INNOVATION January-February 2022

P R O F E S S I O N A L P R A C T I C E

These guidelines, and other professional practice guidelines and practice-related resources, are provided at egbc.ca/Guidelines .

These webinars, and other professional practice-related webinars, are provided at egbc.ca/Events .

UPCOMING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE WEBINARS egbc.ca/Events

NEWLY PUBLISHED PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES egbc.ca/Guidelines E quity , D ivErsity , anD i nclusion The Professional Practice Guidelines – Equity Diversity and Inclusion have been issued to guide professional practice related to equitable, diverse, and inclusive environments and interactions. These guidelines were first published in 2016 under the title Human Rights and Diversity Guidelines . This revision is intended to address the growing need to understand evolving concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), provide more information on EDI, clarify expectations of registrants, and align content with the requirements of the Professional Governance Act . P rofEssional s ErvicEs in thE f orEst s Ector : c rossings The Joint Professional Practice Guidelines – Professional Services in the Forest Sector: Crossings have been issued to guide professional practice related to the design and implementation of forest road crossings. These guidelines were developed by a team of representatives from the Joint Practice Board of the Association of British Columbia Forest Professionals and Engineers and Geoscientists BC. These guidelines were first published in 2005 and were revised in 2008 and 2014. This current revision was undertaken to reflect changes in current industry standards and to update the content to reference the Professional Governance Act .

P rofEssional P racticE g uiDElinEs : E quity , D ivErsity , anD i nclusion : February 10, 2022 P rofEssional P racticE g uiDElinEs : f irE P rotEction E nginEEring s ErvicEs for B uilDing P rojEcts : February 23, 2022

FREQUENT PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE INQUIRIES How does Engineers and Geoscientists BC support professional practice for registrants? Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s Practice Advice Program provides interpretation and guidance to registrants and other stakeholders (e.g., regulatory authorities, clients, employers, firms, etc.) regarding standards of professional and ethical practice as set out in the PGA, Engineers and Geoscientists BC Bylaws, and guidance published by Engineers and Geoscientists BC. The Practice Advice Program consists of three main components: • providing one-to-one advice to registrants and stakeholders; • issuing formal guidance through advisories, guidelines, and answers to frequently asked questions; and • providing practice training and awareness. Practice Advisors can be reached by email ( practiceadvisor@egbc.ca ) or by telephone, and can respond to inquiries related to professional practice, quality management, ethics, continuing education, regulation of firms, and guidance published by Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Advice is intended to guide actions of registrants; it is not prescriptive, but usually outlines considerations for registrants to inform their professional decisions. Practice advisors also help support registrant and stakeholder understanding of the expectations and obligations of engineering and geoscience practice in BC. Practice advisors cannot provide legal advice, endorse or check engineering or geoscience activities or work, advise on employment terms or conditions, or provide mediation or dispute resolution. In addition to individual advice, the Practice Advice Program also includes the development of formal practice guidance through practice advisories and professional practice guidelines. Practice Advisors lead the development of these documents, typically with input from subject matter experts in industry.

Practice Advisories are used to disseminate information on time-sensitive or more focused issues such as legislation changes, public safety or environmental concern, or a shift in a specific professional practice topic. Professional Practice Guidelines provide more comprehensive treatment of a professional practice topic and go through a rigorous development review and consultation process before publication. Registrants must stay informed of, knowledgeable about, and meet the intent of professional practice guidelines relevant to their area of practice. Practice Advisors also support registrant training and awareness on professional practice topics, often related to the practice advice or formal practice guidance. Training and awareness can include webinars on professional practice guidelines, training on quality management standards, or presentations on professional practice topics. To contact a Practice Advisor at Engineers and Geoscientists BC, or for additional information on the Practice Advice Program, visit egbc.ca/Practice-Advice-Program .

OTHER PRACTICE RESOURCES

Amy Fehr, P.Eng. Manager, Practice Advice Program

g uiDE to l EttErs of a ssurancE The Guide to Letters of Assurance in the BC Building Code 2018 and Vancouver Building By-law 2019 was developed to guide professional practice related to Letters of Assurance in BC. This guide is a 2021 revision of the 2010 version of this publication and is jointly endorsed by the Architectural Institute of BC and Engineers and Geoscientists BC and was developed with the cooperation and assistance of the Building Officials’ Association of BC, the Union of BC Municipalities, the City of Vancouver, and the Building and Safety Standards Branch of the Province of British Columbia.

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PROTECTING INNOVATION

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