A regulated member of ASET has just started a new job and is assigned to...

The ASET Code of Ethics places the safety, health, and welfare of the public and the workplace as the absolute paramount responsibility of a regulated member. This duty overrides all personal relationships, friendships, and loyalties to colleagues. In this scenario, the member correctly took the initial step of addressing the issue directly with the friend to seek a resolution. However, because the friend dismissed the concerns and the unsafe behavior persists, the member can no longer rely on informal intervention. An impaired or negligent worker in a technical or industrial setting poses a severe, immediate risk to themselves, their colleagues, and potentially the public. Covering for the friend or trying to manage the hazard privately violates the ethical obligation to report hazardous or unethical practices. The only professionally and ethically acceptable action is to escalate the issue by reporting the problem to management. Management has the authority, resources, and legal obligation to address workplace safety and employee impairment, thereby protecting the integrity of the project and the safety of all personnel.