July 2006 ISSUE
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE & ETHICS CORNEr
APEGGA members with professional practice or ethics questions are welcome
to send them to Ray Chopiuk, P.Eng., Director, Professional Practice, APEGGA,
1500 Scotia One, 10060 Jasper AVE NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 4A2; fax 780-426-1877;
e-mail rchopiuk@apegga.org.
Q. A geologist prepares a report but then is out of the office (or out of the province) when it comes time to stamp and sign it. Is it permissible for the geologist to authorize someone in his office to apply his professional geologist stamp and signature on his behalf?
A. The answer is yes, regarding the stamp and no, regarding the signature. The regulations allow another person under a professional member’s immediate and direct control to apply the professional member’s seal or stamp to a report or other professional document. However, the regulations also stipulate that the professional member “shall ensure that the stamp or seal is accompanied with that person’s [professional member’s] signature and the date on which the stamp or seal is applied.” In other words, although a professional member may allow someone else to apply the stamp, no one is permitted to sign on the professional member’s behalf.
Q. I’ve heard that the APEGGA permit stamp that our company has been using is no longer required to be applied to our documents. Is that correct?
A. Yes, that is correct, but some explanation is in order. The regulations regarding permit stamps and permit numbers were revised several years ago. At that time, the requirement for permit stamps was withdrawn and replaced with a requirement for permit numbers.
The regulations now stipulate that “all final ... documents of a professional nature must ... show the permit number issued” to the permit holder, in addition to being signed and stamped by a professional member with his or her professional member’s stamp. So the permit stamp itself is not required, but the permit number is.
Permit holders who currently hold a permit stamp may still apply the stamp to their documents as a means of “showing the permit number.” The permit stamp provides space for the signature of a permit holder’s Responsible Member, and it would probably be advisable to sign the document (the stamp) if you apply the permit stamp. Otherwise, it is possible the person receiving your document will question the absence of a signature or reject the document, even though a signature on the permit stamp is not necessary.
APEGGA continues to issue permit stamps to those new permit holders that request them. Typically, permit holding organizations use the permit stamp as a means of internal control, allowing a senior Responsible Member the opportunity to review or, at least, to be aware of the professional documents that have been prepared and stamped by the organization’s professionals.
In keeping with the regulations, though, all that is required is that you show the organization’s permit number on the professional documents that the organization’s professional members prepare or review (for the purpose of accepting responsibility for the reviewed documents).
The permit number could be part of a drawing title block, for example. It could also form part of a report title page or appear on the permit holder’s letterhead. It could even be written by hand.
To be meaningful, the number should be accompanied by words such as “APEGGA Permit” or “APEGGA Permit to Practice,” since someone unfamiliar with the professions would not necessarily interpret “P1234,” for example, as a permit number.