This may sound glib, but the easiest way I have found to deal with the ethics of compliance is to show engineers how to design it in from the beginning so they don't have to deal with me later when they are really busy. Then, when it costs a bit more to design it in, I show them how it improves ease of manufacture, product reliability, or performance, or all three. So far, it seems to be working pretty well.
Scott Douglas Chris Maxwell wrote: >I agree with the premise of this thread. > >I disagree with the solutions. Another article in Compliance >Engineering or Conformity probably won't help. It may bolster your >average Compliance >Engineer to stand his ground; but these types of solutions are mainly >"preaching to the choir". Most Compliance Engineers are ethical >people... but they need to keep their job and feed their kids. There >are really only a few ways to get less argument from management >regarding EMC ethics. > >1. Actually deliver on the promise built into the CE marking scheme >whereby the officer of the company that signs the DOC is personally >liable for the truthfulness of the Declaration. Fines and other >monetary penalties don't really do it. The company pays the money and >the cost gets passed onto the consumer (how many people have heard the >story about it's cheaper to pay the fines than make the car safe...yada, >yada, yada) meanwhile, the people who made the decision to chinz out are >still employed and probably being promoted for their cost saving acumen. > >2. Somehow get EMC/Safety compliance to appear more prestigious either >by educating customers to look for it...or by somehow making it a buzz >among executives, much like ISO certification. > >Just my humble opinion. > >Chris Maxwell > >-----Original Message----- >From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf >Of Taylor, Michael >Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 9:56 AM >To: [email protected] >Subject: RE: EMC Ethics > >I applaud this discussion on integrity & ethics. >I believe it's imperative for the continued health & vitality of the >compliance community to raise the issue of honor & integrity on a >regular basis. >Our task is to provide an honest - independent assessment of products to >a defined set of requirements. When we give into the pressure to >"Adjust" compliance results we diminish ourselves and all others in the >community. >The comments by Doug, John, Dave & others make me proud to be associated >with a community that places honor & integrity as a prime directive. > >I've been in the EMC trenches for over 33 years now. I have seen my >share of sleaze, slime, weaseling by others in charge when compliance >results were not up to requirements. It's been difficult at times to >hold fast and resist the pressure to bend to the "forces of evil" (read; >program directors, wanta-be Generals, etc.) and "adjust" reports to show >conformance. The shear number of creative arguments put forward on why >"it needs to pass - now" and "we'll fix it later" simply defy >comprehension. > >In one case several years ago, a client tried to pass me an envelope and >said "this is to ensure the product passes". I returned the envelope >un-opened and told him to "find another lab -We don't do sleaze". (I >didn't open the envelope because I didn't want to be tempted beyond my >capability to resist). > >The last 22 years of my career have seen me in charge of several labs. >In each lab I have worked in, I posted a sign that reads: > "REMEMBER - YOU CAN ONLY LOOSE YOUR CREDITABILITY --- ONCE" >It's a mantra I have always tried to live by and pass on to the troops >in the lab. I believe it has served me well over the years. > >We may not always be the most popular person's in an organization, but >those we work for need to know they can always get an honest assessment >of their products compliance. In the end - the only thing we have is >our knowledge, experience, integrity and our honor. That can never be >taken away from us. I'm pleased to say the company I work for respects >& supports that position. > >After I'm gone (not too soon I trust) - I'm hopeful I will be remembered >as "A pain in the $#% at times - but someone we could always depend on >to give us the straight story". > > >Enough pontificating. >Just one guys opinion. >Michael Taylor >Loveland, CO > >-----Original Message----- >From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf >Of C N >Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 5:23 AM >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: EMC Ethics > >I have wrestled with this issue a lot it seems over the years as has >several other people in the field. I've come to two conclusions with >regard to working as a compliance engineer in the industry. Not as >someone who works in a regulatory lab: > >1. I can't make an unethical boss ethical. And therefore, it isn't my >resposibility > to make him/her so. Quite bluntly, if someone is going to make an >unethical > decision, it's not going to be me. If this is a continual problem >with me at > work, I really shouldn't be working at the place. > >2. Even with bosses who are ethical, there's a whole psychology to >compliance > with those in management. This appears to stem from the need to >control > with just about any manager I've had. Standards aren't something >they can > manipulate. They can't get their hands around it in a managerial >way. >You > either pass or fail and someone outside the company decides that. >And that > drives managers nuts sometimes. > >I have run into people in other companies at seminars regarding >something such as the RoHS issue where they've said quite matter of >factly ... 'well, I guess we ship till they find out.' > >Well, I'm sorry to hear that. I'm also sorry to hear that within a >system with which my company is trying hard as hell to comply there's >holes big enough so that whole other companies can drive through. > >But I'm also sorry in that it's not my job to make those people ethical. > >Even if I >were working for some regulatory arm, it's also not my job to make >unethical people ethical. It would be my job to penalize them for being >unethical. > >Regards, Doug McKean > >---------------------------------------------------------------- >This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society >emc-pstc discussion list. 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