NSPE Code of Ethics Case Study (ENGINEER EMPLOYEE’S REFUSAL TO PROVIDE REPORT)

FACTS:

Engineer A, a structural engineer, is an employee of a federal agency responsible for performing inspections and filing reports on certain rehabilitated structures in an urban area. Engineer A’s Supervisor B, a non-engineer, assigned Engineer A the responsibility to inspect and write a report on a building upon which repairs were allegedly conducted. Among the issues that Supervisor B requests Engineer A to address in his report are whether the building will require additional “major, minor or additional structural work over the life of the building in order to used it in a manner consistent with the public health and safety.” The agency required this information in order to make a determination as to whether to repair or foreclose on the property. Prior to undertaking the work involved, Engineer A, who was not involved in inspecting the building prior to the rehabilitation, requested detailed information from the agency as to the types of structural repairs conducted (e.g., plans, specifications, etc.). The requested information is not available and no funding exists for further investigation. Engineer A tells Supervisor B he would be unable to provide the requested report. Nevertheless, Supervisor B persists in requesting a complete report addressing the issues.

QUESTION:

Was it ethical for Engineer A to refuse to provide the requested report?