How is the public protected?
The College makes sure that a registrant practicing applied biology in British Columbia has the necessary knowledge and skills. No one can call themselves a Professional Biologist or a Registered Biology…
Will there be additional guidance with respect to our duty to report other professionals under the PGA?
Further information regarding duty to report can be found on the OSPG website.
Will the firm regulation have a specific size of company as a target? Will there be clear guidance on how it applies to independent consultants, small (eg. <20 ppl), or very large (eg. >500 ppl) firms.
Each regulatory body that may regulate firms will determine an approach to regulating firms of various sizes. Currently only EGBC is authorized to regulate firms and their program will accommodate…
When is it necessary to report significant harm and how are reports reviewed for veracity?
The Professional Governance Act section 58 requires registrants to report the practice of an identified registrant when there is reasonable and probable grounds to believe that the identified registrant’s practice may pose…
What will be the penalties for corporations that knowingly violate the best practices methods to protect the environment? The Northwest Transmission Line is a perfect example of these violations.
This is out of scope for firm regulation. — OSPG staff
Is there an opportunity to have one on one presentations with First Nation organizations?
OSPG is able to accommodate requests for engagement. Interested parties should send an email to OSPGEnquiries@gov.bc.ca. OSPG will continue to host PGA webinars in spring 2021. Dates for these webinars as…
How would practitioners working out of province be regulated?
Professional self-regulation is in provincial jurisdiction. Any registrant working outside of BC where registration is required (such as Alberta) should be registered with that provincial regulator. If you live out…
How will the Act affect members of the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists who are currently RPBios through the NWPTA?
Implementation of the Professional Governance Act has no impact on trade agreements between provinces. Registrants already accepted through the New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA) will remain registrants of the College.
How will reserved practice impact retired members on their ability to provide opinion and expertise on matters related to their field?
As per Part 5, Division 3 section 5-3(1)(c) of the College bylaws, retired registrants are “non-practicing” and must not provide professional opinions. This is not a change from the College of Applied…
How will regulation of firms be enforceable?
The PGA enables a regulatory body to regulate firms when that regulatory body has been authorized through regulation and has developed the necessary bylaws to do so. Regulated firms must…