Welcome to your NPPE Quiz-1 1. A professional is best characterized as an individual with significant training and extensive experience in a given field responsibilities for overseeing and controlling the technical quality of work of subordinates competence which results from the responsible and ethical application of expertise a certificate or degree that grants a high level of status resulting from specialized knowledge within a given field None 2. A distinquishing function of the engineering, geology and geophysics professions in industry is in the area of : design, interpretation or analysis technological innovation supervision management of production schedules None 3. The prime consultant on a major multidiscipline project has been publicly criticized for some obvious problems. Some sub consultants working on the project are contacted by a newspaper reporter for comments on the matter. As responsible professionals, in this situation, the sub consultants should: seek legal advice before making a statement advise that they have no knowledge of the matter. provide their personal opinion only advise that all comments must come from the prime consultant who employs them None 4. A professional member under contract to the government, is assigned to work on an environmental protection project. Just as the design phase of the project reaches completion, the government announces a cutback which results in the project being terminated. The professional member has an ethical obligation to: reduce the fee charged for the job in proportion to project completion since the entire job was never actually completed explain the environmental and economic consequences of the termination decision to the government release the details of the possible environmental impact to the public take no action, since it was a government decision to terminate the project None 5. A professional member employed by a company is responsible for a project which requires that an expensive access road. be built through. an environmentally sensitive area. The professional member has an obligation to: minimize the construction costs of the access road in compliance with the company's contract ensure that the company is aware of the environmental constraints affecting road construction and ramifications of noncompliance minimize environmental damage regardless of construction costs resign from the project if the management refuses to abide by environmental requirements and regulations None 6. A year ago, a registered member of a professional association was hired by a company which was developing a highly confidential experimental process. Recently, the member discovered that a safety relief valve on one of the process tanks opens periodically and releases toxic vapours into the atmosphere. The member suspects that the level of toxicity exceeds environmental standards but is not absolutely certain, The member has raised this concern with the employer and has been told that it is ok and not to worry about it. The professional member should: follow the advice of the employer and stop worrying about it seek a second opinion from a professional outside the firm report this concern to the environmental authorities because the member could be held personally liable for not reporting an environmental infraction report this concern to the press because professional duty to society takes precedence over duty to an employer None 7. How are professions usually controlled? They are directly controlled by government They are allowed to govern themselves They are subject to the requirements of employers in relevant fields They are subject to the requirements of colleges and universities with relevant programs None 8. It would be considered unethical for a prospective consultant to start a consulting practice by quitting and: joining another former employee in a consulting partnership taking along one or more of the former employers clients setting ,up a business identical to that of the former employer obtaining financial backing from the former employer None 9. A professional member in an industrial firm is obliged to report information regarding deficient product quality to: management customers the appropriate government department the member's professional association None 10. While science and technology have generally contributed immense benefit to humanity, the process of industrialization sometimes introduces new problems. Which of the following is the best example of this concept? overcrowding of residential areas surrounding an industrial site the development of low compression automobile engines making it unnecessary to add lead to gasoline the dumping of untreated wastes from a pulp mill into a lake used to provide fresh fish for human consumption the use of low-sulphur natural gas as an energy source for generating electricity instead of high-sulphur coal None 11. If a company doing contract work on a project knowingly contravenes the law or conceals a hazard, a professional member in that company should first try to convince the company to correct its actions. If unsuccessful, that professional member has an obligation to report the facts to: top management the owner of the project and appropriate regulatory authorities the public the professional association None 12. The primary role of management toward the professional should be to: provide detailed technical knowledge train the professional for a managerial role ensure that technically sound solutions provided by the professional are economically viable maximize the professional's potential None 13. Nitrogen oxides are normal products of combustion which: are not harmful to plant and animal life since nitrogen is such a large constituent of the air we breathe can be converted into nitric acid in the atmosphere and can then fall