INNOVATION March-April 2014

March/April 2014

Volume 18 Number 2

v iewpoint

In light of the Forest Practice Board’s (FPB) recently released report on the planning, design and construction of forest bridges in BC, it seems fitting to take this opportunity to reflect on our professional activity as members of APEGBC and our necessary adherence to the Engineers and Geoscientists Act. The report, which was the result of an investigation into a number of forest road bridges constructed throughout the Province since 2010, found that 19 bridges were unsafe and investigators have serious safety concerns with an additional 13 bridges (see page 13 for more information about the report). The FPB report states that the problem cannot be attributed to a lack of legislation or guidance provided by the professional associa- tions—in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Since 2005, members of both APEGBC and the Association of BC Forest Professionals (ABCFP) have had access to professional practice guidelines (titled Guidelines for Professional Services in the Forest Sector — Crossings ) for bridge planning, design and construction. Instead, the FPB’s concern is that professionals are not following existing guidelines. These guidelines, which were revised in 2008, have been under review by the Joint Practices Board of APEGBC and ABCFP for the duration of the investigation. The new iteration is expected to be released shortly and the report’s findings will be factored into this review. With respect to the issue of professional practice guidelines, APEGBC has been at the forefront in Canada in the development of such proactive regulatory tools and has developed guidelines cover- ing a range of professional activities informing members how they can fulfil their professional obligations, including the duty to protect the safety, health and welfare of the public and the environment. All of these guidelines can be found on our website, and members have a professional responsibility to familiarize themselves with their content, as failure to do so can mean that public safety may be compromised. And though the Act requires that all registered mem- bers of APEGBC demonstrate competency in the guidelines relevant to their individual practice, any reasonable professional should take this to heart as public health and safety should always be at the forefront of our minds. As associations with a responsibility to ensure public health and safety, both APEGBC and ABCFP are taking the report’s findings very seriously. In response to the report, we have now met with both the FPB to review the files on the identified bridges and the Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations to discuss the Ministry’s perspective. APEGBC will also meet with ABCFP and forest associations as requested by the Ministry to develop an action plan within 60 days of the release of the report. This is an opportunity to look at this report’s findings as a wake-up call and a call to action. When these requirements are not followed, public confidence and trust in our professions are eroded, and this is not a matter of which to make light. After all, the public expects and deserves high safety, environmental and professional standards. Attention to the guidelines will assure our employers, our clients, the public and other members that your work has been car- ried out in a consistent and competent manner.

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC Suite 200 - 4010 Regent Street, Burnaby, BC Canada V5C 6N2 Tel: 604.430.8035 Fax: 604.430.8085 E-mail: apeginfo@apeg.bc.ca Internet: www.apeg.bc.ca Toll free: 1.888.430.8035 2013/2014 COUNCIL, APEGBC P resident M.B. Bapty, P.Eng., FEC V ice P resident John Clague, P.Geo., FGC P ast P resident M.D. Isaacson, P.Eng., PhD, FEC, FGC (Hon.) Councillors A.E. Badke, P.Eng.; S.M. Carlson, P.Eng. A. Fernandes, CIM, FCSI; D. Harvey, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., FEC

Practice Guidelines Are the Cornerstone to Professional Practice

H. Hawson, P.Eng., FEC; D.M. Howes, P.Eng., FEC H.G. Kelly, P.Eng.; G.D. Kirkham, P.Geo., FGC K. Laloge, CA; A. Mill, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., FEC K.E. Savage, P.Eng., FEC; K. Tarnai-Lokhorst, P.Eng. M. Waberski, BCLS; S. Wynn, PhD

ASSOCIATION STAFF A.J. English, P.Eng. C hief E xecutive O fficer and R egistrar T.M.Y. C hong, P.Eng. C hief R egulatory O fficer and D eputy R egistrar J.Y. Sinclair C hief O perating O fficer M. L. Archibald , D irector , C ommunications and S takeholder E ngagement J. Cho, CGA D irector , F inance and A dministration D. Gamble D irector , I nformation S ervices M. Lau, A cting D irector , C ommunications and S takeholder E ngagement P.R. Mitchell, P.Eng. D irector , P rofessional P ractice , S tandards and D evelopment D. Olychick D irector , M ember S ervices G.M. Pichler, P.Eng. D irector , R egistration E. Swartz, LLB A cting D irector , L egislation , E thics and C ompliance R.M. F ilipiak, P .Eng. A ssociate D irector , A dmissions V. Lai, CGA A ssociate D irector , F inance and A dministration J.J.G. Larocque, P.Eng., LLB A ssociate D irector , P rofessional P ractice

Michael Bapty, P.Eng., FEC President

Michelle Grady, M anaging E ditor

EDITORIAL BOARD S. Chiu, P.Eng.; R. Gupta, P.Eng., P h D; C.L. Hall, P.Geo.; S.K. Hayes, P.Eng.; K.S. Hirji, P.Eng.; M.A. Klippenstein, P.Eng.; I. Kokan, P.Eng.; M.E. Leslie, P.Eng.; B. Thomson, P.Geo., FEC (Hon)

president@ apeg.bc.ca

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