The results of an independent national audit of ethical behaviour in UK engineering have been launched during a webinar. The event was hosted by The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) and included publication of a profession-wide response to the review.

The audit was one of the actions proposed in the 2022 report 'Engineering Ethics: maintaining society’s trust in the engineering profession' that the Engineering Council and RAEng agreed to take forward with the support of the professional engineering institutions.

The independent findings in the ‘Ethics in the Engineering Profession’ audit found that the UK engineering profession has a good foundation of ethical practice, that ethical behaviour compares favourably with the wider workforce, and that engineers and technicians take ethics very seriously. However, there is also variation in the support for ethical practice across the industry that must be addressed in a coordinated fashion.

The audit was carried out by GoodCorporation and involved asking more than 2,000 individuals, companies, and professional institutions about their experience of ethical practice and compared the experience of engineers and technicians with over 3,000 responses from those in other careers and sectors.

The key findings were that:

• Eighty per cent of engineers and technicians surveyed said their organisations have a strong ethical culture and that operating responsibly is a priority, compared with 66% of the general UK workforce who believe this about their own organisation.
• Some 94% of engineers agreed that serious adverse impacts on safety should be reported, regardless of any possible effect on their career, while 84% of engineers and technicians were mindful of how their work affects the environment, compared with 65% of the UK working population questioned.
• Some company cultures can make engineers and technicians feel dissuaded from actively raising bad news or concerns in the workplace. For example,
  • One third of engineers and technicians report the work they undertake makes them feel ethically compromised.
  • 44% say profitability is sometimes prioritised over fitness-for-purpose.
  • 35% say they are asked to take shortcuts they feel are unacceptable.
• Engineers and technicians in larger companies have more support when it comes to ethics than those working in smaller firms. Engineering businesses rank the safety, health and wellbeing of workers, business integrity and cybersecurity as the most relevant ethical risks for their organisations, and report being well prepared to address risks in these areas. Many companies also recognise the increasing relevance of such risks in their supply chains and are working to mitigate them. The engineering profession and the individual institutions that make up the professional landscape are actively working on ethics but there is scope for a more unified and comprehensive approach.

After consulting widely with the professional engineering institutions about the audit’s findings, a collective response was published from the engineering profession that accepts the key findings and welcomes the valuable insights it offers.

The response commits the profession to working with its constituent bodies and other partners in engineering to undertake the following:

• Build within the profession a greater awareness of, and alignment with, the Engineering Council and Royal Academy of Engineering’s Statement of Ethical Principles
• Map the roles and responsibilities for the various stakeholders in UK engineering regarding ethics
• Explore how smaller engineering companies can be better supported to develop and embed the resources necessary for ethical practice
• Improve ethics resources developed for professional engineers and technicians to use as part of their Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Examine mandating minimum requirements for ethics-related CPD among professionally registered engineers and technicians
• Assess the availability of channels for UK engineers and technicians to call out bad practice and consider the need for a prescribed body to support this
• Create better links between professional engineering institutions and employers/companies across UK engineering.

The panellists on the webinar included the Engineering Council’s Chair, Prof Chris Atkin, who highlighted the importance of professional registration, saying: “Registration starts with a self-audit and an audit by your peers of your capabilities, your competences and your commitment and that includes, obviously, your commitment to ethical conduct. It includes a commitment to Continuing Professional Development, likewise…as professionals we are on a journey to improve ethical standards and we don’t want to take a minority of practitioners with us, we want to take a community with us.”

Engineering Council CEO Paul Bailey said: “We welcome this insight into ethical conduct across the profession and will continue to work with the professional engineering community to encourage adherence to ethical practice by companies and individuals.”

To find out more about the audit and response and to read them in full, please visit the RAEng website.

The Engineering Council publishes guidance for the profession, including a Statement of Ethical Principles and Guidance on Whistleblowing, available to download from our website.

For press enquiries:
Helen Potts, Engineering Council – hpotts@engc.org.uk, 020 3206 0568

The Engineering Council holds the national Register of Engineering Technicians (EngTech), Incorporated Engineers (IEng), Chartered Engineers (CEng) and Information and Communication Technology Technicians (ICTTech). It also sets and maintains the internationally recognised standards of competence and ethics that govern the award and retention of these titles. By this means it is able to ensure that employers, government and wider society, both at home and overseas, can have confidence in the skills and commitment of registrants. For more information visit: www.engc.org.uk