INNOVATION January-February 2022

R E G U L A T O R Y N E W S

HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED A PERMIT TO PRACTICE? All firms that engage in work that is reserved for professional engineers or geoscientists need a Permit to Practice, including firms that only provide advice or services internally. Since this requirement came into effect earlier this year, more than 3,700 firms and sole practitioners have registered for a Permit to Practice. In some cases, specific factors might impact whether a firm needs a Permit to Practice, such as a firm’s business activity or the location of its business offices or projects. Our online assessment tool ( egbc.ca/Assessment-Tool ) can

ARE THE PROFESSIONS OF ENGINEERING AND GEOSCIENCE

RESOURCES We have several resources available to help registrants learn more about these changes and their new obligations. Visit egbc.ca/pga to access webinar recordings, guides, and frequently asked questions.

WHAT ACTIVITIES COUNT AS CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS UNDER THE NEW MANDATORY PROGRAM? Unlike our previous, voluntary program, the new Continuing Education (CE) program doesn’t outline specific types of learning (e.g., attending a course, reading a journal) that registrants need to undertake. We heard from registrants that flexibility is important, and that learning can occur through a wide variety of activities. Under the new program, any activity that is relevant to your area of practice and helps maintain your competency can count as a CE hour. A helpful test might be to ask yourself, “If I’m selected for a compliance audit, can I justify how this activity helps maintain my competency and is relevant to my area of practice?” THERE’S A LOT OF INFORMATION TO ABSORB. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGES I NEED TO BE AWARE OF? The key changes registrants should be aware of are: • Continuing Education is mandatory Page 48). The first reporting deadline is June 30, 2022. • There is an updated Code of Ethics for registrants. • Firms engaging in engineering and geoscience practice (even if these services are just provided internally) require a Permit to Practice. • Registrants need to keep their contact information up-to-date and verify this information annually by June 30. for both practising and non- practising registrants (but the requirements are different—see

THE PROFESSIONAL GOVERNANCE ACT : YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED In February 2021, the Professional Governance Act (PGA) came into force, initiating a fundamental shift in the regulation of professions in the natural and built environment in BC—including engineering and geoscience. The PGA replaced the 100-year-old Engineers and Geoscientists Act and also introduced a new oversight body for the professions under this legislation: the Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance. Under the PGA, Engineers and Geoscientists BC and its registrants have new obligations and requirements to follow. We’ve been engaging with registrants and answering your questions about these changes over the past year. Here are some of the most common questions we’ve heard.

help verify whether you need a Permit to Practice, and firms that feel they do not need a Permit to Practice can also submit an Applicability Review. WHY DO SOLE PRACTITIONERS NEED A PERMIT TO PRACTICE? DOESN’T THIS CREATE A SYSTEM OF DOUBLE REGULATION? We consulted with sole practitioners while developing the regulatory model, and this was a common concern. While we understand that sole practitioners are different than large firms, a sole practitioner is entirely responsible for their firm’s risk and liability. Including sole practitioners as regulated firms reflects these additional responsibilities and our requirement to provide the appropriate oversight to all entities that provide services directly to the public. WHY HAS ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS BC’S ADVOCACY ROLE BEEN REMOVED? Under the PGA, regulatory bodies need to focus on one primary mandate: public protection. The PGA restricts regulators from pursuing advocacy activities that might take resources away from this primary mandate or benefit registrants over the public. While this might sound like a significant shift, most of our programs and initiatives are continuing, with minor modifications to more closely align them with our regulatory mandate.

STILL SELF-REGULATED? Yes. Although the Office of the Superintendent broadly oversees the PGA and the

regulation of the professions, the professions of engineering and geoscience are still self-regulated. Our registrants contribute significantly to most aspects of our governance and operations from the delivery of our statutory functions (e.g., investigation, discipline, and admissions) to the development of practice guidance, to serving on Council— where the majority of Council members are elected registrants.

I NFRASTRUCTURE M ONITORING S YSTEMS

Inclinometer Systems

Piezometers

Dataloggers

Tiltmeters

• Highway Monitoring • Concrete Monitoring • Transit Infrastructure

• Bridges, Tunnels & Dams • Mining • Railway Monitoring

www.hoskin.ca

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