--- title: "Profession, code of ethics, tort and liability" subject: "Engineering Professional Practice" chapter: 2 key: "semester_8/engineering_professional_practice:profession-code-ethics-tort" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/engineering_professional_practice/profession-code-ethics-tort site: BCT Engineering --- # Profession, code of ethics, tort and liability Engineering Professional Practice · Chapter 2: Profession and Ethics - Asked in: 2072 Asoj, 8 marks - Video: [Engineering Ethics: Crash Course Engineering #27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KZx81crb48) — CrashCourse - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/engineering_professional_practice/profession-code-ethics-tort - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_8/engineering_professional_practice/chapter-2 ## Question What is profession? Describe the code of ethics for engineers. Explain tort and liability. ## Short answer A profession is a skilled occupation with a code of ethics and licensing. The engineering code demands safety, honesty, competence, and fair dealings. A tort is a civil wrong like negligence causing loss. Liability is the resultant legal obligation to compensate or be penalized. ## Answer #### Profession A profession is an occupation based on specialised higher education and training, giving skilled service to society, governed by a code of ethics and regulated by a professional body, e.g. engineering, medicine, law. Its features: specialised knowledge, service motive, code of ethics, licence/registration, autonomy, accountability and continuous learning. #### Code of ethics for engineers A code of ethics is a set of principles guiding the conduct of engineers. Main provisions (Nepal Engineering Council code of conduct and general engineering codes): 1. Hold public safety, health, welfare and environment paramount. 2. Work only within one's competence. 3. Be honest and truthful in all statements, reports and estimates. 4. Act as a faithful agent of employer and client; keep confidentiality. 5. Avoid conflict of interest and never take bribes or gifts. 6. Compete fairly; do not injure the reputation of colleagues. 7. Give credit to others' work and share knowledge. 8. Keep professional knowledge and registration up to date. 9. Report violations of code or dangers to public. 10. Uphold the dignity and honour of the profession. #### Tort A tort is a civil wrong (other than breach of contract) that causes injury or loss to another person, for which the court awards compensation (damages). Examples: negligence, nuisance, defamation, trespass. Features: breach of a legal duty fixed by law, harm to a person, remedy by damages or injunction. Engineers are exposed to tort of negligence (duty, breach, causation, damage). #### Liability Liability is the legal responsibility to compensate or be punished for a wrong. Kinds: civil, criminal, contractual, professional (negligence), vicarious (employer for employee) and strict liability. An engineer who causes harm by negligence is liable in tort to pay damages, may be liable under criminal law if gross, and may face discipline by the Council. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. Which feature distinguishes a profession from an ordinary occupation? A. Specialised higher education, a code of ethics and regulation by a professional body B. Earning a high income from the work C. Working only for private firms D. Having no accountability to society Answer: A. A profession rests on specialised training, serves society, and is governed by a code of ethics and a regulating body. (Key point: Profession features) 2. Which provision comes first in the engineers' code of ethics? A. Acting as a faithful agent of the employer B. Holding public safety, health, welfare and environment paramount C. Protecting the reputation of colleagues D. Maximising the client's profit Answer: B. Public safety, health and welfare override duties to employer or colleagues. (Key point: Paramount duty) 3. A tort is best described as: A. A breach of contract punishable by imprisonment B. A crime against the state C. A civil wrong, other than breach of contract, causing injury for which damages are awarded D. Any agreement that is void Answer: C. Tort is a civil wrong outside contract; the remedy is compensation (damages) or injunction. (Key point: Meaning of tort) 4. Which set gives the elements of the tort of negligence? A. Offer, acceptance, consideration, intention B. Novelty, inventive step, application, grant C. Motive, plan, act, punishment D. Duty, breach, causation, damage Answer: D. Negligence needs a duty of care, its breach, causing damage to another. (Key point: Negligence elements) ## Related in Engineering Professional Practice - [Ethics and code of ethics for engineers](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Acode-of-ethics-engineers) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 2, asked 2× - [Profession characteristics, core values, vicarious liability](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Aprofession-characteristics-core-values-vicarious) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 2 - [Negligence, tort, liability, elements](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Anegligence-tort-liability) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 2 - [Ethics and need for code of conduct](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Aethics-why-code-of-conduct) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 2 - [Liabilities engineers most suffer from](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Aliability-engineers-suffer) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 2 - [Importance of society to engineers](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Aman-society-importance-engineer) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 1, asked 2× ## Related in other subjects - [Code of ethics](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Acode-of-ethics) — ICT Project Management, chapter 15 - [Sub-group of engineers, doctors, statisticians](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fprobability_and_statistics%3Aengineers-doctors-statisticians-subgroup) — Probability and Statistics, chapter 1