Code of Consulting Practice

Members of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of Canada shall fulfill their duties with honesty, justice and courtesy towards Society, Clients, other Consulting Engineers and Employees.

Society

• Members shall practice their profession with concern for the health, safety and social and economic well-being of Society;
• Members shall conform to all applicable laws, by-laws and regulations;
• Members shall satisfy themselves that their designs and recommendations are safe and sound and, if their engineering judgement is overruled, shall report the possible consequences to the clients, owners and, if necessary, the appropriate public authorities;
• Members expressing engineering opinions to the public shall do so in a complete, objective, truthful and accurate manner; and
• Members should participate in civic affairs and work for the benefit of their community and should encourage their employees to do likewise.

Clients

• Members shall discharge their professional responsibilities with integrity and complete loyalty to the terms of their assignments;
• Members shall accept only those assignments for which they are competent or for which they associate with other competent experts;
• Members shall disclose any conflicts of interest to their clients;
• Members shall respect the confidentiality of all information obtained from their clients; and
• Members shall obtain remuneration for their professional services solely through fees commensurate with the services rendered.

Other Consulting Engineers

• Members shall relate to other consulting engineers with integrity, and in a manner that will enhance the professional stature of consulting engineering;
• Members shall respect the clientele of other consulting engineers and shall not attempt to supplant them when definite steps have been taken towards their employment.
• Members shall compete fairly with their fellow consulting engineers, offering professional services on the basis of qualifications and experience; and
• Members engaged by a client to review the work of another consulting engineer, shall inform that engineer of their commission, and shall avoid statements which may maliciously impugn the reputation or business or the engineer.

Employees

• Members shall treat their employees with integrity, provide for their proper compensation and require that they conform to high ethical standards in their work;
• Members shall encourage their employees to enhance their professional qualifications and development; and
• Members shall not request their employees to take responsibility for work for which they are not qualified.