Innovation September-October 2023

F E A T U R E

WHERE REGISTRANTS GET INTO TROUBLE The top three types of complaints have been fairly steady through the years: conduct issues, structural engineering, and geotechnical engineering. Conduct issues are usually files that are not strictly technical deficiencies in work. For example, a registrant may authenticate work prepared by another

While motivating factors and specifics of complaints vary considerably, a common noted leading factor to issues is time pressure for construction projects. If a client is on a tight schedule to complete the project, engineers or geoscientists may feel pressured to not follow usual process and to ignore quality management requirements to move the project along more quickly. Due diligence suffers as a result. Other reasons that may trigger an investigation and disciplinary action are if a registrant is convicted of an indictable offence or when a registrant is disciplined in another jurisdiction and is also registered in BC. FROM COMPLAINT TO DISCIPLINE The team working on complaint, investigation and discipline matters aims to resolve all complaints efficiently. The team has been focusing heavily on timelines for handling complaints and has taken several steps in the past few years to address the process timeline. A triage policy was implemented to ensure the complaints that relate to the most significant risks and threats to the public and the environment are prioritized. Additional resources have also been added to the department to ensure adequate staff are available to manage the increasing number of complaints. Timelines for complaint processing can vary depending on the priority level assigned through the triage policy and the complexity of the issue that is the subject of the complaint or investigation. Uncooperative registrants, complainants or other witnesses can, at times, lead to longer than expected timelines. THE CONSEQUENCES Most complaints don't lead to formal disciplinary action against a registrant. If the conduct issues determined through a complaint are minor, the statutory committees who are the decision

individual without adequately being involved or authenticate documents without following proper procedure. Other conduct issues might be registrants practising outside their area of expertise, or general unethical conduct. Structural engineering complaints more frequently relate to smaller scale construction projects but, in some cases, relate to large scale construction projects, as well.

NUMBER OF DISCIPLINE OUTCOMES FOR EACH FISCAL YEAR

20

15

16

15

13

10

10

10

8

7

5

0

Fiscal 2017 Fiscal 2018 Fiscal 2019 Fiscal 2020 Fiscal 2021 Fiscal 2022 Fiscal 2023

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I N N O V A T I O N