Conor's Personal Statement of Commitment to Ethical Principles
- Conor Fitz-Bilic
- Apr 2, 2020
- 3 min read
When deciding that you want to become an engineer you must realise that it is more them just designing and manufacturing a revolutionary new product or being involved in the construction of a new skyscraper, it is the ethical responsibility that you undertake when you finally complete your degree and become the chartered engineer you've always dreamed of being.
The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) have jointly created a statement of ethical principles with the Engineering Council (EC) for all engineering professionals. "Engineering professionals work to enhance the wellbeing of society. In doing so they are required to maintain and promote high ethical standards and challenge unethical behaviour" [1][2]. Following from this statement four fundamental principles are outlined for ethical behaviour and decision making. The principles are: Honesty and integrity; Respect for life, law, the environment and public good; Accuracy and rigour; and finally leadership and communication. Alongside this, these principles are also upheld by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) who of which go into great detail disclosing the specifics of how engineers should act and have a host of information when defining the code of ethics for engineers [3], hence why I have chosen them to guide me alongside the other resources on how engineers should ethically act within the industry.
As a student and soon to be graduate engineer I have always tried to implement this in the workplace and in life. I have always tried to act in a manner that includes openness, fairness, honesty and integrity. Throughout the micromouse project for example I have always respected my peers confidentiality, and work has always be mindful of maintaining respect within the group. If there were any conflicts of interests, as team manager I would bring these to light and as a team we would discuss said problem and overcome it whilst maintain integrity. Every team is only as strong as there weakest member so therefore by ensuring everyone is on the same page and performing tasks that best suit their skill set we shall succeed. I personally feel that being honest with employers and maintaining integrity throughout my future career is how I will succeed within the industry and is something I will always try to incorporate. This ties nicely in the leadership and communication principle as I have always tried to be aware of any issues and confronted them head on whilst clearly conveying all my decisions. The respect and accuracy principles are possibly the two most important as they determine the public safety and also the environmental impact which can only be achieved if your skills are up to date and you have rigorously checked over everything and made sure that everything is correct and has the least negative impact possible. These two principles should never be over looked as an engineering professional as they are the what determines how successful your work is.
As an aspiring electronic and electrical engineering I must comply to the standard set by the accrediting body, the IET. Taken directly from the IET's professional ethics page of the website they sate that "Being a professional engineer means that the wider public trust you to be competent and to adhere to certain ethical standards" [4]. There are 34 rules of conduct set out by the IET and although they may not cover every situation they help as much as they can to guide an Engineering professional such as myself to act accordingly and support IET members to take an ethical stance when balancing the often conflicting interests and demands of employers, society and the environment.
When it comes to it, the responsibility for professional and personal decisions and action rests with the individual that has committed to making the decisions so therefore in my remaining time as a student and when I enter my career I will do my best to consult and comply to all the principle set out by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the IET to ensure all the work I complete is to the highest standard keeping everybody and especially the environment in mind.
[1] Royal Academy of Engineering statement of ethical principles [Internet]. Royal Academy of Engineering; 2017 Jul. Statement of Ethical Principles [Internet]; 2017 July [cited 2020 Apr 2]. Available from:
[2] Statement of Ethical Principles [Internet]. Engineering Council; 2017 July. [cited 2020 Apr 2]. Available from:
[3] Code of Ethics for Engineers [Internet]. National Society of Professional Engineers; 2019 Jul [cited 2020 Apr 2]. Available from:
[4] Professional ethics [Internet]. IET The Institution of Engineering and Technology; 2019 Oct 3 [cited 2020 Apr 2]. Available from:
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