Ethics & Professional Conduct Flashcards
7 cards from real CES practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethics & Professional Conduct flashcards as text
A CES is offered a lucrative contract but realizes the project would require violating state blasting regulations. They should:
Answer: Decline the contract or negotiate a compliant scope before signing
No financial incentive justifies knowingly agreeing to work that violates applicable blasting regulations; a CES must ensure contractual scope is compliant before proceeding.
What is a CES's ethical duty when they observe a worker at their site who appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs?
Answer: Remove the worker from the blast site immediately and document the incident
An impaired worker near explosives creates an immediate life-safety hazard; the CES must remove them from the site and document the incident without delay.
When a CES provides expert testimony in a legal proceeding related to an explosives incident, their primary obligation is to:
Answer: Provide truthful, objective, and technically accurate testimony regardless of who retained them
Expert witnesses have an overriding duty to the court to provide honest and accurate testimony, even when retained by one side of the dispute.
A CES holds a federal explosives license and plans to hire a new employee who will have access to the magazine. Which check is federally required before granting that access?
Answer: A background check confirming the employee is not a prohibited person
Federal law requires that persons with access to explosive materials not be prohibited persons under 18 U.S.C. § 842, necessitating a background check.
A CES is asked to certify that a magazine meets federal storage standards, but they notice a deficiency in the ventilation system. They should:
Answer: Refuse to certify compliance until the ventilation deficiency is corrected
A CES cannot certify regulatory compliance when a known deficiency exists; certification is a professional attestation that must be accurate.
Which action by a CES would constitute a breach of client confidentiality without justification?
Answer: Sharing proprietary blast designs with a competitor for personal gain
Sharing proprietary client information with competitors for personal financial gain is a clear breach of professional confidentiality and fiduciary duty.
A CES is the only qualified person available on a project that has reached a critical juncture, but the CES has identified a personal safety risk they are uncomfortable with. They should:
Answer: Halt operations until the safety concern is resolved, regardless of schedule impact
No project schedule justifies proceeding when a credentialed professional has identified an unresolved safety risk; a CES has the authority and obligation to halt operations.