One of a series of frequently asked questions from North West ICE members on Professional Review.
How much site experience do I need before I sit my Professional Review?
There is no simple answer! This requirement is expressed in terms of competencies to be acquired. Depending upon the individual and the type of experience available, the time is determined by how long it takes the candidate to actually achieve the required level of competence (measured against the attributes ICE 3001A Appendix A) to be demonstrated at review.
Membership Guidance Note (MGN 42) gives further information.
Do all candidates need site experience?
Paragraph A1.3 of the preamble to the attributes (ICE 3001 Appendix A) states:
As a prospective professional civil engineer, in order to fulfill your obligation to society and to meet the requirements of Health, Safety and Welfare legislation you must have a sound knowledge and understanding of the construction process together with the activities connected to it. You must have an appreciation of and be able to identify and manage risks arising as a consequence of your actions. For those whose experience includes the construction process, site experience will ordinarily be required.
Whose experience includes the construction process? This includes most people in mainstream civil engineering. So whose experience does not include the construction process? Researchers, academics, transport planners and the like. In those cases, the Reviewers would expect an understanding of Health Safety & Welfare that is relevant to their activities - although an overall understanding of construction activities clearly would make them a better engineer.
Site experience does not necessarily involve full time “residence” on a construction site. The necessary knowledge and competencies can be achieved by:
- the supervision of construction work through regular site visits;
- or through making regular site visits to inspect work in progress;
- together with active participation in site meetings where discussion and decisions on construction related problems take place.
Okay — but my employer doesn’t have any construction sites.
This is pretty rare for any organisation involved in construction! But if your employer doesn’t have its own sites, consider getting involved in a secondment or exchange scheme.
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