New Quality Management Guide on Risk Assessments Published

Following updates to the organization’s Bylaws in May, Engineers and Geoscientists BC has published a new quality management guide on documented risk assessments.

The Guide to the Standard for Documented Risk Assessments consolidates and clarifies guidance on documented risk assessment from existing quality management guides. It explains the standards of practice, conduct, and competence related to documented risk assessments of professional engineering or professional geoscience activities or work expected of professional registrants and registrant firms.

“By publishing a standalone quality management guide on documented risk assessments, we have clarified the risk assessment requirements that were previously embedded in other guides,” said Amy Fehr, P.Eng., Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s Acting Associate Director of Professional Practice.

“This new guide forms part of a broader update to the quality management guides, which strengthens the connection to risk assessment requirements while providing additional clarity, consistency, and improvements across the suite of documents.”

A documented risk assessment is a process involving hazard identification, risk analysis as it pertains to the severity and likelihood of consequences, and risk treatment to determine whether risks should be avoided, mitigated, transferred, or accepted.

The guide explains how professional registrants should uphold their professional obligations by assessing the risk related to activities or work they undertake. More specifically, the guide addresses the purpose and application of risk assessments, as well as what risk assessments should include and when they should occur, what types of risk assessments are appropriate, who is responsible for risk assessments, and what records are required for them.

“While risk assessments are subjective by nature, all registrants should be aware of their professional obligations as they pertain to risk assessments,” Fehr said. “This guide provides helpful information and context to assist registrants in using their professional judgment to determine how to uphold their risk assessment obligations in their practice.”

The Guide to the Standard for Documented Risk Assessments and the updated quality management guides are available on Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s website.