NSW Professional Engineers Registration Bill 2019 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 04:05:46 am
content: It didn't take the bureaucrats long to bring this train wreck to NSW, they are now taking submissions.https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-details.aspx?pk=2577&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 04:13:23 am
content: And I don't believe Engineers Australia is sincere in their wanting feedback, they are the ones advocating hard for this bill, so any negative feedback sent to them is likely to get ignored.Given that so few practicing electronics engineers in this country belong to Engineers Australia, they aren't going to give a rats arse.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 04:22:12 am
content: What I am wondering about is a situation which has happened to me...I was approached (through EEVblog) and commissioned to modify a milligram scale to capture timed samples (for an evaporation study). I integrated an Arduino style board and a power solution into the body of a commercially available scale all of which was connected via USB to a computer. I also wrote the software and manual. Three units were modified, two shipped overseas and one is with me.My question is: Would I need to be registered for this sort of activity in the future?And, yes, I did receive payment. (Even though it might have been less than $3 an hour - but it was fun.)

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 06:04:09 am
content: It does nothing for corrupt construction companies, project managers, executives, accountants etc.You can still have corrupt or inept engineers who are "registered". So what? How will that prevent Opal Tower II?The "next" problem becomes when the construction contractor does not follow the engineering drawings, or uses substandard materials, or skimps on steel reinforcement, or doesn't let the concrete harden in a rush.Engineers Australia proposing legislation saying engineers are to do "on-site inspections" is silly, like I have x-ray vision to see through concrete and steel beams, and will be on-site 24/7 to catch all a builder's "mistakes"?It's not a requirement in Canada for engineers to do on-site inspections ensuring a builder is closely following the plans.Like an electrical panel being assembled, would you be responsible for loose wires and bad crimps, as the engineer who did the panel design? The PC board with cold solder joints, clearly the engineer's fault for thatIt's just impractical and at some point other parties have to be held responsible for their part instead of putting it all on the engineers.We can't police a project, especially with no authority and with executives that overrule what we say.Ultimately it's just a cash cow for the Engineers Australia."... the building design was not structurally strong enough to hold its weight." OK so let's everyone move back in this week

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 07:21:13 am
content: Quote from: Brumby on December 17, 2019, 04:22:12 amI don't believe so, just like with the Victorian legislation.The electronics industry is not regulated therefore anyone can perform paid work in that industry.What is does stop you doing is calling yourself an engineer of any sort, or using the word engineer in the advertising of your services.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 08:03:36 am
content: I thought it was the clowns on the other side of the floor that usually like to partake in the unnecessary changing of word definitions.It speaks volumes that the irony of these ginger-beers who need the help of Big Daddy Govt to stick up for them and stop anyone from using their brand.A real Engineer in this predicament just would invent a new, better game and re-brand it with something cool.It's a real shame that Certified Engineers are unwilling to expect the populous to comprehend the difference between an Engineer and a Certified Engineer.It's disappointing that so-called Certified Engineers cannot themselves fix their own problem simply by just reinforcing the word 'certified'. They love polluting their business cards and letterheads with extra rubbish anyway.

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 08:16:08 am
content: "Because we can't compete on a level playing field, we need the government to carve us our own niche!"Reminds me of watermelons: green on the outside, red on the inside.

author: StillTrying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 08:50:44 am
content: Broken Australia.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 09:39:18 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on December 17, 2019, 04:13:23 amObviously no point feeding back to EA, but are you going to make a submission to the Govt. Inquiry? Could be an interesting experience

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 10:19:22 am
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on December 17, 2019, 09:39:18 amI have to check the whole thing out, just need the time to do so. Jan 17th was mentioned as deadline.If possible I'll come up with a submission and try and get signatures or something.

author: login
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 11:10:51 am
content: QuoteI'll only stop calling myself an engineer when hair stylists stop calling themselves hair technicians

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2019, 03:47:46 am
content: I think Dave is right. Not many electronics engineers as a percentage are members of Engineers Australia. I have an engineering degree, but am not a member... never bothered. My money is better spent buying my wife some flowers or buying some new test equipment, not necessarily in that order.I think the engineering industry does need cleaning up. I have known engineers who should definitely be certified but in a slightly different context. Any idiot can call themselves an engineer. And I have met some. It is the bad eggs that give the rest a bad name. One bloke I worked with 25 years ago besides being a kleptomaniac, a suspected druggo, knowing nothing about basic electronics and almost electrocuting two test operators, he was actually a nice bloke. He was fired after 9 months into the job. Whenever I hear Jethro Tull's "Thick as a Brick', I think of him for some reason. On the other hand, one of the smartest engineers I have known did not have a degree. He actually won the IEAust's "Engineers Make It Happen" award in the 1992. On the balance, I am for the term "engineer" being one who has an appropriate engineering degree, and they must be verified by the regulatory bodies.One other point: The Opal towers fiasco and the cladding debacle are to be blamed on state government and inept councils. These governments have clearly been asleep at the wheel. They make a fortune from stamp duty, rates and other charges, so they can afford to put on staff to regulate these dodgy industries. Instead they work in luxurious premises and the council CEOs get paid a king's ransom. The federal government is still turning a blind eye to dangerous electrical products being imported into the country through eBay. These industries need enough qualified engineers to do the proper inspections and audit the paperwork. Any cheating, gets the builder/developer/importer prosecuted in such a way they are not personally protected if the company goes into liquidation.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2019, 04:40:54 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 19, 2019, 03:47:46 amWhilst I appreciate your thoughts as an engineer, I think quite lot of test gear could still be bought for the price of all them flowers.That Opal Towers mess stems from Architects and Engineers failing to provide allowances for services such as water pipes running through walls in the apartments. They need to own up and frankly own this fuck up.As far as Council building inspectors go, private certifiers were introduced because of the monopoly that inspectors had. They were either corrupt, inept or most annoyingly couldn't agree with the builder on how to interpret ambiguous building codes. They still can be to a certain degree.