supervisor has ordered her not to disclose.
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Public Criticism of Bridge Safety - Case No. 88-7
A case in which an engineer agrees to take a job for the local newspaper, which misrepresents the engineer's professional opinion.
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Duty To Report Safety Violations - Case No. 89-7
An engineer discovers deficiencies in a building's structural integrity, and it would breach client confidentiality to report them to a third party.
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Failure To Report Information Affecting Public Safety - Case No. 90-5
Tenants sue their building's owner, and the owner employs an engineer who finds structural defects not mentioned in the tenants' lawsuit. Issues of public safety versus client confidentiality.
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Furnishing Limited Advice - Case No. 90-7
Is it ethical for an engineer to work for a local government agency
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Withdrawal of Offer for Employment - Case No. 91-1:
A firm agrees to hire a recent graduate, then rescinds the offer several days after the student has informed other firms that he is no longer available for hire.
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Engineering Student Serving as Consultant to University - Case No. 91-5
A graduate student holds consulting jobs for the university in which he is enrolled. Does this situation create a conflict of interest?
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Credit for Engineering Work Design Competition - Case No. 92-1
An engineer fails to credit another engineer for design work when he enters a competition for bridge design.
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Duty of Government Engineer - Case No. 92-4
An engineer refuses to draw up a permit for a building she believes violates environmental standards. Several days later, she learns that her department issued a permit anyway.
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Hazardous Waste - Case No. 92-6
A supervisor instructs a student engineer to withhold information from a client about the suspected nature of waste on the client's property to protect what the supervisor takes to be the client's interest.
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Research Data - Case No. 92-7
This case raises the question of how best to remedy an honest mistake in crediting the proper source of research information.
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Use of Disadvantaged Firm After Learning Of Impropriety - Case No. 92-9:
A disadvantaged firm suddenly charges higher fees to the firm by which it is retained, soon after the parent firm receives much flattering publicity regarding the parent firm's use of the disadvantaged firm.
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Copycat - Case No. 93-1
An consultant's attempt to encourage competition conflicts with his duty to honor the patent of another engineer.
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Misrepresentation of a Business Relationship - Case No. 96-1
An engineer brings another engineer to a business meeting without first discussing business conditions with her.
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Comments By One Engineer Concerning Another - Case 96-10
An engineer is not happy with the recommendation she receives from the Secretary of the Professional Engineer's society of another state. Questions arise as to who, if anyone, should be told of her dissatisfaction.
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Refusing to Sign/Seal Construction Documents - Case 96-3
Questions arise concerning whether certain slogans are deceptive and misleading or cause dishonor to the engineering profession.
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Software Design Testing - Case 96-4
An engineer, hired by a software company, believes that the company's new software design is safe under existing standards. However, the new software may not meet the new standards that he knows are about to be released--standards that Performing more tests could cost both the company and the public significantly. Issues of conflicting obligations to the company and the general public also arise.
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Serving As Design Engineer And General Contractor - Case No. 98-1
An engineer is thinking about placing a bid on a contract for a job for which, in his job at another firm, he prepared the plans.
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Specifying Equipment of Company Owned By Engineer - Case No. 98-11
Lisa is asked to write specifications for a water expansion system. While she is competent to do so, Lisa also owns a company that manufactures and sells such systems. Does this constitute a conflict of interest? If so, how should it be handled?
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Gifts to Foreign Officials - Case No. 98-2
An engineer and member of international NSPE wonders whether he should engage in a practice which is legally acceptable in his country but against the code of ethics of NSPE.
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Use of CD-ROM for Highway Design - Case No. 98-3
A chemical engineer thinks about offering services in facilities design and construction, which he would perform with the help of a computer program.
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Serving Plaintiffs and Defendants - Case No. 98-4
An expert in her field, an engineer is approached by lawyers for manufacturer XYZ to tesitfy on behalf of XYZ. Later, a plaintiff asks her to testify in an unrelated lawsuit against manufacturer XYZ. Does accepting the second job create a conflict of interest for her?
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Code Enforcement - Case No. 98-5
An engineer is in the position of having to trade one safety concern for another.
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Use of Slogans in Political Campaigns - Case No. 98-6
Questions arise concerning whether certain slogans are deceptive and misleading or cause dishonor to the engineering profession.
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Expert Witness Services - Case No. 98-7
An engineer agrees to provide his services as a witness for free as a favor to his attorney friend. The client dismisses his friend as counsel and now the engineer wants to charge for his services.
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Competence to Certify Arms Storage Rooms - Case No. 98-8
An Engineer with no expertise in arms storage is asked by his superior in the army to certify such a room.