ABSTRACT
Human error and safety specialists assume a rather special duty to exercise something more than ordinary care in the performance of work tasks and the expression of opinions. The duty is a moral obligation that is owed to others who might be harmed by the actions or inactions of the expert specialist. This is an obligation to the general public, particularly those in direct contact with a particular product, process, or system. The duty to peform in a competent manner
is also an obligation to the immediate client, employer, and sometimes to a regulatory government agency. The duty may be codified in ethics rules, principles of professional responsibility, codes of ethics, the common law, or legislative statutes.
