ABSTRACT
Engineers in different activities face different problems during the course of their professional careers. It is obvious that the procurement people face the most seri ous temptations. Engineers in different specialties must face different sets of prob lems, if the experience of the professional societies is an indication. As noted elsewhere, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers had no reported incidents of violations of the code of ethics, while the American Society of Civil Engineers reported a substantial number had occurred each year. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) was not willing to release any informa tion. They have had one very serious case resulting in substantial awards to the plaintiff. The case involved an interpretation which stated that the Hydrolevel system of stack vent closure did not comply with the requirements of a standard. As a result the Hydrolevel system was not profitable. This case resulted in a substantial loss for the ASME. The American National Standards Institute settled with the plaintiff, Hydrolevel, for about $50,000 long before the case went to trial. The ASME suffered a loss of millions. (See additional references to this case in Chapter 3.)
The ASQC has had several incidents referred to the Ethics Committee, but these did not involve the society in a legal suit.
