Interpretations c) and d)

Interpretations (c) and (d) describe steps you could take to uphold the safety, health, and welfare of the public if you believe Canon 1 is being violated, such as informing your clients and employers, or the proper authority. This is commonly called “whistleblowing” and is required, in many cases, by federal and state law. While interpretation (c) is not whistleblowing per se, since it requires only that you inform your clients and employers, it implies that you must determine whether appropriate corrective action has been taken. If not, then interpretation (d) becomes active and whistleblowing is required.

Consider the hypothetical case of an engineer reviewing plans, which have been approved by her supervising engineer, for a pedestrian overpass. When the engineer notices that safety railings are not on the drawings, she has a professional obligation under Canon 1 to alert her client or supervisor. She alerts her supervisor by e-mail, and several weeks later gets a new set of approved plans without the safety railings. Has the engineer satisfied her professional obligation to “hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public”?

A classic case, prepared by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), is “Gilbane Gold.” This short video raises a number of Canon 1 (and Canon 8) issues, and is especially recommended for young engineers.

A real case is that of Inez Austin, who followed interpretation (c) and raised her concerns with direct management and, as time went on, with higher levels of management. When the issue was not resolved to her satisfaction, she made her concerns public and was dismissed from her job.