By Steve Brown
Compliance not only benefits your clients, it reinforces your integrity as a plumber.
Steve Brown, IOPSA. ©Plumbing Africa
Non-compliance remains a major concern that we seem to deal with almost on a daily basis. This was highlighted when once again, illegal refurbished geysers were being sold on Facebook. This is a problem that we have highlighted with the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS).
I cannot stress this enough: using compliant materials and product is of the highest importance in our profession. Yes, the client may pay more. Yes, it’s a bit of homework to check that the materials and products are compliant. At the end of the day though, both you and the consumer have peace of mind and protection by utilising compliant products.
Advise the consumer that you are using compliant products. Make sure and make note of what you are pricing and what you are installing so that the consumer knows precisely what they are getting and can make an informed decision.
Non-compliant products cause more damage over time – or worse, in the case of refurbished geysers, pose a threat to life if they malfunction. It also places the plumber at risk. But it’s not just that. In terms of your integrity as a plumber, and the industry as a whole, each one of us is responsible for carrying the banner for quality service and quality products.
Every non-compliant material or product is a mark against the plumbing industry. It hurts our reputations, places strain on our pockets and places your clients at risk. It also negatively impacts our merchants and manufacturers.
They also have a negative effect on our environment and our water supply and water systems.
Ask yourself, would you be satisfied with a substandard installation for your home or the home of one of your family members?
At the end of the day, the consumer carries the cost. And, in some cases, even the plumber is held responsible for the fault or is drawn into legal action. You, the plumber carry the cost if you have not checked that the material or product you are using is compliant. What are you buying? Where are you buying it from?
The only way we are going to combat this is if we work together as a collective, as an industry dedicated to not just doing compliant installations, but ensuring that our clients are safe and have compliant installations in their homes. Remember that old saying: the plumber protects the nation.
