INNOVATION July-August 2013

as soc ia t i on notes

Government Relations Update APEGBC Engages with Government on Practice and Public Protection Issues As a part of its regulatory role, APEGBC works with municipal, provincial and federal govern- ments to enhance public protection and provide leadership in addressing issues relating to the practice of professional engineering and geoscience. The following describes some of the current activities that APEGBC has been engaged in. Onsite Sewerage – Together with the Ministry of Health, APEGBC is working to develop a consistent approach in the design of onsite sewerage systems so that qualified professionals are aware of best practices and the expected quality of practice. The Professional Practice Guidelines for Onsite Sewerage Systems was developed in collaboration with the ministry and published in November 2012. These guidelines are available at www.apeg.bc.ca/ppractice/documents/ ppguidelines/Sewerage_Guidelines.pdf. Seismic Mitigation – By providing expert advice to the Ministry of Education for the BC Seismic Schools Program, APEGBC is helping to make BC schools seismically safe. APEGBC continues to work with the University of British Columbia and the ministry on this award- winning program to undertake new research on how buildings up to eight storeys may respond during a seismic event. In addition to providing ongoing technical expertise, APEGBC has also been assisting government in expanding the use of this technology to buildings at BC universities. Mobile Crane Inspections – APEGBC is providing input on issues associated with the inspec- tion of mobile cranes and the related WorkSafe BC legislation and guidelines. As a recognized stakeholder, APEGBC is participating in discussions with WorkSafe BC and other stakeholders on how mobile cranes are inspected including inspector qualification and crane inspection criteria so that public safety objectives are met. Disaster Response – With Emergency Management BC (EMBC), APEGBC is exploring ways that it can assist in the preparation and execution of emergency response related to natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, landslides, etc.). One of these activities includes APEGBC working with EMBC to establish a list of qualified professional members to respond to natural disasters. Environmental Operators – APEGBC has been providing comments and expertise to the Ministry of Health on the Classification and Certification of Environmental Operators Project. This work with the ministry and other stakeholders seeks to achieve consensus on how environ- mental operators should be classified and certified to support public safety. Labour Mobility – APEGBC is supporting labour mobility through partnerships that help internationally trained professionals integrate into BC. APEGBC is currently working with the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism, and Skills Training on three projects to facilitate labour mobility including: the development of tools to enable applicants to better determine how their skills will be recognized in Canada, an examination of the competency outcomes for the one year Canadian experience requirement, and the feasibility of adapting the Engineers Canada lan- guage competency test for the Web. Dam Safety Reviews – Recently, APEGBC assisted the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas in preparing and updat- ing professional practice guidelines to address dam safety reviews carried out on dams under the BC Dam Safety Regulation and under the Mines Act respectively. (For more information on the dam safety review guidelines, see page 15.) Engineers and geoscientists play a key role in the public safety and well-being, and APEGBC is committed to working constructively with governments at all levels to assist in carrying out this responsibility. For more information on APEGBC’s government relations activities, contact Janet Sinclair, at jsinclair@apeg.bc.ca.

Fall Council Election APEGBC is governed by a council comprising members elected by their peers, as well as four government appointees. The 2013/2014 APEGBC Council election will take place this fall, with a minimum of five councillors to be elected, as well as one vice-presidential candidate. Election to the office of president will be by acclamation as the candidacy is uncontested. The vote will be conducted by electronic ballot and members and licensees will be sent an e-mail in late August with access to candidate statements and instructions on voting procedures. Members and licensees who have not provided APEGBC with a valid e-mail address will not receive direct notification, but will still be able to access electronic voting through the main page of the association’s website. To ensure that APEGBC has your current e-mail address, please visit: www.apeg.bc.ca/ reg/changestatus.html and click on Change your Address with APEGBC. Paper ballots will be available by written request. Should you wish to receive a paper ballot, please send your request to APEGBC, #200 – 4010 Regent St., Burnaby, BC, V5C 6N2, or contact apeginfo@apeg.bc.ca.

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