Throughout all branches of engineering, ethics is an important topic that must always be considered and kept in mind. The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) and Engineering Council (EC) have created a statement of ethical principles for engineers. The main relevant points for creating the micro mouse are Honesty, Integrity, Leadership and Communication. These are all important parts of ethics since I must be honest with my work making sure to give credit where it is due to those who deserve it and acknowledge when problems arise and actively try to fix them. Also, as the team leader I must be clear to my team as well as others about expectations making sure not to mislead anyone and understand the impacts of one’s actions.
The RAE also have ethical reports and research for engineers and from these I have learnt that ethics mustn’t be ignored as it can lead to many issues as well as safety problems. Due to the possible consequences that can arise from being unethical, I will always try to act in accordance with the guidelines of whatever institution I work for in the future. On top of this, as a member of the IET, I will also try my hardest to follow their rules of conduct. Furthermore, ethics is such a large part of engineering that many groups/societies have dedicated sections to helping engineers meet the standards required. For example, the National Society of Professional Engineers have codes of ethics, split into fundamental section that encases all sections as well as a section for practical ethics and lastly professional obligations. While many of these overlaps greatly with other codes such as the IET and EC they are still all just as relevant.