GUIDELINES TO PRACTICE

UNDER THE FUNDAMENTAL

CANONS OF ETHICS

By: Lea Angelica D. Baldad

Canon 1
Civil Engineers shall hold paramount the
safety, health and welfare of the public and
shall strive to comply with the principles of
sustainable development in the performance of
their professional duties.
a. Civil Engineers shall recognize that the lives, safety, health
and welfare of the general public are dependent upon
engineering judgments, decision and practices
incorporated into structures, machines, products,
processes and devices.
b. Civil Engineers shall approve or seal only those design
documents reviewed or prepared by them, which are
determined to be safe for public health and welfare in
conformity with accepted engineering standards.

c. Civil Engineers whose professional judgment is overruled

under circumstances where the safety, health and welfare of
the public are endangered, or the principles of sustainable
development ignored, shall inform their clients or employers
of the possible consequences.
d. Civil Engineers who have knowledge or reason to believe
that another person or firm may be in violation of any of
the provisions of Canon 1 shall present such information to
the proper authority in writing and shall cooperate with the
proper authority in furnishing such further information or
assistance as may be required.

e. Civil Engineers should seek opportunities to be of

constructive service in civic affairs and work for the
advancement of the safety, health and well-being of their
communities, and the protection of the environment through the
practice of sustainable development.

g. Civil Engineers should be committed to improving the

environment by adherence to the principles of sustainable
development so as to enhance the quality of life of the
general public.
Canon 2

Civil Engineers shall perform services

only in areas of their competence.
a. Civil Engineers shall undertake to perform engineering
assignments only when qualified by education or experience
in the technical field of engineering involved.

b. Civil Engineers may accept an assignment requiring

education or experience outside of their own fields of
competence, provided their services are restricted to those
phases of the project in which they are qualified. All other
phases of such project shall be performed by qualified
associates, consultants, or employees.

c. Civil Engineers shall not affix their signatures or seals to any

engineering plan or document dealing with subject matter in
which they lack competence by virtue of education or
experience or to any such plan or document not reviewed or
prepared under their supervisory control.
Canon 3

Civil Engineers shall issue public

statements only in an objective and
truthful manner.
a. Civil Engineers should endeavor to extend the public
knowledge of engineering and sustainable development, and
shall not participate in the dissemination of untrue,
unfair or exaggerated statements regarding engineering.

b. Civil Engineers shall be objective and truthful in

professional reports, statements, or testimony. They shall
include all relevant and pertinent information in such
reports, statements, or testimony.

c. Civil Engineers, when serving as expert witnesses, shall

express an engineering opinion only when it is founded
upon adequate knowledge of the facts, upon a
background of technical competence, and upon honest
conviction.
d. Civil Engineers shall issue no statements, criticisms, or
arguments on engineering matters which are inspired or
paid for by interested parties, unless they indicate on
whose behalf the statements are made.

e. Civil Engineers shall be dignified and modest in explaining

their work and merit, and will avoid any act tending to
promote their own interests at the expense of the integrity,
honor, and dignity of the profession.
Canon 4
Civil Engineers shall act in
professional matters for each
employer or client as faithful agents or
trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of
interest.
a. Civil Engineers shall avoid all known or potential conflicts
of interest with their employers or clients and shall
promptly inform their employers or clients of any business
association, interests, or circumstances which could
influence their judgment or the quality of their services.

b. Civil Engineers shall not accept compensation from more

than one party for services on the same project, or for
services pertaining to the same project, unless the
circumstances are fully disclosed to and agreed to, by all
interested parties.

c. Civil Engineers shall not solicit or accept gratuities,

directly or indirectly, from contractors, their agents, or other
parties dealing with their clients or employers in connection
with work for which they are responsible.
d. Civil Engineers in public service as members, advisors, or
employees of a governmental body or department shall not
participate in considerations or actions with respect to
services solicited or provided by them or their organization in
private or public engineering practice.

e. Civil Engineers shall advise their employers or clients

when, as a result of their studies, they believe a project will
not be successful.

f. Civil Engineers shall not use confidential information

coming to them in the course of their assignments as a
means of making personal profit if such action is adverse to
the interests of their clients, employers or the public.

g. Civil Engineers shall not accept professional employment

outside of their regular work or interest without the
knowledge of their employers.
Canon 5
Civil Engineers shall build their
professional reputation on the merit
of their services and shall not compete
unfairly with others.
a. Civil Engineers shall not give, solicit or receive either
directly or indirectly, any political contribution, gratuity or
unlawful consideration in order to secure work, exclusive of
securing salaried positions through employment agencies.

b. Civil engineers should negotiate contracts for professional

services fairly and on the basis of demonstrated competence
and qualifications for the type of professional service required.

c. Civil engineers may request, propose or accept

professional commissions on a contingent basis only under
circumstances in which the professional judgments would not
e compromised.

d. Civil engineers shall not falsify or permit

misinterpretation of their academic or professional
qualifications or experience.
e. Civil engineers shall give proper credit for engineering
work to those to whom credit is due, and shall recognize the
proprietary interest of others. Whenever possible, they shall
name the person or persons who may be responsible for
designs, inventions, writings or other accomplishments.

f. Civil engineers may advertise professional services in a way

that does not contain misleading language or is in other
manner derogatory to the dignity of the profession. Example of
permissible advertising are as follows:

1) Professional cards in recognized, dignified publications,

and listings in rosters or directories published by
responsible organizations, provided that the cards or
listings are consistent in size and content and are in a
section of the publication regularly devoted to such
2) Brochures which factually describe experience, facilities,
personnel and capacity to render service, providing they are not
misleading with respect to the engineers’ participation in
projects described.

3) Display advertising in recognized dignified business and

professional publications, providing it’s factual and is not
misleading with respect to the engineer’s extent of participation
in projects described.

4) A statement of the engineer’s names or the name of the firm or

statement of the type of service posted on projects for which
they render services.

5) Preparation or authorization of descriptive articles for the lay

or technical press, which are factual and dignified. Such
6) Permission by engineers for their names to be used in
commercial advertisements such as may be published by
contractors, material suppliers and etc., only by means of a
modest, dignified notation acknowledging the engineer’s
participation in the project described. Such permission shall not
include public endorsement of proprietary products.

g. Civil engineers shall not maliciously or falsely, directly or

indirectly, injure the professional reputation, prospects,
practice or employment of another engineer or
indiscriminately criticize another’s work.

h. Civil engineers shall not use equipment, supplies,

laboratory or office facilities of their employees to carry on
outside private practice without the consent of their
employers.
Canon 6
Civil engineers shall act in such a
manner as to uphold and enhance
honor, integrity, and dignity of the
civil engineering profession.
a. Civil engineers shall not knowingly act in a
manner which will be derogatory to the honor,
integrity, or dignity of the civil engineering
profession or knowingly engage in business or
professional practices of a fraudulent, dishonest or
unethical nature.
Canon 7
Civil engineers shall continue their
professional development
throughout their careers, and shall
provide opportunities for the
professional development of those
Civil Engineers under their supervision
a. Civil engineers should keep current in their specialty
fields by engaging in professional practice, participating in
continuing education courses, reading in technical literature,
and attending professional meetings and seminars.

b. Civil engineers should encourage engineering employees

to become registered at the earliest possible date.

c. Civil engineers should encourage engineering employees

to attend and present papers at professional and technical
society meetings.

d. Civil engineers shall uphold the principle of mutually

satisfying relationships between employers and employees
with respect to terms of employment including professional
grade descriptions, salary ranges, and fringe benefits.