All members will follow and adhere to the Institute of Chartered Technical Practitioners of Canada's Code Of Ethics and the Professional Engineer's Act, as applicable. Any infraction of the Institute's Code of Ethics or a breach of the Professional Engineer's Act will result in severe penalties and possible litigations. In support of the Institute's Code of Ethics, all members of the ICTPC, without exceptions, will be cognizant of the following:

1. The ownership of the Membership Certificate
2. The use of Software Design Tools
3. Guidelines to the reporting of Unsafe Incidents

The Certificate of membership is an "Instrument" of the Institute of Chartered Technical Practitioners of Canada and remains at all times the property of the Institute. It is loaned to the member for him/her to display either at home or workplace.

On becoming a member of the Institute, he/she will sign a document acknowledging ownership of the Certificate of Membership by the Institute of Chartered Technical Practitioners of Canada and by doing so accept the conditions of its issuance.

On receipt of the certificate it must not be altered or damaged in any way, but suitably framed and displayed with pride in full view.

Should the Certificate become lost for any reason, that member must re-apply for a replacement certificate to the Executive Board of the Institute giving a full account and the reasons for its loss. If the Executive Board is satisfied that the request is a reasonable one, a replacement Certificate-with the words "REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE" will be clearly printed in small font capitalized letters at the bottom of the certificate. A small charge to cover office expenses and postage may be requested by the Registrar for this replacement.

On ceasing to become a "bone fide" (a member in good standing) due to default in paying his/her yearly membership fee and in the event that an acceptable reason cannot be given, that member will be requested "in writing" to return the certificate to the Institute within a period of one calendar month from the date the letter was issued.

Should a member be found in breach of any of the principles laid down in the Code of Ethics of the Institute of Chartered Technical Practitioners of Canada, he/she will be subjected to some or all the conditions stated in Para #28-Subsection 1 to 4 inclusive, of the Institute's Code of Ethics titled "Violations of the ICTPC's Code of Ethics"

Members retain the right to withdraw their membership from the Institute of Chartered Technical Practitioners of Canada at any time. They can do this simply by issuing in writing a clear "statement of intent" and enclosing their Certificate of membership and all other "Instruments of Membership" which are the property of the Institute.

To ensure that Software as a "tool" is: a) used safely, b) used in conjunction with the current codes and bylaws, etc, and c) used to prove the Judgment rendered is correct.

TERMS:

1. "Software" refers to a) ANY off the shelf software, b) ANY freeware, or c) ANY spreadsheet [used to complete technical calculations]
2. "Judgment" refers to ANY situation where Software output can be part of a decision, or opinion that can "influence" the outcome of a design, or project.

UNDERSTANDING:

Every member of ICTPC shall "strictly adhere" to all of the following guidelines, without exception. An infraction of any part of this guideline shall be an infraction of the ICTPC's Code of Ethics.

METHOD: To follow a scientific approach and document the problem and Judgment based on the output of a Software "tool".

DOCUMENTATION:

To be completed with as much detail as "reasonably acceptable" to prove: a) ones intent and understanding of the problem, and b) to allow an "adequate record" to be maintained, so this can be used at ANY future date for whatever reason.

Step #1: Identify the problem to be solved. Use a problem statement, including any sketches, or drawings etc, so that the nature of the problem can be "clearly understood". Include ALL relevant information used for the problem.

Step #2: Provide a "complete" copy of a) Input and b) Output from the Software. Illustrate any "constraints" applied, etc... Include any diagrams, or illustrations generated by the Software. Illustrate any other observations as is required to frame the intent of the problem and method of solution.

Step #3: Provide a "minimum" of TWO means to illustrate the magnitude of the output is correct and accurate. One of these means MUST be with a "detailed Step by Step" hand calculation. One must reference all the relevant "current" codes pertaining to the problem in order to render a SAFE Judgment. All calculations are to be based on "accepted practice". [ie: Equation xx, pg. xx - List text........Code Clause xx, pg xx........Code used, etc..]

Step #4: Clearly state ANY assumptions made and any contributions to the parameters of the problem by others - including sketches and drawings, etc. State any conclusions made to aid in the Judgment rendered.

Step #5: Keep a "separate" and COMPLETE copy of this documentation with your normal design brief, so that it can be used at ANY later date.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Software is only a "tool". It can NEVER take the place of a competent member utilizing the proper equations, or relevant current codes and bylaws required to solve the problem. Anyone not willing to "document" one's Judgment when using software shall NOT use Software as a "tool" to help render that Judgment. The Institute assumes that members using Software as a "tool" understands the required THEORY in which the Software operates and that proper documentation is prudent for every problem where Software is utilized to aid in a final Judgment.

