Report a Non-Registrant

Background

It is the responsibility of Engineers and Geoscientists BC under the Professional Governance Act, S.B.C 2018, c. 47 to act in in the public interest by preserving and protecting reserved titles and reserved practices and guarding against the unlawful use of reserved titles and unlawful practice of engineering or geoscience. Most of the unauthorized practice and misuse of title files we handle come from concerns we receive from members of the public, other registrants, and other public bodies. However, we also open files in relation to concerns that we identify internally, for example, through proactive enforcement campaigns. Reporting non-registrants who are potentially engaged in unauthorized practice or misuse of title is important to helping us fulfill our mandate of public protection.

What Should Be Reported?

Engineers and Geoscientists BC investigates concerns about unauthorized practice and misuse of title by individuals and firms who are not registered with Engineers and Geoscientists BC.

Unauthorized Practice

Unauthorized practice occurs when a non-registrant of Engineers and Geoscientists BC:

• Provides engineering or geoscience advice or services in a scenario that has the ability to impact the safety, health and welfare of the public, including the protection of the environment and the promotion of health and safety in the workplace; or
• Engages in the practice of professional engineering or professional geoscience as it was defined in the former Engineers and Geoscientists Act, R.S.B.C 1996, c. 116.

Misuse of Title

Misuse of title occurs when a non-registrant of Engineers and Geoscientists BC:

• Uses one of the following expressly reserved titles:
  • “Professional Engineer” or “P.Eng.”;
  • “Professional Geoscientist” or “P.Geo.”;
  • “Professional Engineering Licensee” or “P.L.Eng.”;
  • “Professional Geoscience Licensee” or “P.L.Geo.”;
  • “Engineer-in-Training” or “EIT”;
  • “Geoscientist-in-Training” or “GIT”,
• Uses any other name, title, or description in a manner implying that they are a registrant of Engineers and Geoscientists BC, associated with Engineers and Geoscientists BC, or are authorized to practice the professions of engineering or geoscience in BC. Examples include:
  • Using “Engineer” in combination with an engineering discipline, in combination with another word related to the profession of engineering, or in combination with any language that expresses or implies the right to practice engineering;
  • Using “Engineer” on its own if the context of the use expresses or implies a right to practice engineering;
  • Using any title that implies the right to practice geoscience, including “Geoscientist”, “Geologist”, “Geochemist”, or “Geophysicist”;
  • Representing yourself as an engineer or geoscientist by applying a current or former registrant’s professional seal, or a representation of a registrant’s seal; or
  • Using a restricted word in a business name (including a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship).

What to Include When Submitting a Concern

We need a sufficient baseline of information and evidence in order to investigate concerns about unauthorized practice or misuse of title. When submitting a concern to Engineers and Geoscientists BC, please include as much of the following as possible, including:

• The name of the non-registrant;
• A detailed description of the concern, including a chronology of events complete with dates, names, and any other significant details;
• Evidence of the contravention (e.g., design drawings, reports, emails, pictures, videos, website screenshots, etc.); and
• Contact information for the non-registrant and any other important parties.

Evidence of Purely Verbal Misuse of Title

Please note that while we can, and do, take action in relation to misuse of title that is purely verbal (e.g. a non-registrant says “I’m an engineer” during a conversation), we need a fair amount of specific detail in order to address this type of contravention. Complaints about verbal contraventions are difficult for us to take action in response to if we do not receive a clear summary including:

• The specific language used, who used it, and when;
• Names of any parties present who may also have heard the language used;
• The context surrounding the verbal misuse of title (e.g., a social party, strata meeting, sales pitch, business meeting, etc.); and
• If applicable, whether anything happened as a result of the verbal misuse of title (e.g., you hired them to do work, you referred them to a friend, someone relied on their advice or took their opinion on a subject more seriously, etc.).

What to Expect after Submitting A Concern

Once you have submitted an unauthorized practice or misuse of title concern to Engineers and Geoscientists BC, our enforcement team will review the concern and determine whether to open a file. In some cases, we will reach out to you with follow up questions if we need more information.

Upon opening a file, we will investigate and, if appropriate, take steps to secure compliance with the Professional Governance Act. Our enforcement of unauthorized practice and misuse of title by non-registrants is a civil process, that can, in certain circumstances, result in litigation by Engineers and Geoscientists BC to secure injunctive relief. We generally do not provide ongoing file updates to complainants.

Submit a Concern Anonymously

You can submit concerns about unauthorized practice and misuse of title to us anonymously through our Concern Intake Form. Alternatively, you can send your concern anonymously by mail to the address below, or by email to [email protected] using an anonymous email service such as ProtonMail. ProtonMail is an external service (i.e., it is neither supported by nor hosted by Engineers and Geoscientists BC) that is currently free, and you do not need to download any software to access it through your web browser. When submitting a concern anonymously from an email account that you don’t monitor for replies, it is crucial that you include as much relevant information and evidence as possible up front because we won’t be able to contact you for missing details.

How to Submit a Concern

Concerns can be submitted via our Concern Intake Form, by email, or by mail.