Unless the context in which used clearly requires a different meaning as used in this article:

(a) "Board" means the West Virginia state board of registration for professional engineers as provided for in this article.

(b) "Consulting engineer" means a professional engineer whose principal occupation is the independent practice of engineering; whose livelihood is obtained by offering engineering services to the public; who serves clients as an independent fiduciary; who is devoid of public, commercial and product affiliation that might tend to infer a conflict of interest; and who is cognizant of their public and legal responsibilities and is capable of discharging them.

(c) "Engineer" means a person who is qualified to practice engineering by reason of special knowledge and use of the mathematical, physical and engineering sciences and the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design, acquired by engineering education and engineering experience.

(d) "Engineer intern" means a person who has qualified for, taken and has passed an examination in the fundamental engineering subjects, as provided in this article.

(e) "Practice of engineering" means any service or creative work, the adequate performance of which requires engineering education, training and experience in the application of special knowledge of the mathematical, physical and engineering sciences to such services or creative work as consultation, investigation, evaluation, planning and design of engineering works and systems; planning the use of land and water; teaching of advanced engineering subjects, engineering surveys and studies; and the review of construction for the purpose of assuring compliance with drawings and specifications any of which embraces such services or work, either public or private, in connection with any utilities, structures, buildings, machines, equipment, processes, work systems, projects and industrial or consumer products or equipment of a mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic or thermal nature, insofar as they involve safeguarding life, health or property, and including such other professional services as may be necessary to the planning, progress and completion of any engineering services. Engineering surveys include all survey activities required to support the sound conception, planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of engineered projects.

Any person who practices any branch of the profession of engineering or who, by verbal claim, sign, advertisement, letterhead, card or in any other way represents himself or herself to be a professional engineer, or by using another title implies that he or she is a professional engineer or that he or she is registered under this article or who holds himself or herself out as able to perform, or who performs any engineering service or work or any other service designated by the practitioner which is recognized as engineering, is considered to practice or offer to practice engineering within the meaning and intent of this article.

(f) "Professional engineer" means a person who has been duly registered or licensed as a professional engineer by the board. The board may designate a professional engineer, on the basis of education, experience and examination, as being licensed in a specific discipline or branch of engineering signifying the area in which the engineer has demonstrated competence.

(g) "Responsible charge" means direct control and personal supervision of engineering work.

(h) "Rules of professional responsibility for professional engineers" means those rules, if any, promulgated by the West Virginia state board of registration for professional engineers as authorized by this article.