REVIEW OF ENGINEERING DOCUMENTS

Chapter 471 F.S. states that "if incompetent engineers performed engineering services, physical and economic injury to the citizens of the state would result..." The law further defines engineering as "any service or creative work, the adequate performance of which requires engineering education, training and experience, in the application of special knowledge of the mathematical, physical and engineering sciences to such services or creative work as...evaluation...of engineering works and systems..." (emphasis supplied)

Frequently the documents and designs prepared by a professional engineer are subject to evaluation, review and change by governmental agency personnel who do not possess engineering education, training and experience. These personnel are therefore unable to make review judgements based on sound engineering principle and may be unfamiliar with innovative or state of the art engineering. Changes mandated by reviewing agencies without the benefit of education, training and experience may result in more expensive and/or less effective engineering and construction and as such are not in the best interests of the client and the citizens of the state.

The Florida Engineering Society believes that when a professional engineer's plans, documents, and/or design work are required to be reviewed, they should be reviewed by a professional engineer registered in the same state and having technical competence in the engineering discipline represented by the plans, document and/or designs. Any changes to such plans, documents, and/or designs dictated by various review levels must be in writing and signed by such other professional engineers

Approved by the FES Board of Directors
April 14, 1981