INNOVATION July-August 2016

d i sc i p l i ne and en forcemen t

Disciplinary Notice: Wayne H. Quong, P. Eng., Vancouver, BC A Notice of Inquiry was issued to Mr. Quong regarding a report he signed and sealed for a hazard assessment for a commercial development in Salmon Arm, BC (the “Report”).

of his or her responsibility. Where there is input from one or more APEGBC professional specialists, each specialist must also seal the document and qualify the extent of his or her responsibility. For example, in such a case, a structural engineer could qualify the seal with a statement such as, “For Structural Aspects Only”.

As part of the Consent Order, Mr. Quong accepted and agreed: 1. That his membership in APEGBC is suspended for one month starting May 1, 2016; and 2. To pay $9,500 towards APEGBC’s legal costs. APEGBC members are reminded to adhere to APEGBC’s Quality Management Guideline for Use of the APEGBC Seal , specifically section 3.4.3, which states: 3.4.3 Multiple discipline documents 3.4.3.1 If more than one engineering and/or geoscience discipline is included in one document, as a minimum, the APEGBC professional for each discipline must seal the portion of document for that specific discipline, and qualify the extent

In lieu of proceeding to a disciplinary inquiry, Mr. Quong agreed to a Consent Order dated April 21, 2016. In the Consent Order, Mr. Quong admitted that he demonstrated unprofessional conduct by affixing his professional seal to the Report without qualifying or limiting the extent of his responsibility. Mr. Quong admitted that he was not trained or experienced to conduct an appropriate review of the professional work related to river flooding, erosion hazard assessment, hydrology, and fluvial geomorphology contained within the Report.

The full text of the Consent Order agreed to by Mr. Quong can be found at apeg.bc.ca under Disciplinary Actions. The webpage contains information on APEGBC’s complaint, investigation and discipline process. You can also contact us at 604.412.4869 or toll-free at 1.888.430.8035 ext. 4869, or by e-mail at complaints@ apeg.bc.ca.

r egu la tor y a f fa i r s Use of Job Titles by EITs and GITs When working in the fields of engineering and geoscience, it’s important to represent yourself appropriately and accurately to the public. APEGBC regulates use of the terms “engineer” and “geoscientist” to protect the public and prevent misrepresentation of an individual’s qualifications to engage in independent practice of professional engineering or professional geoscience. An APEGBC policy outlines the parameters of use by APEGBC engineers- and geoscientists-in-training. The policy states that an individual who has status with APEGBC as an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) or Geoscientist-in- Training (GIT) is permitted to use a descriptive job title that includes the word “engineer,” “geoscientist,” or other restricted words associated with the practice of professional engineering or professional geoscience, provided the following conditions are met: A. When using the job title, the individual is clearly identified as an EIT or GIT in the same communication; B. The individual is working under the direct supervision of a registered professional engineer or professional geoscientist who takes professional responsibility for the EIT’s or GIT’s work; C. The EIT or GIT works at a firm where there is a professional engineer or professional geoscientist on active staff; and, D. The individual does not otherwise represent himself/herself or act in such a way that an average member of the public may likely be led to believe that the EIT or GIT is ready or entitled

to engage in independent practice of professional engineering or professional geoscience. The use of engineering or geoscience titles by an EIT or GIT who does not meet the above conditions would constitute a breach of section 22 of the Engineers and Geoscientists Act , which sets out prohibitions on unauthorized use of engineering and geoscience titles.

Examples of correct and incorrect use of job titles by EITs and GITs include: Correct Use Vincent Leung, GIT Exploration Geophysicist

Incorrect Use Jeffrey Biggs Mechanical Engineer (Breaches Condition A) Ravi Prasad, GIT Chief Geoscientist (Breaches Condition D) Sonya Prasad, EIT Senior Structural Engineer (Breaches Condition D)

Abdul Aman, EIT Electrical Engineer Adam Rodan, GIT Geoscientist Jesse Saunders Engineer-in-Training

If you have questions about use of titles, contact Taymaz Rastin, Staff Lawyer, Regulatory Affairs, at trastin@apeg.bc.ca or 604.430.4978.

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