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The year 2002 was a particularly active one
for APEGGA's Compliance Department and the Enforcement Review
Committee. A record 879 cases were investigated, resulting
in the successful closure and resolution of 727, as we continued
to aggressively work towards achieving Council's goal of 100
per cent compliance with the requirements of the EGGP Act.
Our efforts focused on investigating member and public complaints,
as well as proactively identifying actual and suspected violations
by examining a number of data and information sources. Those
included the Alberta Gazette, newspapers, career pages, articles,
yellow pages, business directories and out-of-province member
lists. Additional programs - started in 2001 and escalated
in 2002 - involved improving the registration in the advanced
technology and geoscience communities, and improving the reinstatement
of outstanding permits to practice.
The ultimate long-term objective is that all individuals engaged
in one or more of the practices of engineering, geology or
geophysics in Alberta are licensed and use proper titles,
and that all businesses using the protected titles or practicing
the professions are fully qualified and hold a permit to practice.
A positive fallout from increased Compliance activities is
the mounting evidence that members are on side. Awareness
of title and practice violations appears to be increasing,
and so does reporting by members. The Compliance Department
values the integrity of our membership and gives first priority
to complaints from members and the public.
Our members should be our eyes and ears. Your assistance is
most appreciated and welcome. Please direct complaints in
this area to Louise Heron, the department's compliance secretary.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION:
Q. What is the correct procedure for laying a complaint
to APEGGA on a compliance issue?
A. As the Compliance Department deals with non-members, the
complaint is not required to be in writing. However, the complaint
must be accompanied by evidence such as a business card, report
etc. If the evidence is sufficient to support the complaint,
our staff will make contact with the person or company complained
against. The source of the complaint remains anonymous.
YEAR'S HIGHLIGHTS
- 178 personal applications received, primarily as the result
of a campaign of contacting individuals moving to Alberta
from other provinces to advise them of registration requirements.
- 98 permits to practice issued or reinstated for companies
engaged in the practice of one or more of the three APEGGA
professions. The addition of a third part-time compliance
consultant in March 2002 expanded the department's capabilities
of contacting and investigating the activities of companies
to determine whether or not a new permit or reinstatement
is required. Compliance consultant investigations also allowed
the department to verify the activities of 49 companies
as not practicing.
- 30 individuals and 12 companies stopped misusing protected
titles. Typical examples would be use of the words engineering,
geology and/or geophysics when the activity is not the practice
of these specific professions. The violators complied by
either deletion or substitution of the illegally used words
with ones more appropriate.
- The remaining case resolutions were for various reasons,
among them the verification that individuals or permit holders
were registered, that individuals were no longer working
or living in Alberta, and that trade names were being used
by APEGGA members.
If you suspect a non-member or non-permitted
company of operating in contravention of the EGGP Act, contact
Louise Heron
(780) 426-3990,
Toll-free1-800-661-7020, Ext. 325
lheron@apegga.org
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