Although there is an engineer code of ethics, it is rarely used or discussed in schools or the workplace.
BY
Contributing Reporter
I was dressed to the nines in a black button-up, a black pencil skirt and black pumps. I was only 15 years old, barely a sophomore in highschool, and my life was about change. Picatinny Arsenal was hosting a women-only job fair for young female students interested in STEM.
It was here, in that outfit that I spent my evening disassembling sniper rifles alongside the lead female engineers who designed the whole project and commanded a team of engineers to complete it. I ran around the base asking questions of anyone wearing uniforms. Standing in front of a table covered in bullet casings & heavy artillery I felt like I had an epiphany. This is what I wanted for the rest of me.
Most college students don’t have to worry about the ethical implications associated with their future careers. As a 19-year old, soon to be a government employee, this idea hit me like a brick. After learning that I might spend the rest my life building warships, I had to sit down and think about it. This was my dream ever since I was 15, but suddenly I felt a strange weight in my chest because the machines I help build can be used to fight other living beings.
When you design weaponry for a living, you are aware of the ramifications of your life’s work. You make the conscious decision to create destructive modes for others. You allow strangers to cause massive amounts of damage, strangers who might have moral and ethical standards that are different from yours.
Except in the military, it is unlikely that you will think about the consequences of your actions if you are contractually required to do a job or task. Every engineering project has a multitude of possible ramifications, none of which are intentional. It is safe to assume that engineers are aware of the potential negative consequences that could be caused by their team.
When a civil engineering team sets up a new construction site, they are often unconscious of the impacts that it will have on the local residents’ physical and mental health. Noise pollution has increased in urban areas due to the increase in industrialization. This has been shown to cause stress, discomfort, fatigue, and fatigue in those who live near industrial structures or construction sites.
These agencies of production can also increase water pollution which can have adverse effects on the health of people, including diarrhea, choleras, dysentery, and hepatitis A. A decrease in natural land has also been a result of increased structural construction projects. This not only impacts the environment, but also the mental well-being of the residents. In contrast to rural areas with more natural vegetation, urban areas are more likely to have higher mental health problems than those in highly industrialized areas. Urban residents are more likely than rural residents to develop depression and anxiety. They also report feeling more lonely, isolated, and stressed.
It is impossible to ignore the negative effects on public health that simple and complex manufacturing processes have on both the environment and the people who use them. Air pollution is a major contributor to the health of humans and the environment. My professor in mechanical engineering at the university says that engineers have made almost all of the things you use every day. However, this can be problematic when engineers are taught to think rationally and not morally.
As an engineer for the military, you will have to adhere to a different code. This will allow you to confront the consequences of your actions and make decisions before the work begins. You must come to terms before you start your first day.
Even as a intern, I had the responsibility of taking the executive branch oath. The oath is written in a very serious tone, which shows how serious a new employee must take this task. This is, first and foremost, a defense job. The oath ends with a loud, “So please God!” The ethical introduction of products that are slowly killing innocent, ignorant individuals is not the case. It becomes an out-of-sight, out-of mind issue because the engineers contracted are not intentionally trying to harm others.
The code of ethics for engineers is not used in schools or in the workplace. The National Society of Professional Engineers developed the code. Its first page is to ensure safety, health and welfare of the public. Engineers would be able to have a better understanding of the projects they are hired to do if this code was used.
The code states that engineers must be honest and trustworthy as members of the engineering profession. Engineering has a direct and vital effect on the quality of human life. This code of ethical clearly outlines the idea that engineers are responsible in many of the technological advances over the past few decades that have made life easier. Engineers are a major contributor to society as it exists today. However, many of our problems today can also be indirectly attributed to them.
As someone who is considering this career, I must ask myself: Would I do something morally questionable if it was paid enough? I have early-onset career anxiety as an engineer. It makes sense that I would have to grapple with these issues as I enter the workforce. I have always been a lover of philosophy and ethics. Most engineers don’t take an ethics class. This is a big mistake. Engineers are usually contracted for these projects. However they must understand the consequences of their work and be able make an informed decision about whether it is worth taking on more risks than making a profit.
It is absurd to think that you can be excused for any wrongdoing just because you are the one who paid you to do something. All engineering students should take classes in college or classes organized by their employers to learn about their specific career path or work project.
Referring to the engineering code, one of its statements affirms that engineers must always strive to serve public interest.
Employed engineers who don’t know the harm to public health that their projects can cause are in direct violation this set of ideals. It is hard to believe that there would be more support for sustainability in the engineering community if there were a greater ethical focus on the projects engineers are being hired for. Engineers should be encouraged and supported to reject projects that don’t conform to their own code of ethics or the overarching engineering code.
