remind me again - what is the purpose of huge (and powerful and expensive) building permit departments and long waits for a permit?
Lives might actually be at stake. Livelihoods almost certainly will.
I just hear the sound of your brain being flip-flopped by the propaganda : paper to plastic -> saving trees plastic to paper -> saving the planet and as a result your attention being diverted from the real causes of the problem.
"Lives might actually be at stake. Livelihoods almost certainly will."
You're absolutely right. WW III, if it happens, will be about global enforcing of cap&trade once the countries most severely affected by the global warming (incl. its consequences like harsh weather and water shortage) organize together and amass enough military power. Low-flush and biking to work, while feeding your ego with warm and fuzzy feeling that you're personally saving the planet, don't mean anything at that scale.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoanut_Grove_fire
As is common in panic situations, many patrons attempted to exit through the main entrance, the same way they had come in. However, the building's main entrance was a single revolving door, immediately rendered useless as the panicked crowd scrambled for safety. Bodies piled up behind both sides of the revolving door, jamming it to the extent that firefighters had to dismantle it in order to get inside. Other avenues of escape were similarly useless: side doors had been bolted shut to prevent people from leaving without paying their bills. A plate glass window, which could have been smashed for escape, was instead boarded up and unusable as an emergency exit. Other unlocked doors, like the ones in the Broadway Lounge, opened inwards, rendering them useless against the crush of people trying to escape. Bartender Daniel Weiss and entertainer Goody Goodelle both survived in the Melody Lounge; by dousing a cloth napkin with a pitcher of water and breathing through it, Weiss was able to escape by crawling through the kitchen and other subfloor areas, while Goodelle and several other employees were able to escape by crawling through a barred window in the kitchen. Five survived by taking refuge in a walk-in refrigerator. Fire officials later testified that, had the doors swung outwards, at least 300 lives could have been spared. Many young soldiers perished in the disaster, as well as a married couple whose wedding had taken place earlier that day.
And that, boys and girls, is why we have building codes.
(It's also why many professional engineers in the US and Canada take an oath, like doctors. Proper engineering is a serious business. Lives are at stake.)
Engineering licensure requires a combination of education, testing, and work experience. I am unaware of any US jurisdiction which requires the Engineer's Oath in order to become licensed to practice engineering.
The Engineer's Oath does not address life safety or the welfare of individuals. Such a commitment might be incompatible with many engineering projects for the defense industry.
Since there appears to be nothing negligent or illegal, it is unlikely that there will be any sort of disciplinary charge.
There might be some sort of claim by the owner. These are typically first handled by mediation and binding arbitration if necessary. It's just a mistake.