Code of ethics

The Association of Professional Geoscientists of Nova Scotia

Professional Geoscientists shall conduct themselves in an honorable and ethical manner. They shall uphold the values of truth, honesty and trustworthiness and safeguard human life and welfare and the environment. In keeping with these basic tenets, Professional Geoscientists shall:

  • Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and the protection of the environment and promote health and safety within the workplace;
  • Offer services, advise on, or undertake assignments only in areas of their competence and practice in a careful and diligent manner;
  • Act as faithful agents of their clients or employers, maintain confidentiality and avoid conflicts of interest;
  • Keep themselves informed in order to maintain their level of competence, strive to advance the body of knowledge within which they practice, and provide opportunities for the professional development of their subordinates;
  • Conduct themselves with fairness, courtesy and good faith toward clients, colleagues and others, give credit where it is due, and accept, as well as give, honest and fair professional criticism;
  • Present clearly to employers and clients the possible consequences if geoscience decisions or judgements are overruled or disregarded;
  • Report to their Association or other appropriate agencies any illegal or unethical geoscience decisions or practices by geoscientists or others; and
  • Be aware of, and ensure that clients and employers are made aware of, societal and environmental consequences of actions or projects, and endeavor to interpret geoscience issues to the public in an objective and truthful manner.
  • Shall sign and seal only such plans, documents or work as he/she has prepared or carried out or as have been prepared or carried out under his/her direct professional supervision;
  • Shall not accept compensation, financial or otherwise, from more than one interested party for the same service or for service pertaining to the same work, without the consent of all interested parties;
  • Shall co-operate in extending the effectiveness of the geoscience profession by interchanging information and experience with other professionals and students and by contributing to the work of geoscience societies, schools and the scientific geoscience press; and
  • Shall not use the advantages of a salaried position to compete unfairly with another practitioner.