to earth as acid rain can be significantly reduced by raising the temperature at which combustion occurs make up the smog found around large European cities where coal with a high sulfur content is used as a fuel. None 14. Engineers, geologists and geophysicists must inevitably consider the potential negative impact of technological projects on society. Which statement below best represents a utilitarian approach to this consideration? a project -must be economically viable so that i does not become a financial burden on society the benefits of a project to society must clearly exceed the disadvantages the environmental impact of project must be negligible a project must not jecpardiz the safety of the public in ar way None 15. The principal purpose of a professional ethical code is to provide: a basis for assigning legal rights and responsibilities in court cases standards for appropriate behavior in the relationship between professionals and their employers guidelines for ensuring high standards of professional conduct in relations with the public and fellow professionals criteria for assessing the validity of charges of professional incompetence None 16. Current legislation established for the purpose of controlling air pollution is: exclusively the responsibility of provincial environmental authorities exclusively the responsibility of federal environmental authorities primarily the responsibility of federal environmental authorities with only some areas of jurisdiction which are the responsibility of provinces primarily the responsibility of provincial environmental authorities with some areas c jurisdiction which are the responsibility of the federal authorities None 17. Engineers, geologists and geophysicists have an ethical obligation to the public to take positive action if they observe at employer: grossly overcharging for their services violating the law or safety requirements failing to respond to public concerns hiring sub professional personnel to do pfofessional work None 18. According to the Code of Ethics established by the professional association, which one of the following constitutes UNETHICAL conduct? failing to resign from a project which may adversely affect the public serving simultaneously as a consultant to two competing clients on two different (differently scoped) projects failing to divulge knowledge of unethical conduct by another nif professional member to the professional association providing a negative appraisal of a professional member under consideration for employment None 19. A manufacturer is competing for a contract to produce a component for use in a production process. A professional member was hired to design the component but in doing the design calculations, the professional member found that the thickness of the material used in the component would need to be increased, thereby significantly increasing the cost of the component. The manufacturer knows that increased costs would likely result in the loss of the contract so the manufacturer asks the professional member to revise the calculations to show that the component can be built using thinner, less expensive material, The professional member will likely be dismissed if the manufacturer loses the contract. The professional member should consider public safety and if public safety is not an issue, should make the revisions requested by the manufacturer make the revisions requested but refuse to seal the design documents review the design details with the manufacturer and explain that making the changes would result in a violation of the code of ethics refuse to make any changes even if it means being dismissed None 20. Consultant A has become aware that Consultant B is taking advantage of an unsophisticated client by submitting very excessive invoices for the work done. Because Consultant A is more concerned with the charges rather than the quality of Consultant B's work, Consultant A should initially: discuss the matter discreetly with Consultant B's client report the situation to the professional association. discuss the matter on an informal, friendly basis with Consultant B do nothing None 21. Which of the following is NOT a function of a professional association? giving members an identity, status, a career, and a career path. establishing standards of professional practice which members must meet or exceed protecting members from public or governmental accusations of incompetence ensuring that professional degrees meet certain standards None 22. Which of the following characteristics most significantly separates professionals from non-professionals? professionals are normally paid more than non-professionals loyalty professionals identify with their occupations command of highly / specialized knowledge None 23. A professional's primary responsibility is to: develop new and innovative ways of applying technology to a wide variety of human problems continually improve professional knowledge advance the interests of the profession protect the public None 24. Which of the following statements best describes the engineering, geology and geophysics professions? the design and implementation of public works projects the creation of devices, systems and structures the link between theory and practical applications the process of putting technical ideas and scientific principles to practical use for the common good None 25. A consultant, recently engaged on the basis of having an in-house capability in a specific technical area, finds that professional staff will not be available. As an ethical professional, the consultant should: discuss possible alternatives with his client hire new staff to fill in temporarily carry on with the work in the best manner possible, using existing staff arrange a joint venture with another consultant None Time's up
