Ethical Issues

The responsibility of the reliability professional in meeting priorities for the organization includes

• Collecting and analyzing data regarding failures and failure rates.
• Presenting those data and analyses in an understandable format.
• Making sure that the key decision makers have an understanding of the analyses.

Ethics for reliability professional have been listed by the ASQ Code of Ethics which provides useful guidelines and few important ethics, are listed below.

• Will do whatever I can to promote the reliability and safety of all products that come within my jurisdiction. This indicates that the reliability engineer’s responsibilities are not limited to crunching numbers and producing good analyses but include the promotion of product reliability and safety. Example: A design team has decided on a more hazardous configuration against the recommendation of the reliability engineer. What should the reliability engineer do? The engineer must answer the question “Have I done whatever I can to promote the reliability and safety of all products?” If the answer is “no,” then the code of ethics requires further action.
• Will be dignified and modest in explaining my work and merit. This phrase requires that all who subscribe to this code of ethics recognize that their efforts should be expended on objective analysis of facts and not on self-promotion.
• Will preface any public statements that I may issue by clearly indicating on whose behalf they are made. Engineers are frequently called on to apply their expertise to issues not directly related to their employer. These opportunities vary from service on a committee in a professional organization to providing advice on public works projects. When it is necessary to issue a statement in this capacity, the code of ethics requires a disclaimer separating one’s views from those of the employer. On the other side of the coin, when the engineer is asked to speak for the employer, the statement should make that fact clear as well.
• Will inform each client or employer of any business connections, interests, or affiliations which might influence my judgment or impair the equitable character of my services. Professionals of all types make value judgments as part of their responsibilities. This section of the Code of Ethics requires a conscious search to identify any connections that might bias conclusions. In some situations, especially public service, any connection that could even be perceived as a conflict of interest should be divulged.
• Will indicate to my employer or client the adverse consequences to be expected if my professional judgment is overruled. The reliability professional is required to present both good news and bad news scenarios when making recommendations. This equips the decision maker with options, complete with the likely outcomes of each. If hypothesis tests were used to reach conclusions, the significance level should be disclosed. For sampling reports the confidence level and margin of error should be included.
• Will not disclose information concerning the business affairs or technical processes of any present or former employer or client without his consent. This clause says that even in the absence of a confidentiality agreement, the individual is honor bound to act as if one is in place. As a practical matter it may be advisable to have a signed statement from the former employer or client releasing the information.
• Will take care that credit for work of others is given to those whom it is due. This clause requires action on the part of the person preparing or presenting a report. Rather than leaving the report uncredited, which might imply that the credit is due the presenter, the “take care” phrase requires an acknowledgment of those involved. If a team is due credit, the team members should usually be named.