what are the ethics, morality and professionalism of an engineer?

Question

In your opinion, what are the ethics, morality and professionalism of an engineer? Do you think it is important for the undergraduates to know about it and why? What are the positive qualities that a professional engineer should have?

Answer 1

I think it should be stressed thoughout the training.
I was involved as a technician at a water plant once. The engineers wanted to buy this new pump to replace three pumps we've had for many years. There was nothing wrong with the old pumps. I looked at the diagrams of the new pumps and saw that the seals were oil cooled. The old pumps were water cooled and these pumps were supposed to supply the plant with water from the river so sand would be coming through those pumps. When the rubber seals fail, oil will be coming into the plant. The sand was sure to make the rubber seals fail. I told the engineers who held up their noses at me because I don't have the education they have. They wouldn't listen.
The pumps lasted three months. We had to shut down the plant and make Ft. Benning ration out their water by day until we put the old pumps back in.
If the engineers had even looked at what I was stressing, we would have saved a lot of money and heartache.