RPLS Risk Assessment and Mitigation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client requests a survey of a parcel with a steep hillside adjacent to a creek. Which risk factor should the surveyor prioritize documenting first?
- Equipment calibration records
- Potential slope instability and erosion zones (Correct answer)
- Client's intended land use
- Boundary line lengths
Correct answer: Potential slope instability and erosion zones
Slope instability and erosion zones present immediate safety and liability risks that must be assessed and documented before survey work proceeds.
Question 2: When a surveyor discovers a gap between a recorded plat boundary and an occupied fence line of 3 feet, the best risk mitigation strategy is to:
- Ignore it and survey only the plat boundary
- Note it in the field and disclose it in the survey report (Correct answer)
- Relocate the fence to match the plat
- Accept the fence line as the legal boundary
Correct answer: Note it in the field and disclose it in the survey report
Disclosing discrepancies between occupation and record boundaries in the survey report protects the surveyor from liability and informs all parties.
Question 3: Which type of professional liability coverage specifically protects a land surveyor against claims arising from errors or omissions in survey work?
- General commercial liability insurance
- Workers' compensation insurance
- Errors and omissions (E&O) insurance (Correct answer)
- Property damage insurance
Correct answer: Errors and omissions (E&O) insurance
Errors and omissions insurance covers professional liability claims arising from mistakes or negligence in the surveyor's professional services.
Question 4: A surveyor's field crew is working near a busy highway. Under OSHA standards, which mitigation measure is most critical?
- Wearing high-visibility vests and using traffic control devices (Correct answer)
- Working only during daylight hours
- Using GPS instead of total station
- Reducing the crew size to minimize exposure
Correct answer: Wearing high-visibility vests and using traffic control devices
OSHA and MUTCD require high-visibility personal protective equipment and proper traffic control whenever crews work in or near traffic lanes.
Question 5: To mitigate the risk of boundary disputes after delivering a survey, a surveyor should:
- File a copy of the survey with the county recorder
- Provide a written report explaining boundary evidence and methodology (Correct answer)
- Only issue a verbal summary to the client
- Avoid mentioning conflicting deed calls
Correct answer: Provide a written report explaining boundary evidence and methodology
A written report documenting evidence, methodology, and any conflicts provides a defensible record and reduces post-delivery dispute risk.
Question 6: Which scenario represents a risk associated with using outdated aerial photography as a survey reference?
- The imagery may show features that no longer exist or miss new construction (Correct answer)
- Aerial photos always lack sufficient resolution for survey purposes
- Using aerial imagery violates ALTA/NSPS standards
- Outdated imagery causes GPS signal interference
Correct answer: The imagery may show features that no longer exist or miss new construction
Outdated aerial imagery may not reflect current ground conditions, leading to inaccurate feature depiction or missed changes to the site.
Question 7: A risk management best practice for a survey firm handling multiple concurrent projects is to:
- Assign one surveyor to all projects to ensure consistency
- Implement a quality control checklist reviewed before each deliverable (Correct answer)
- Deliver all projects simultaneously to reduce client wait time
- Skip peer review to save time on straightforward surveys
Correct answer: Implement a quality control checklist reviewed before each deliverable
A standardized QC checklist ensures consistent review of every deliverable, catching errors before they reach the client and creating a liability-reducing audit trail.
RPLS Risk Assessment and Mitigation 2
A client requests a survey of a parcel with a steep hillside adjacent to a creek.
Which risk factor should the surveyor prioritize documenting first?