IMechE’s Code of Conduct covers the fundamental behaviors that every member must abide by.
As a professional body, it promotes high standards of ethical conduct among its members to:
- Protect the public members
- Protect its members
- Uphold the reputation of IMechE and the broader engineering profession
Its By-laws and Code of Conduct are its ethical standards, which apply to its all members. The Code of Conduct Instructions offer further guidance to the regulations.
It expects its members to refer to the Code regularly and act as per the Code throughout their membership, whether in a personal or professional capacity, irrespective of their status, the professional role they perform, or the countries in which they work.
The following are the four principles of its Code of Conduct:
- Work with competency and main up-to-date knowledge and skills:
Acting with care and competence:
- You must maintain professional knowledge and maintain a record of continuing professional development.
- You have to only take up professional services in areas of current competence
- You should disclose any related limitations on the competence to take on professional work
- You are expected to quantify and limit risk in all aspects of professional work, including with those who are working under your authority
- You must make sure that you maintain adequate professional indemnity insurance either via an employer or personally
- Act with integrity and respect for others:
You must act with integrity and in a trustworthy manner:
- Don’t intentionally mislead or not allow others to be misled.
- You must respect confidentiality obligations express or implied.
- It is expected of you to present and review engineering proof, theory, and interpretation honestly, accurately, and without bias.
- Don’t implicate the Institution in written or oral correspondence.
- You must declare conflicts of interest.
- Don’t accept bribery, and you should record gifts or hospitality received.
- You must avoid deceptive acts and refrain from corrupt practices.
- Promote sustainability:
You must engage responsibly with the environment:
- You, as an IMechE member, need to recognize the importance of socioeconomic and environmental factors.
- It is expected from you to adhere to obligations for health and safety and environmental protection.
- You must consider the requirements of a diverse environment, while never knowingly exploiting natural resources.
- You will be expected to balance the requirements of the present with the requirements for future generations.
- Exercise engineering leadership:
You must contribute positively to the public perception of the profession:
- You need to pay contributions to public discussion on engineering matters within your own area of competence and in an objective, truthful and clear manner.
- It is expected from you to take positive action encountering unmanaged risk or malpractice.
- You must advocate and support the extension of ethical practices and respect the reputation and rights of others.
- You must encourage and support diversity within the industry.
So, you can have an idea of the responsibility of adhering to some ethical rules coming with attaining IMechE membership.