A Ten Step Process Towards Making An Ethical Decision:

This generalized ten-step process is designed to help ICTPC members make an ethical decision in any situation. Many situations are very complex and these steps are rather simplistic in nature, but will at least give one a method for tackling this type of decision. These steps can be of help particularly where pressure, deadlines, quotas, or large sums of money are involved. They are as follows:

Step 1: Understand The Problem in Question:

Does the ethical issue involve a violation of any of the codes, regulations, statutes, acts, or specifications? If you think it does, then you should personally verify all the ramifications of that violation and ensure that you understand exactly how this is done. This may require falling back on a mathematical calculation [or using software] and determining what this violation may mean in terms of safety. If you are a member and you are working with a Professional Engineer, you should present your findings to this engineer for his/her opinion on the problem you have discovered. If you are not working with an engineer, then you should gather all of the evidence, including your calculations, and be sure that what you suspect is actually the case and present it to your immediate supervisor or the person in charge.

Step 2: Determine The limits, or Parameters of The Problem:

Using a scientific method and acceptable engineering practice, determine the limits of the problem. Exactly what will be "expected" to happen if these limits, or parameters are exceeded? Document an exhaustive attempt at all the possible scenarios that can occur with this situation.

Step 3: What Ethical Issue Is Violated?:

Read through the Institute's Code of Ethics carefully and establish which issue(s) is/are involved. Compare the issue(s) with the problem in question. What is the "expected" if the issue(s) are not addressed? Can a catastrophic failure occur? Will there be an injury, or loss of life? Will there be a loss of large sums of money? Does the violation concern the Codes, or improper use of software? Do you see a design that is unsafe? This "guideline" is concentrating on safety, since this is the paramount ethical concern.

Step 4: Determine Who Will Be Affected By This Violation:

Will the general public be affected? Will a co-worker, or co - workers be affected? Will a client be affected? You must determine whom you think will be affected if the violation(s) is/are not addressed. These individuals will have a legitimate interest in your concerns, since they may affect them.

Step 5: Evaluate All The Facts Very Carefully:

Make sure that you are comparing 'apples with apples.' Some organizations use different standards. Make sure that the evidence from your problem deals with the appropriate statutes, regulations, or codes, etc.. A good approach would be to voice your concerns to your superiors and determine if there are any objections to your understanding of the problem at hand and the ethical violation(s) you suspect. Do they consider this a problem, or not? Why?

Step 6: Evaluate the Information Gathered from Your Co - Workers And Superiors:

Does what they are telling you make sense? Do the statements conflict with your moral obligation to do the right thing? If so, how? Re- Check your HAND calculations [or software output] based on what they are saying in order to determine if they could be correct. Re - Check your statues, regulations, or codes, etc.. to ensure that your concerns are correct. Carefully document all of your concerns and responses from your co - workers and superiors.

Step 7: Determine What You Intend To Do:

The hard part of this process is to determine that you "know" a violation, or violations may occur or have occurred. As a member of the ICTPC, you must ensure that any third party is safe at all times. You are bound to do the right thing, or make the ethical decision to ensure this safety.

Step 8: Prepare A Detailed Report:

Your report should consist of: 1) Introduction, 2) Preamble, 3) Details of the problem, 4) Calculations and attachments - with references to the relevant codes, or specifications, etc., 5) Ethical Concerns, 6) Recommendations and 7) Conclusions. Include illustrated drawings and photos [if possible] where applicable. Make copies from related sections of the codes, and specifications, etc.. and compare them to your calculations. This should be a professional report outlining "all" of your concerns in detail.

Step 9: Present Your Report To Your Superiors:

Allow them, what you consider to be a "reasonable" length of time [based on the severity of the problem] to respond. They may decide to fix the problem and provide you with the proof of its remedy. Most organizations do not willfully try to cause anyone any harm. They may not be aware of the problem, or the violation(s). The policy of the organization may be different from the actions of some workers, or managers. When presented to the proper people, this could be solved very quickly. If this is not resolved in a "reasonable" time that you determine is critical to the problem, then you must take it out of the organization and "blow the whistle" in order to ensure that the proper authorities are aware of this situation.

Step 10: Make Sure You Have Made The Right Decision:

Are you absolutely certain [based on a verification of Hand calculations and/or software output - where required] that you "know" you are correct? Are you certain that you understood the problem correctly? Have you been honest and truthful in every aspect of the process? Have you evaluated how you intend to make this public [assuming your organization will not solve this problem]? Are you able to work in an environment "knowing" that this will not be addressed by your organization? Making the ethical decision is not always easy; it has its consequences. Knowing that you have done the right thing and being able to sleep at night without the "fear" of knowing that the safety of the public may be at stake can justify such decision.

Important Note: Doing the "right thing" has absolutely nothing to do with a) monetary gain, b) politics, c) status, d) friendship, or e) loyalty. All ICTPC members are BOUND to report any incidence that may cause harm to any third party, regardless of the outcome to the member in question. Failure to do so, by any member, shall be considered a breach of the ICTPC's Code of Ethics and may be a breach of other Statutes in Law.