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Editor's Note: The
following is one in a series of columns supplied by APEGGA's
Compliance Department.
BY DAVE TODD, P.ENG.
Director, Compliance
This is the second of two columns relating to the Permit to
Practice. In the April PEGG I discussed specific responsibilities.
This article focuses more on administrative details.
Under the current act and regulations, permit holders are
issued a permit number: Section 24(3 and 4) of the EGGP Act
and section 48(3) of the regulations. The current act and
regulations require that all final plans, specifications,
reports or documents of a professional nature must show the
permit number: Section 76(2) of the act and Section 49(b)
of the regulations.
A permit stamp is optional. Permit holders may obtain permit
stamps from APEGGA. The permit stamp must be under the control
of the professional member or licensee assuming responsibility
of the professional practice in which the permit holder is
engaged. The permit stamp should be signed by a person authorized
to take professional responsibility for the permit holder.
It is the intent that details regarding permit stamp custody
and specific signing authority within the organization are
matters to be addressed by the officer or designate/person
who signs page one of the application for Permit to Practice
on behalf of the permit holder.
Application is made by completing forms entitled Application
for Permit to Practice. In completing the form it is the responsibility
of the applicant's Chief Operating Officer or his designate
to ensure that the members selected to be responsible for
the respective professional practices are qualified and have
organizational authority to direct and control the overall
quality of services being provided.
On page three of the application, special attention is drawn
to the requirement for an organizational breakdown that corresponds
to the professional responsibility of each member name. Note
the examples accompanying this story.
| NAME & PROFESSIONAL
DESIGNATION |
MEMBER #
|
OFFICE
|
ORGANIZATIONAL
GROUP DISCIPLINE/OPERATION |
| J.D. Doe, P.Eng. |
98888 |
Calgary |
Total Company
|
| |
| W.D. Smith, P.Eng. |
98765 |
Edmonton |
Structural |
| C.A. Jones, P.Eng. |
98989 |
Edmonton |
Mechanical |
| L.T. Brown, P.Eng. |
76543 |
Edmonton |
Electrical |
| O.R. White, P.Eng. |
65432 |
Calgary |
Structural |
| S.A. Black, P.Eng. |
54391 |
Calgary |
Mechanical |
|
| A.S. Green, P. Geoph. |
78987 |
Edmonton |
Exploration Division |
| L.T. Adams, P.Eng. |
86543 |
Calgary |
Refining Division |
|
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Approved applications are acknowledged by letter and the
permit holder is assigned a permit number and issued one certificate.
Permit stamps are optional and may be obtained upon request.
Additional certificates to a maximum of one for each branch
office and additional permit stamps to a maximum of one for
each responsible member may be obtained by contacting the
Edmonton APEGGA office. Replacement certificates and stamps
are available at cost when a permit holder changes its name.
The certificates and stamps remain the property of the Association
and must be surrendered on demand.
Schedule of Fees for Permit Holders
Initial application fee should accompany the application.
The first year's annual dues are included in the initial application
fee.
Initial Application Fee (GST included)
Domestic Permit Holder - $290
Foreign Permit Holder - $290
Annual dues will be invoiced annually on each anniversary
of the month of issue.
Annual Dues (GST exempt)
Domestic Permit Holder - $290
Foreign Permit Holder - $290
A permit holder may apply for a 50 per cent reduction in
annual dues if:
(a) The permit holder has only one professional engineer,
professional geologist, professional geophysicist or registered
professional technologist as a full-time employee or member
of the firm, and
(b) The gross revenues of the firm did not exceed $250,000
in the preceding 12 months.
Please note the 50 per cent reduction applies to annual dues
only and does not apply to the initial application fee.
Reinstatement (GST included)
Should cancellation by APEGGA occur due to non-payment of
annual dues or failure to provide an annual report, a $90
reinstatement fee is payable in addition to any other outstanding
dues.
Frequently Asked Question
Q: Is it important to anyone other than APEGGA and its members,
that only registered members of APEGGA and/or permit holders
use the reserved titles and/or practice these reserved professions?
A: The answer is a very positive yes.
APEGGA believes that one of the major justifications for
the permit concept is to prevent corporations and other such
entities from practicing engineering, geology or geophysics
when the corporation has on staff no APEGGA member entitled
to take professional responsibility for the engineering, geological
or geophysical work done by the corporation.
It is important to every member of the public. The impact
of the services provided by practitioners of these professions
on the lives and fortunes of society is too great, particularly
the impact of errors, to allow anyone and everyone to provide
these services. Therefore, a quality control system is required.
The quality control system chosen and established by the EGGP
Act is the professional association system.
APEGGA clearly recognizes that employers of engineers, geologists
and geophysicists are also part of the quality control systems
established by society to protect the public from unsafe products
and unethical practices. They have a role to play in this
regard. APEGGA hopes that through a cooperative effort, the
objectives of the employers can be achieved and the duties
of APEGGA can be discharged.
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