IHSA Ethics & Professional Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a professional code of ethics for IHSA Certified Coaches?
- To limit legal liability for the certifying organization
- To guide professional behavior and protect the public, clients, and the profession's integrity (Correct answer)
- To establish a hierarchy of authority within coaching teams
- To outline the minimum hours required for certification renewal
Correct answer: To guide professional behavior and protect the public, clients, and the profession's integrity
A professional code of ethics establishes standards that protect all stakeholders and maintain public trust in the coaching profession.
Question 2: A coach receives confidential health information about a worker during a safety assessment. Under what circumstance may this information be disclosed?
- When a coworker asks about the worker's fitness for duty
- When disclosure is required by law or there is an imminent safety risk (Correct answer)
- When management requests a general health update on the workforce
- When the information would benefit the overall coaching program
Correct answer: When disclosure is required by law or there is an imminent safety risk
Confidential information may only be disclosed when legally mandated or when there is an imminent risk of serious harm that cannot otherwise be prevented.
Question 3: Which behavior demonstrates a conflict of interest for an IHSA Certified Coach?
- Recommending a safety procedure based on current research
- Evaluating a safety program in which the coach has a financial stake (Correct answer)
- Documenting coaching session outcomes for employer review
- Referring a participant to another specialist when appropriate
Correct answer: Evaluating a safety program in which the coach has a financial stake
Having a financial interest in a program being evaluated creates a conflict of interest that compromises the objectivity required of a professional coach.
Question 4: An IHSA coach discovers that their own certification has lapsed due to failure to complete continuing education. What is the ethical course of action?
- Continue coaching until the next renewal cycle
- Immediately cease coaching activities and work to reinstate certification (Correct answer)
- Disclose only to the employer and continue coaching with supervision
- Complete the continuing education retroactively before telling anyone
Correct answer: Immediately cease coaching activities and work to reinstate certification
Practicing without a valid certification is unethical and potentially illegal; the coach must stop immediately and take steps to restore their credentials.
Question 5: In ethical decision-making, the 'principle of non-maleficence' means that a coach must:
- Always act in the best financial interest of the employer
- Avoid causing harm to participants, even unintentionally (Correct answer)
- Never disagree with established organizational policies
- Prioritize the majority group's needs over individual concerns
Correct answer: Avoid causing harm to participants, even unintentionally
Non-maleficence is the obligation to do no harm, which requires coaches to consider potential negative consequences of all their actions.
Question 6: When a participant shares personal concerns unrelated to safety coaching during a session, the coach should:
- Incorporate personal issues into the safety curriculum immediately
- Acknowledge the concern empathetically and redirect to appropriate resources (Correct answer)
- Ignore the personal disclosure to maintain professional focus
- Share the disclosure with the participant's supervisor
Correct answer: Acknowledge the concern empathetically and redirect to appropriate resources
Coaches should acknowledge personal disclosures with empathy while maintaining professional boundaries and directing participants to appropriate support resources.
Question 7: Which action would constitute a breach of professional boundaries for an IHSA Certified Coach?
- Providing constructive feedback on a worker's safety performance
- Entering into a personal financial arrangement with a coaching participant (Correct answer)
- Referring a participant to a specialist outside your scope of practice
- Maintaining records of all coaching interactions
Correct answer: Entering into a personal financial arrangement with a coaching participant
Entering personal financial arrangements with coaching participants violates professional boundaries and creates a conflict of interest that compromises the coaching relationship.
IHSA Ethics & Professional Standards 3
What is the primary purpose of a professional code of ethics for IHSA Certified Coaches?