Structural Engineering Certification Board - E&O Insurance 2

[timberwood]

I'm a structural engineer with almost 20yrs experience designing buildings for a small Civil/Structural firm and a self-employed structural engineer friend of mine is encouraging me to join SECB (

http://www.secertboard.org)

before the grandfather date of 1JUNE2008. The premis of this group is to "Certify" structural engineers through experience, testing, and continuing education. He believes that professional liability insurance companies will be requiring in the near future that structural engineers be "Certified" and that SECB is currently lobbying insurers to reduce premiums for certified engineers. Apparently, after June 1st. engineers that want to be certified with this group will need to have passed an examination. Frankly, i'm not too interested in taking another 16hr test on structural engineering. My questions are: Is this trend reality? Are insurance companies going to require certification? Is the gamble worth the $450 iniation fee + $100/yr + 15 continuing ed credits/yr.?

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and advise.

 

[lkjh345]

I posted a similiar question a while ago. Here is the thread # thread507-163549

The overall impression was that most structural engineers who responded had not not heard of the 'certification' process and were not all that high on the idea either.

SECB seems to be a group with a solution in search of a problem.

Our office has no intention of getting our engineers 'certified' Not for that price.

FWIW.