Professional Engineering: Rules Of Conduct

There are numerous rules of conduct for a professional engineer. Rules of Conduct according to the Engineering Profession Act.46 of 2000 are summarised below (http://efundi.nwu.ac.za)
• Ethics
- Competency: They must have the needed skills, professionalism, knowledge, and competence for the work they accept and they must perform their tasks with the same standards and only engage acceptable practises.
• Integrity
-They must do their work with honesty and integrity.
-They must not practice in a work environment where they cannot do their work according to professional standards.
-They may not receive bribes or participate in corrupt practices.
-They must have a written work agreement with their employers and/or clients.
-They may not receive

-They may not seek work in an unprofessional manner.
-May not leek out confidential information, unless ordered to do so by law. -They must notify the council if another engineer does not act according to the professional act.
• Public Interest
-They must at all times take public health into consideration.
-If a client wants to perform a task that is not safe for the public, the engineer must inform the client of this.
-Must inform the council if a person who is medically infit, still practises as a registered person.
-They must avoid negative impacts on the environment.
• Dignity of the Profession
-Must act according to the dignity and professionalism of engineering.
-They may not damage the professional image of any registered person.
-Their work must be of high quality that is acceptable in the profession.
-May not replace a person in a particular job, after the client has employed such person.
-They may not advertise themselves in self-laudatory manner to receive work.
-They may not review the work of another registered person, unless under special circumstances,
• Administrative
-Must keep all records for 10 years after the completion of

Applications from engineers that have accredited qualifications in terms of the Washington Accord will not have to undergo a detailed evaluation in regard to their qualifications. You have to have at least three years of work experience as an engineer before you may apply. For more detailed information about the ECSA requirements refer to Policy Statement R2/1A and the correlating Discipline Specific guidelines documents for application using the Legacy System Application or the assessment against ECSA Competency Standards for Professional Engineers Document R-02-PE. It is very important to fill the application forms in completely and correctly, as incomplete forms cause a delay in the process. The standard of the application reflects the person’s professionalism. If the applicant’s qualification is recognised and their form is filled in correctly, the applicants experience is evaluated. Copies of the applicant’s application are sent to members of the relevant Professional Advisory Committees