Team Alpha

IET’s Rules of Conduct

 

As of rule no. 14, “Members shall at all times take all reasonable care to limit any danger of death, injury or ill-health to any person that may result from their work and the products of their work”. It is our responsibility as members of the IET and more importantly as engineers to undertake judicious care to minimise any dangers or threats to the community such as death, injury or ill-health as a result from our car.  Furthermore, by doing this, we as members are vindicating the reputation and standing of the institution.  Moreover, as mentioned in rule 11, “ Members shall support colleagues or others to whom they owe a duty of care who in good faith raises any concern about a danger, risk, malpractice or wrongdoing which affects others”, as members of a group it is our responsibility to offer support to our members and help them in raising any concerns about a danger or a risk. Hence, by doing this, all individuals within the group are aware of the dangers of the car (1).

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Guidance to members on whistleblowing

 

As defined by the UK whistleblowing commission, whistleblowing means “the raising of a concern, either within the workplace or externally, about a danger, risk, malpractice or wrongdoing which affects other “.  Firstly, the team would blow the whistle as that is the right thing to do. Moving on, as the group has such a concern, the group holds an ethical responsibility to act while encountering with the design flaw. As members of the professional engineering institution, the team is obliged to respond by following the institution’s code of conduct. Lastly, the team must abide by the laws of the country where they are working. Such are the responsibilities of the group as a whistleblower (2) (3).

 

Furthermore, if the company is a whistleblower, they must inform the team working on the car as soon as possible to avoid more danger for other companies.  Moreover, a meeting must be held with the lead engineer, advisers and the general manager working on the car design along with the engineering company’s board of directors as it is a large-scale problem.

 

 

References:

 

1. Rules of Conduct [Internet]. Theiet.org. 2019 [cited 2 April 2020]. Available from: https://www.theiet.org/about/governance/rules-of-conduct/

2. Whistleblowing: guidance for members [Internet]. Theiet.org. [cited 2 April 2020]. Available from: https://www.theiet.org/membership/professional-values/resources-full/whistleblowing-guidance-for-members/

3. Guidance on Whistleblowing [Internet]. Engc.org.uk. [cited 2 April 2020]. Available from: https://www.engc.org.uk/whistleblowing