Use of an Engineer's COREN Stamp After Resignation
A registered civil engineer is the only COREN-registered engineer in a small consultancy in Port Harcourt. He resigned and joined another firm. Three months later a former client sends him a bundle of 14 drawings for a fuel station canopy and drainage system, asking him to confirm that they are the drawings he approved. The drawings bear a copy of his COREN stamp and signature block. He did not prepare, check or approve them; they were prepared by an unregistered draftsman after he left. The former employer says the drawings were based on his earlier concept and that the client needs them for a local government permit. The client has already paid the consultancy. The engineer's stamp image is also being used on the firm's website.
1. Explain the legal and regulatory position regarding the drawings and the use of the engineer's stamp.
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The stamp is a personal certification, not a firm logo. Under the Engineers (Registration, etc.) Act and COREN regulations, only a registered engineer may hold himself out as an engineer and sign or stamp engineering work for which he is competent and responsible. Stamping drawings he did not prepare, check or approve is false certification and professional misconduct. Unauthorised use of his stamp by the firm is also a serious matter and may be an offence. The phrase based on your earlier concept does not make him the engineer of record for the final design. Use of his stamp on the website is a separate misrepresentation. The client's permit application relies on a false statement, so the engineer must correct it rather than remain silent.
2. What actions should the engineer take to protect the public and himself?
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He should write to the former employer demanding immediate removal of his stamp and signature from all documents, the website and digital files, and requiring written confirmation of deletion. He should write to the client stating clearly that he did not prepare, check or approve the 14 drawings and that they must not be submitted as his work. He should preserve copies of the drawings, emails, website screenshots and correspondence. He should report the matter to COREN's disciplinary or registration department with evidence, because the public and the client are at risk. He should consider notifying the local planning authority if the false drawings have been submitted. He should seek legal advice on employment and defamation issues, but not delay the safety correction.
3. What are the risks to the client and the public if the drawings are used without a competent engineer's review?
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The client faces permit refusal or revocation, unsafe construction, and liability if the canopy or drainage fails. The public is at risk because no competent engineer has checked the structural adequacy, foundations, wind loading, drainage or fuel separation. The engineer faces reputational damage and disciplinary action if he allows the false impression to continue. The former employer and the draftsman may face regulatory and legal action. The client should be advised to appoint a registered engineer to review and, if necessary, redesign the works before construction or permitting. Prompt corrective action reduces the engineer's exposure but does not eliminate it.