Improved Public Interest

Background

• Rule 1 of the current APEGA Code of Ethics reads:
  • “Professional engineers and geoscientists shall, in their areas of practice, hold paramount the health, safety and welfare of the public and have regard for the environment.”
• More recent codes of ethics place increased emphasis on protection of the environment.
  • Rule 1 of Engineers Canada’s Code of Ethics reads: “Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and the protection of the environment, and promote health and safety within the workplace”
  • Rule 1(a) of the Association of Science & Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta Code of Ethics reads: “Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public, the protection of the environment and the promotion of health and safety within the workplace”

Why is this important?

• The expectations of the public and government have changed in recent years, placing an increased emphasis on the protection of the environment.
• The government and the public expect APEGA Members and Permit Holders to hold paramount the protection of the environment as part of their professional practices.
• The government and the public expect APEGA, as the professional regulator of Professional Engineers and Professional Geoscientists, to discharge its regulatory responsibilities effectively and in the public interest, including holding its Members and Permit Holders accountable for properly discharging their professional obligations relating to the environment.

Proposed legislative change

• It is recommended that Rule 1 of the APEGA Code of Ethics be amended to read:
  
  “Professional engineers and geoscientists shall, in their areas of practice, hold paramount the health, safety, and welfare of the public and the protection of the environment.”

Redline version of the proposed change

• The exact proposed wording changes showing the strike-through words and the replacement words are shown in redline below:
  
  “Professional engineers and geoscientists shall, in their areas of practice, hold paramount the health, safety and welfare of the public and have regard for the protection of the environment.”