Ethics Section Chapter 2 Regulation of

the Engineering Profession

Purpose of regulation, or government control, is to protect the safety of the public,
and restrict unqualified people from practising, and to discipline unscrupulous
practitioners
Each province regulates the professions respectively

Legal Definition of Engineering

Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE) defined a national definition
of what professional engineering is
Each province and territory defines the term slightly
Some provinces, like BC and Quebec, include a list of machines or structures that
are within the engineers area of practice
In Ontario, the definition of professional engineering is the following:
o Any act of designing, composing, evaluating, advising, reporting,
directing or supervising wherein the safeguarding of life, health, property
or the public welfare is concerned and that requires the application of
engineering principles, but does not include practising as a natural
scientist
Difference between engineering and scientific principles or technological
principles is in the depth and purpose of the study
For engineering, the CEAB defines engineering principles to be the following:
o Identifying those programs that develop an individuals ability to use
appropriate knowledge and information to convert, utilize and manage
resources optimally through effective analysis, interpretation and decision
making. This ability is essential to the design process that characterizes
the practice of engineering
Engineering principles use mathematics, basic science, and engineering science
appropriate to the specific discipline
However, these concepts must be applied to the goal of optimal use of resources
in the design process
Engineering differs from science mainly due to the goal of study
o Engineering involves putting scientific phenomena and principles into
practical application
o Differs from technology mainly in the depth of study, and application of
the appropriate subjects

Provincial and Territorial Associations of Professional Engineers:

For each province or territory, they have a self-governing association of
professional engineers
The name of the province is included in the name of the association
Each act is closed, and a license is required to practice engineering in very
province and territory
 Regulations, by-laws and a code of ethics is written for each province or territory
Regulations are rules set up to implement, or support, the Act. It describes things
like what qualifications you need to be admitted into the Association, and
professional conduct
By-laws are rules set up to administer the association itself
Code of ethics is a set of rules of personal conduct to guide professional
engineers. Every engineer must be familiar with the code of ethics for the
respective province or territory

Admission to the engineering profession:

Each provincial association admits applicants to the profession by registering
them as members of the Association and granting them licenses to practice
Applicant is typically admitted to the profession and awarded a P.Eng. if they
satisfy 6 conditions
o Citizenship: Must be a citizen of Canada or a permanent resident
o Age: Must be the legal age of majority in the province
o Education: Applicant must prove compliance with the academic
requirements
o Examinations: A professional practice exam must be written, and
additional academic ones may be required as well
o Experience: Applicant must prove compliance with experience
requirements
o Character: Applicant must be of good character

Nature:
Engineering experience is expected to be similar to the applicants area of
academic study
However, if there is an incompatibility, the Association may ask why this
incompatibility exists, and may require additional experience or additional studies
before granting a license
o For example, a mech. Eng. Graduate working in an electrical field

Examinations:
For candidates who havent completed university-level engineering degrees may
apply for admission to the engineering profession
However, they will have to write examinations that make up for the deficiencies
in their academic qualifications
In Ontario, they must have at least a three-year engineering technologist diploma

Professional Practice Exam:

Most applicants, regardless of their academic qualifications, membership in other
associations or previous courses taken, must pass an examination covering
professional practice, law, contracts, liability, and ethics

Non-resident or Temporary Licenses

 Most provinces offer two types of engineering licenses: Full membership for
residents of the province, and non-resident or temporary licenses
To obtain a temporary or non-resident license in Ontario, you must show the
following:
o That youre a member of an association of professional engineers in a
another province or territory of equal admission requirements
o Youre qualified to work on the specified project, and are familiar with the
applicable codes, standards and laws relevant to the project
o Widely recognized in practising professional engineering relevant to the
project
o You must collaborate with a member of the association in completing the
project, unless youre highly qualified

The Engineers Seal:

In every province, the Professional Engineering act provides each engineer to
have a seal denoting that they are licensed
All final drawings, specs, plans, reports, and other documents involving the
practice of professional engineering should bear their signature and the seal of the
professional engineering who prepared and approved them
Only when the document is in its final form does it need to be signed and sealed
The seal implies that the document was competently prepared, and indicates that
the person who prepared them is responsible for them
Seal denotes that documents have been both prepared and approved by the person
who sealed them
An engineer who seals and/or signs documents where they werent prepared by
themselves, or by technical assistants under their direct supervision may be guilty
of professional misconduct and may also be liable for fraud or negligence if this
results in someone suffering from damages

Engineering Code of Ethics:

Every provincial association has a code of ethics that sets out a standard of
conduct that members must follow in the practice of engineering
Each code defines the duties of the engineer to the public, to the employer (or
client), to fellow engineers, to the engineering profession, and to themselves.
The major purpose of the code is to protect the general public from unqualified
engineers

Professional Misconduct:
The main purpose for associations for professional engineers is to protect the
public
As such, it is occasionally necessary to discipline neglectful engineers
Each association has the authority to reprimand, suspend, or expel a member who
is guilty of professional misconduct
Professional misconduct is usually defined as being negligent, incompetent, or
performing corrupt actions
 Each provincial association has staff members, or council members, who receive
complaints, prosecute persons practising engineering under false pretences, and
arrange disciplinary hearings for these people
Disciplinary decisions arent made by staff members, but by the committee of
engineers appointed by the council