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INTRODUCTION

The International Geosynthetics Society is a professional society composed of many types of members: producers, suppliers, contractors, consultants, academicians, students and others. This variety presents many different points of view and interests.

Our geosynthetics discipline and industry, however, requires that all members support a common code of conduct when dealing with other members of the society, other members of our industry, and the general public who expect the IGS to be a leader in promoting the common good of the geosynthetics discipline.

In 1994 the Corporate Members Committee requested that the IGS Council develop a Code of Ethics in order to increase the credibility and image of the IGS and to remind our members of our professional responsibilities.

This request was approved and the IGS Council in February 1995 tasked this writer to prepare a draft Code of Ethics. The draft was published in the July 1995 edition of the IGS News and on the IGS Web site. Comments were invited from all interested persons.

Based on received comments, two Past Presidents of the IGS, Dr. J.P. Giroud and Prof. R. K. Rowe, and President of the IGS, Prof. C.J.F.P. Jones, revised the draft document.

The final version of the Code of Ethics was presented to the IGS Council during the 10 March 1997 meeting in Long Beach, California. It was unanimously approved by the Council.

This Code of Ethics is clearly a voluntary code, but reflects our wish that members of the IGS execute the mission of our society within a framework of the highest professional conduct.

Mr. Pietro Rimoldi
Council Member, IGS

 

IGS CODE OF ETHICS

1. General Principles

1.1 Each Member of the IGS agrees that the aims of the Society include:

  • to collect, evaluate and disseminate knowledge on all matters
    relevant to geosynthetics, related products and associated
    technologies;
  • to provide, through its meetings and published proceedings, a means of communication and understanding between designers, manufacturers and users of geosynthetics and specifically encourage cooperation between the manufacturing and civil engineering communities;
  • to promote advancement of the state of the art of geosynthetics and their applications;
  • to encourage the harmonization of geosynthetics test methods, equipment and criteria.

1.2 All Members of the IGS have the obligation and responsibility to follow the aims of the Society and to be guided by the highest standards of ethics, personal honor and professional conduct.

2. Relation of Members to the Public

2.1 Each Member of the IGS shall avoid and discourage misleading statements and/or participation in unsound practices.

2.2 A Member of the IGS shall not knowingly participate in the publication of any report or document for any unsound or illegitimate undertaking.

2.3 A Member of the IGS shall not give professional opinion or make a recommendation without being as thoroughly informed as might reasonably be expected considering the purpose for which the opinion or recommendation is desired. The degree of completeness of information upon which the opinion or recommendation is based shall be made clear.

2.4 In representing IGS or in the presentation of professional papers at IGS and associated conferences, a Member shall avoid explicit commercialism of his/her company or products.

2.5 A Member of the IGS shall not knowingly issue a false statement or false information.

3. Relation of Members to Employer and Client

3.1 A Member of the IGS shall protect, to the fullest extent possible, the interest of his/her employer or client insofar as such interest is consistent with the law and his/her professional obligations and ethics. A Member of IGS shall engage, or advise his/her employer or client to engage, and cooperate with other producers, experts and specialists whenever the employer's or client's interests would be best served by such service.

3.2 A Member of the IGS who finds that their obligations to their employer or client conflicts with their IGS professional obligation or ethics shall try to have such conflicting conditions corrected.

3.3 A Member of the IGS retained by one client shall not accept, without the client's consent, an engagement by another if the interests of the two are conflicting.

3.4 A Member of the IGS shall not divulge information given in confidence and shall not use, directly or indirectly, any employer's or client's information in any way that would violate the confidence of the employer or client.

4. Relationship of Members to Each Other

4.1 A Member of the IGS shall not falsely or maliciously attempt to injure the reputation of another member.

4.2 A Member of the IGS shall freely give credit for work done by others to whom the credit is due, shall knowingly refrain from plagiarism in oral and written communications, and shall not knowingly accept credit rightfully due to others.

4.3 A Member of the IGS shall expect fair compensation for his/her work and shall not compete unfairly with others.

4.4 A Member of the IGS shall endeavor to cooperate with others in the profession and encourage the ethical dissemination of technical knowledge.

5. Duties to the Society

5.1 A Member of the IGS shall uphold this Code of Ethics by precept and example and encourage, by counsel and advice, other Members to do the same.

5.2 A member who knowingly violates the Code of Ethics may be subject to sanction by the IGS Council. In cases of gross violation of the Code of Ethics, this can include dismissal from the Society in accordance with clause 4.03 of the Bylaws. Dismissal for cause cases must formally appear on the Agenda of the Council. Members being considered for dismissal must be afforded an opportunity to comment to and/or appear before the Council before it reaches its decision.