ENGINEERING AND INTEGRITY

Credit

First and foremost, the issue of integrity is that of morality ln professionalism which places an ethical demand and considerations on the practicing engineers. The prelude to this is that such individuals must be distinguished by a license, charter or registration from a government agency, or charter granting authority and a professional Organization. For example in Nigeria, the Council of Registered Engineers (COREN) becomes very apt. Such a professional body would create and regulate guideline principles for professional conducts. Such codes of ethics are the canon laws which professionals must observe in their daily activities. Furthermore, apart from the maintenance of discipline and regulatory control, professional institutes organize for the education, exchange and dissemination of ideas among its members. Through this process, members avail themselves of accessibility and content to recent developments and corporate innovations and
ideas which hitherto could have been difficult to obtain were they to go it all alone.

Suffice it to note that the main thrusts of the code of ethics for engineers centre on public safety, health and welfare. In other words, engineering practice and services portend danger when they rely on quick Iixes, compromises and cutting comers. There have been recurring cases of collapsed buildings; buildings erected without regards to civil standards or the adoption of substandard building materials and unqualified personnel in the construction industry. There have also been cases of production by many factory companies of substandard steel rods the strength properties that are at variance to quoted values, the importation of fake and substandard electronics antl electrical products which has resulted in fire accidents involving losses of lives and properties. This has been the Nigerian terrible experiences. It is unfortunate that Nigeria is now a dumping ground for all sorts of materials that are deficient in standard from countries where they are produced. The unchecked importation of portable electricity, generatini sets with harmful decibels of noise and vibration as well as the failure of new and rehabilitated roads at early stages of their design lives. failure/collapse of inadequately designed and poorly constructed bridges along the nations’ highways, supply of refurbished electriciti transformers as new with associated power distribution problems pollution challenges resulting from manufacturing activities as well a5 oil and mineral exploration which result in ecological damage.

Credit