Ethics Flashcards
List examples of ethical situations that may arise for a professional engineer.
- bribery
- fraud
- environmental protection
- fairness
- honesty
- conflict of interest
What was the root cause of the Florida University bridge collapse?
Overestimated the strength of a critical section while underestimating the load.
As engineers, why is it important to study ethics?
We have a responsibility to the public’s health and safety, business, and environment.
How is ethics regulated among Peng’s?
- Licensing is no longer voluntary
- Only qualified professionals are admitted
- Established standards of professional practice and code of ethics
- negligent or incompetent practitioners are disciplined.
What country was the first to regulate engineers?
USA, Wyoming, 1907
Define the Practice of Professional Engineering
Any act of planning, designing, composing, evaluating, advising, reporting, directing or supervising, or managing any of the foregoing, that requires the application of engineering principles and that concerns the safeguarding of life, health, property, economic interests, the public welfare, or the environment.
What is the difference between regulations and bylaws?
Regulations: rules that clarify the Act
Bylaws: rules governing the operation of the Association
The Bre-X mining fraud occurred over what period of time?
1993-1997
Bre-X Minerals Limited was a mining company based where?
Calgary
Who was the founder, chairman, and CEO of Bre-X minerals?
David Walsh
Where was the location of the gold deposit discovered by Bre-X minerals in May of 1993?
Busang, Indonesia
Prior to the gold deposit discovery in Busang, Bre-X stock prices were valued at mere pennies. By September 1996 what had the value risen to?
$200
Who was John Felderhof and what was his degree?
John Felderhof held a degree in geology from Dalhousie Univerisity and was the chief geologist of Bre-X Minerals. He has since declared that his role in the company was merely that of an administrator.
Who was Michael de Guzman? What was his role with Bre-X?
Michael de Guzman was Bre-X’s #2 geologist. He ran four Bre-X camps in Indonesia.
Who was Cesar Puspos?
The geologist who reportedly supervised much of the work at the Busand gold mine.
By 1997, what was the official reserve estimate for the Busang mine?
Felderhof claimed 200 million ounces of gold.
What was one of the main situations that attracted world attention to the fraud of Busang?
Michael de Guzman committed suicide by jumping from a helicopter en route to a meeting with a geological team to discuss discrepancies in the test results.
How had Bre-X orchestrated the fraud in claiming that the Busang mine was worth approx $70 Billion in terms of 1997 gold prices?
The core samples that were drilled by Bre-X had had gold found in local rivers added to the samples to create a false image of the mine’s gold content.
How was the Bre-X fraud discovered?
A company based in strathcona was hired to give an impartial analysis of the gold samples. Freeport Inc drilled holes directly beside the Bre-X holes and found very different results.
How did Bre-X further breach sampling protocol?
Typically when drill cores are removed from the ground half is tested and the other half is stored in case it is needed for further testing. Bre-X did not do this.
Who is suspected to have orchestrated the salting of the Bre-X core samples?
Michael de Guzman since he was the senior person responsible for the drill core samples.
What is the estimated total loss to investors of the Bre-X fraud?
$6 billion
Discussion*: Who should be more concerned about the welfare of the public: the professional person or the average person? Does professional status impose additional responsibilities? Should people in positions of great trust, whose actions could harm the public, obey a higher code of ethics?
Most answers could be considered right as long as it is properly justified
While everyone should be concerned with how their actions may effect the welfare of the public it is justifiable that the professional person should be more concerned. Based on Mill’s utilitarianism and the assumption that the professional person’s actions have a more powerful effect than those of the average person (i.e. effects a larger number of people) it is reasonable to expect the professional to obey a higher code of ethics
