NSPE PE Institute
The Role and Responsibility of Professional Engineers in Ensuring Safety of Our Nation’s Infrastructure
Professional Engineers play a vital role in ensuring the safety of our Nation’s infrastructure – a role that must not be abdicated. In March 2018, a pedestrian bridge under construction at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida, collapsed, claiming six lives. Despite evidence of severe cracking, the engineer-in-charge insisted that the cracking did not pose a safety problem. The PE was so confident of his design calculations and so persuasive in a meeting the morning of the collapse with officials from the Florida DOT, the construction firm, and FIU, that no one pushed to stop work or close the highway below. What can be learned from this tragedy? Also discussed will be the NTSB’s recommendations which stemmed from the tragic pipeline explosions and fires in the Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts in September 2019. The NTSB issued recommendations for jurisdictions to eliminate the professional engineer licensure exemption for public utility work and require a professional engineer’s seal on public utility engineering drawings. Requiring licensed PE approval, the NTSB reasoned, would ensure that an accredited professional with the requisite skills, knowledge, and experience provided a comprehensive review of the planned work.
Hon. Robert L. Sumwalt, III, NTSB Chairman
Robert L. Sumwalt was sworn in as the 14th chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board on August 10, 2017, and reappointed as chairman August 2019, Mr. Sumwalt began his tenure at the NTSB in August 2006 when appointed to the Board and designated as Vice Chairman of the Board.
Chairman Sumwalt is a fierce advocate for improving safety in all modes of transportation.
Before joining the NTSB, Mr. Sumwalt was a pilot for 32 years. Following his airline career, Sumwalt managed the corporate aviation department for a Fortune 500 energy company. In other notable accomplishments, he chaired the Air Line Pilots Association’s Human Factors and Training Group and co-founded the association’s critical incident response program. He also spent eight years as a consultant to NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) and has written extensively on aviation safety matters. He has co-authored a book on aircraft accidents and has published more than 100 articles on transportation safety and aircraft accident investigation.
Chairman Sumwalt earned an undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Aeronautical Science (with Distinction) from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, with concentrations in aviation/aerospace safety systems and human factors aviation systems. In recognition of his
accomplishments, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of South Carolina, and an honorary doctorate from Embry-Riddle. He is an inductee into the South Carolina Aviation Hall of Fame.
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