PEO's Code of Ethics and Duties

PEO's Code of Ethics

• Section 77 of Regulation 941 of the Professional Engineers Act outlines the ethical guidelines.
• These guidelines serve as an ideal for professional engineers.
• The Code of Ethics guides PEO members in professional conduct with clients, employers, employees, associates, and the public.

Duties of a Practitioner

• A practitioner's duty extends to the public, employer, clients, other members of the profession, and acting with fairness.
• Fairness and loyalty should be shown to associates, employers, clients, subordinates, and employees.
• Fidelity to public needs is essential.
• Devotion to high ideals of personal honour and professional integrity are important.
• Practitioners should have knowledge of developments in their area of engineering relevant to their services.
• Competence is required in the performance of professional engineering services.
• O.Reg.48/92 is referenced in relation to the performance of professional engineering services.

Obligations of a Practitioner

• A practitioner must regard the public welfare as paramount.
• Practitioners should enhance the public regard for the profession, extend public knowledge, and discourage untrue or exaggerated statements about professional engineering.
• Practitioners should not express public opinions on professional engineering matters without adequate knowledge and honest conviction, especially as a witness in legal settings.
• Practitioners should keep their license, temporary license, limited license, or Certificate of Authorization permanently displayed at their place of business.

Professional Conduct

• Practitioners are required to act as faithful agents or trustees for their employers in engineering matters.
• Confidential information about an employer's business affairs and technical processes must be protected, avoiding conflicts of interest.
• Practitioners must immediately disclose any direct or indirect interest that could be prejudicial to their professional judgment to their client.
• Employee-engineers contracting in their own name for work outside their employer must provide clients with written disclosure of their employment status, limitations, and ensure no conflict of interest with their employer, also informing the employer.
• Cooperation with other professionals on projects is required.

Interactions with Other Practitioners

• Practitioners must treat others with courtesy and good faith.
• Reviewing another practitioner's work for the same employer should only occur with their knowledge or when their connection to the work is terminated.
• Maliciously injuring the reputation or business of another practitioner is prohibited.
• Gaining an advantage over other practitioners through commissions is forbidden.
• Practitioners should give proper credit for engineering work, uphold adequate compensation, provide professional development opportunities, and extend the profession through information exchange.

Maintaining Professional Integrity

• Practitioners must maintain the honour and integrity of their profession and expose unprofessional conduct before the proper tribunals without fear or favor.
• Regulations R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 941, s. 77 and O. Reg. 48/92, s. 1 are relevant to these principles.