Policy J-05.14 E
Issued: 10 Jun 2005
Revised: 13 Jul 2023
ASNT Ethics Oversight Committee
1.0 Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to establish the Ethics Oversight Committee’s purpose and responsibilities, the rules governing its operations, and the committee’s composition including membership.
2.0 Scope
The Ethics Oversight Committee is a standing committee of the Board of Directors responsible for enforcement of the ASNT Code of Ethics on Society members and individuals engaged in Society activities. Ethical conduct related to ASNT certification and accreditation credentials is not within the scope of this policy.
3.0 References
3.1 ASNT Bylaws
3.2 ASNT Policy O-3, Code of Ethics for Members of the American Society for Nondestructive Testing
4.0 Responsibilities
4.1 The Ethics Oversight Committee shall:
4.1.1 Investigate conflict of interest and code of ethics matters, including appeals of decisions, brought by the Board of Directors.
4.1.2 Report investigation findings, corrective action recommendations, and status of corrective actions to the Board of Directors.
4.1.3 Oversee implementation of corrective actions.
4.1.4 Ensure the Committee has procedures in place for conducting investigations, making recommendations, reviewing appeals, and monitoring corrective actions.
4.2 The Board of Directors shall:
4.2.1 Receive information related to alleged conflicts of interest and code of ethics matters and refer such information to the Committee for investigation.
4.2.2 Receive reports from the Committee, including recommendations for corrective action.
4.2.3 Determine corrective action as it deems appropriate, which may include but not be limited to membership termination, censure, or legal complaint. The Board may not terminate or otherwise withhold an individual’s certification credential without the consent of the Certification Management Committee.
4.3 The Executive Director shall:
4.3.1 Maintain all Committee files in accordance with ASNT document retention policies.
4.3.2 Restrict access to Committee working files to members of the Committee, legal counsel, and individuals authorized to view files by the Committee Chair. Board Directors may access Committee reports upon request.
4.3.3 Retain and coordinate legal counsel upon request by the Chair to ensure all matters are handled within the bounds of the law and are within the jurisdiction of the Society.
4.3.4 Provide the Committee access to all ASNT records in the conduct of investigations.
4.3.5 Implement corrective actions as determined by the Board of Directors.
5.0 Committee Membership
5.1 Appointments shall be made in accordance with Policy G-43 Committees of the Board.
5.2 The Committee Chair may request the engagement of ASNT's legal counsel on a case-by-case basis. Upon such request, the legal counsel shall be granted non- voting ex officio member status for the purposes of the specific case under consideration.
6.0 General
6.1 Committee minutes, reports, and recommendations involving matters related to specific complaints, investigations, recommendations, or appeals shall be marked:
“Confidential Information Restricted for Access to the ASNT Board of Directors.”
Access to marked documents shall be limited to the Board of Directors, Committee members, and legal counsel, if any.
6.2 When conducting investigations into complaints or appeals, the Committee shall have full access to all ASNT records which they determine may impact the matter under investigation.
6.3 Committee meetings, including hearings, involving matters related to specific complaints, investigations, recommendations, or appeals shall be conducted in closed session with attendance limited to the Committee and individuals who have been invited to the meeting by the Committee Chair.
6.4 The Committee shall provide reports to the Board of Directors upon completion of investigations or appeals, or upon the request of the Chairperson of the Board of Directors.
6.5 The Committee Chair shall move the Board of Directors to go into Executive Session when presenting Committee reports which contain Confidential Information.