This is no different than claiming to be a registered nurse without going through the trouble to become one or baring the responsibility that entails. In this case, "Engineer" is a protected title, like "Registered Nurse", or "Doctor". Although it's typically applied to civil and structural engineers who must accept liability for designs they approve. Think bridges, buildings, etc. Professional Engineers are bound by standards of performance, personal liability and a code of ethics that does not apply to people who simply "graduated from an engineering program." When an engineer designs a bridge and puts their professional seal to it, they're taking personal responsibility for the design's safety. If that bridge fails, they could be held liable for damages.
That this guy didn't understand the difference speaks to his level of knowledge and professionalism.
> On its own, the word "engineer" isn't an expressly reserved title under B.C. law. But according to the professional association, it can be misused if the context suggests that someone is a registered professional engineer.
He didn't call himself "Professional Engineer" which may be more analogous to the term "Registered Nurse"
Using Engineer in a way that suggests you are a Professional Engineer is considered misuse. Not understanding the law does not exempt you from it.
> On Dec. 1, Brongers granted a permanent injunction preventing Hilderman from calling himself an engineer or any other title in a way that "expresses or implies" he is a registered professional engineer.
Using Engineer in a way that suggests you are a Professional Engineer is considered misuse. Not understanding the law does not exempt you from it.
> On Dec. 1, Brongers granted a permanent injunction preventing Hilderman from calling himself an engineer or any other title in a way that "expresses or implies" he is a registered professional engineer.
I agree that if he weren't seeking public office, this probably would have gone unnoticed. But those rules are well known among anyone who has taken an engineering education and others have been similarly sanctioned for misuse in the past.
The correct course of action upon receiving a misuse / cease and desist for referring to yourself as an engineer is to apologize, issue a statement clarifying your status, and stop referring to yourself as an engineer. For someone seeking public office to assert that the rules don't apply to them... that's a bad look.
This is no different than claiming to be a registered nurse without going through the trouble to become one or baring the responsibility that entails. In this case, "Engineer" is a protected title, like "Registered Nurse", or "Doctor". Although it's typically applied to civil and structural engineers who must accept liability for designs they approve. Think bridges, buildings, etc. Professional Engineers are bound by standards of performance, personal liability and a code of ethics that does not apply to people who simply "graduated from an engineering program." When an engineer designs a bridge and puts their professional seal to it, they're taking personal responsibility for the design's safety. If that bridge fails, they could be held liable for damages.
That this guy didn't understand the difference speaks to his level of knowledge and professionalism.