Professional Ethics and Code of Conduct for Safety Practitioners
Domain scope
This domain tests professional ethics and the code of conduct for safety practitioners. You must apply integrity, competence, confidentiality and public-interest duties to realistic dilemmas.
Core rules and concepts
- Safety practitioners should act with integrity, objectivity and competence, and stay within their knowledge and skill.
- The public interest comes first: advise on imminent danger, document the advice and escalate if it is ignored.
- Maintain confidentiality of worker health and personal data, sharing only on a need-to-know basis and with consent where required.
- Disclose conflicts of interest; do not accept gifts or inducements that could influence judgement.
- Keep records accurate; do not falsify data, plagiarise or misrepresent qualifications.
- Respect workers, avoid discrimination and support fair treatment and whistleblowing.
Worked example
A manager asks you to change an air-sampling result so a plant passes an audit. You refuse, explain that the record must remain accurate, report the request in writing and preserve the original data. You also advise on controls and a re-test. Falsifying the result would breach integrity, legal duties and public trust.
Traps
Treating ethics as a soft topic; confusing loyalty to an employer with hiding risk; breaching medical confidentiality; and claiming competence you do not have.