ENGINEERING TERM OF THE MONTH Responsible in Charge / Engineer of Record
The Engineer in Responsible Charge is the engineer who has the direct control and personal supervision of the engineering work . The Engineer in Responsible Charge is not required to perform the entire design personally , but is required to have exclusive supervisory direction and control authority . The Engineer of Record is the Professional Engineer satisfying the role of the Engineer in Responsible Charge . Varying states have differing language legally defining the Engineer in Responsible Charge that may differ from that provided herein .
The Engineer in Responsible Charge is to be actively engaged in the engineering process from start to completion . Engineering decisions are required to be made personally by the Engineer in Responsible Charge or by others that are directly supervised by the Engineer in Responsible Charge .
The role of the Engineer in Responsible Charge or Engineer of Record carries ethical and legal implications . Engineers carry significant responsibility in assuming the role of Engineer in Responsible Charge .
The Florida Board of Professional Engineers provide a useful test to determine whether an individual is the Engineer of Record :
1 . The engineer shall be capable of answering questions relevant to the engineering decisions made during the engineer ’ s work on the project in sufficient detail as to leave little doubt as to the engineer ’ s proficiency for the work performed and involvement in said work .
2 . The engineer shall be completely in charge of , and satisfied with , the engineering aspects of the project .
3 . The engineer shall have the ability to review design work at any time during the development of the project and shall be available to exercise judgment in reviewing these documents .
4 . The engineer shall have personal knowledge of the technical abilities of the technical personnel doing the work and be satisfied that these capabilities are sufficient for the performance of the work .
Sources : � NSPE Position Statement No . 10-1778 – Responsible Charge , 2017 � Florida Board of Professional Engineers Connection , July 2017 �
What Does an Engineer ’ s Stamp or Seal Really Mean ?, Sarah A . Johnson , Esq .
� https :// blog . asceinsurance . com / Blog / post / what-does-an-engineers-stamp-orseal-really-mean /
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� https :// hp-eng . com / 2022 / 02 / what-itmeans-to-be-an-engineer-in-responsiblecharge The Engineer of Record And Design Responsibility By Jack D . Gillum , 1 P . E .
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