3250
Professional Chemistry Responsibilities of Chemists
Marc R. Roussel
The concept of a profession
A profession is a group of people who exercise a common
occupation or apply a common set of skills and who function
within structures allowing their identication as belonging to
that profession.
Those structures can be more or less rigid.
Professions dened by law (engineering, law, medicine,
teaching)
Professions dened by membership in a professional society or
other similar body (some sciences)
Professions dened by employment in specied positions in
well-recognized institutions (university professors)
Member of a profession are typically trained according to a
more-or-less standard curriculum.
Members of a profession typically have a common set of
values which, again, may be more or less rigidly enforced.
Self-governance
Professions, even those governed by legislation, are typically
self-governing.
Self-governance allows professional associations to determine
their membership, and to create and enforce codes of ethics.
Ethical obligations
Membership in a legally recognized profession entails both
rights and responsibilities.
Due to the self-governing nature of professional societies, the
responsibilities are typically contained in a code of ethics
created by the society itself.
The code of ethics is enforced by a disciplinary committee of
the society.
Penalties for breaching the societys code of ethics can include
publication of the breach, nes, suspension of some particular
priviledges provided by the society, suspension from the
society (and thus, temporary loss of any associated right to
practice), or permanent expulsion from the society.
Professional status in Canada
The Canadian Constitution makes the licensing of
professionals a provincial responsibility.
Legally recognized professional societies must therefore be
professional organizations.
National organizations can play no direct role in professional
licensing.
Self-governance allows societies provincial to agree to
recognize each others members and to tranferability of
qualications.
Chemistry as a profession
In most parts of the world, the title chemist is unregulated.
The professional status of chemists is thus of an informal
nature, dened by training, convention, and voluntary
membership in organizations of chemists.
In some Canadian provinces, legislation now exists establishing
chemistry as a profession.
Provinces where legislation establishes a distinct title reserved
for members of the relevant professional association:
Professional Chemist: Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec,
Nova Scotia
Chartered Chemist: Ontario
Chemist: Quebec
Legislation in two provinces (Alberta, Quebec) creates a right
to practice in certain areas
Association of the Chemical Profession of Alberta
In Alberta, Professional Chemists must be members of the
Association of the Chemical Profession of Alberta (ACPA).
Membership in ACPA requires
1. an accredited degree,
2. at least two years of full-time chemistry-related work
experience, with at least one year of experience acquired in
Canada, and
3. ongoing professional development.
A graduate from an accredited degree who does not yet have
the required experience can join ACPA as a
Chemist-in-Training.
Students in accredited degree programs can become student
members of ACPA (at no cost).
Canadian Society for Chemistry
National organization of chemists
Provides accreditation of Chemistry degrees used as a basis
for the recognition of credentials by provincial societies
ACPAs code of ethics
Divides duties of Members into
duties to the public
duties to employers or clients
duties of Members to themselves, to other Members and to
the Association
Link to code of ethics
ACPA Discipline Committee
Hears arguments related to alleged professional misconduct or
incompetence and rules on the allegations
In the case of a ruling of misconduct or incompetence, the
Committee may impose a range of sanctions.