In my case, I wrote a letter to the owner of an operating facility about known code violations and detailed them in the letter. The laws regarding my responsibilities to the public were also listed in the letter to the owners. They had a specified amount of time to respond with their actions or intended actions wherein a missed response date would require me to notify the city, state, and local OSHA offices. With several days to spare, they responded that all code violations had been corrected. In my opinion, that was all I needed to do as I have no authority to do anything more than take care of my responsibilities. Did I believe all code violations had been corrected? No. But that is their problem, as the owner/operator, not mine. I do not control their money or priorities.
In thinking about the definition of public, I've looked at a host of differing sources as well as the State of Louisiana's Board to arrive at, what is to me, a correct perspective. Public means everyone.
As far as residential, sellers often do not list known problems with properties and, indeed, will go to great lengths to hide them. So a termite infestation, in my first home, was costly, to me but not the original owners, as well as bentonite around window wells, in my current home.
Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC
