By Steve Brown
IOPSA’s Executive Director, Steve Brown, weighs in on issues that affect the plumbing industry.
Steve Brown, IOPSA. ©Plumbing Africa
How time flies! It feels like yesterday that I sat down to write my first “From the Executive Director” for Plumbing Africa.
We continue to see our industry moving forward in leaps and bounds, however there are still challenges regarding non-compliant materials and non-qualified individuals carrying out plumbing installations, which we all know has a negative knock-on effect across all sectors of our industry.
The lack of enforcement just adds more fuel to the fire.
I am seeing more complaints daily from consumers who have been taken for a ride at a great expense, with little or no recourse. And the question always raised is: how do we, as an industry curb this?
The answer is simple: we can’t. However, as a professional plumber you can create awareness of your membership or association with a professional body. Create awareness when advertising or quoting work. This is what will separate you from the rest of the pack by educating your customer on the accountability and reputation of your business.
Our water woes continue in all provinces and as Brendan has said prior, this presents an opportunity for plumbers in terms of rainwater harvesting and back up water supply. IOPSA has developed installer training which will add huge value in terms of equipping those plumbers wishing to enter the market. Buying a tank thinking it’s just a quick “plug-and-play” may create more issues than it solves, so look out for those dates.
Steve van Zyl and I had a discussion with ECA with regarding electrical connections to geysers and the message was clear in terms of responsibility of each trade and the risks associated with conducting work not certified to conduct. The plumber must work hand-in-hand with an electrician so that each person can complete their area of work.
This has been a hot topic for many years with numerous comments and opinions, however we must abide by the requirements of the law in this regard. We have sent an email with pertinent questions which will be circulated, but in essence, the statement raised was stay in your lane unless you have dual qualification. This was addressed to both trades – plumbing and electrical.
In closing, I would like to commend the regions for their activities during World Plumbing Day – it was awesome to see the difference we made as an industry.
Register for free to gain access the digital library for Plumbing Africa publications
