The first canon of the National Society of Professional Engineers Code of Ethics is that:
"Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall
hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public."
All engineers, no matter what profession, have an ethical obligation to have their work throughly reviewed prior to issuing final reports and drawings. We at NCS take this responsibility very seriously. Additionally, any geotechnical engineer is aware of the potential liability associated with errors or omissions in their work.
Dr. Ed Nowatzki, PhD, PE, Professor Emeritus of the University of Arizona and an independent consultant with over 40 years of experience is responsible for the the majority of the peer reviews on our projects. But for highly technical projects where Dr. Nowatzki has been involved, NCS is not above going to ADOT, the FHWA, outside consultants, or even contractors to make sure that our QA/QC standards are met, and that our design recommendations are of the highest quality.
As a small firm ourselves, we recognize that smaller consulting firms often find it difficult to implement a rigorous QA/QC process. Even larger firms may find themselves having no one qualified to review a more senior engineer's work. But there is no excuse for not adequately reviewing calculations and designs! In situations like this, NCS can be an extension of your staff and perform these peer or independent technical reviews. It is a critically important part of the design process, please don't let it slip through the cracks of your project. Contact us anytime to discuss how NCS can help. |
