Celebrating The Trade

On Friday 10 March, Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland and major event partner, O’Brien Plumbing, celebrated World Plumbing Day and appointed the 2023 MPAQ Plumbing Ambassadors to an enthusiastic audience of over 260 at the annual MPAQ World Plumbing Breakfast, held at Rydges Southbank.

Every year, World Plumbing Day is recognised all over the world on 11 March to celebrate and promote the link between good quality plumbing, health, environmental sustainability and, increasingly, economic prosperity. This international celebration was established by the World Plumbing Council (WPC), an international organisation that aims to achieve the best possible plumbing for the world through growth and development of the world’s plumbing industries.

IS THERE TRAINING THAT CAN HELP?

Where Does the Code Apply?

The Code applies to all construction work and manufacturing of construction elements, and workplaces covered by the WHS Act where this work is undertaken.

The Code concerns construction work and the manufacturing of construction elements when it involves both:

• the use of materials that contain one percent or more crystalline silica; and

• tasks that generate dust containing RCS, or more RCS airborne.

The Code applies to plumbing work that contains either of the above.

How Do I Comply?

If your plumbing work involves the use of materials that contain one percent or more crystalline silica or tasks that generate dust containing RCS or more RCS airborne, then your business must adopt a risk management process, including eliminating exposure to RCS, so far as is reasonably practicable, or, if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate exposure to RCS, by minimising it so far as is reasonably practicable.

To meet their health and safety obligations, PCBUs need to:

1. Identify RCS hazards – see Sections 4 and 5 of the Code.

2. Choose the right controls – see Section 6 of the Code.

3. Monitor and review the controls – see Sections 9 and 11 of the Code.

The Code outlines two methods for choosing the right controls:

• Method 1: Using the controls table.

MPAQ offers Workplace Health and Safety core skills courses that relate to skills and knowledge for the safe execution of tasks in an office or construction environment. Silica Dust Awareness is part of this course. It also includes fire safety, manual handling, office ergonomics, risk management, working in hot and cold environments, and asbestos awareness. These courses are online and self-paced.

WILL I BE ABLE TO USE MPAQ SAFETY TO MANAGE COMPLIANCE?

Yes. The MPAQ Safety SWMS builder tool provides users with a ready-made risk management process that allows you to identify the RCS hazards and automatically populate the controls straight from the Code of Practice. This means that if a SWMS is prepared for each job that may involve management of RCS, and a SWMS is prepared using the MPAQ tool, you will create a compliant document that will govern your safe work on site.

Now on its 13th year, World Plumbing Day has become an avenue for people within and outside the plumbing industry to come together to learn from each other, share best practices, build networks, and find opportunities to grow the industry.

For MPAQ, the World Plumbing Day Breakfast has become an annual social assembly for members and people from Queensland’s plumbing industry to meet, collaborate, and start new conversations on the current state and future of plumbing not just in the state, but in the whole country.

MPAQ

Plumbing Ambassadors

Plumbers helping plumbers—this lies at the heart of MPAQ’s Queensland Plumbing Ambassadors program.

The plumbing trade is crucial to the health and safety of many Australian households; and while there is so much room for the industry to grow, there continues to be a shortage of skilled tradespeople. The ambassadors hope to be part of the solution and help promote plumbing as a valuable trade and career opportunity for students and career-seekers of all ages across the State. Some of the key conversations that ambassadors want to spark are: raising awareness about plumbing as a professional career among the youth, engaging businesses to ensure the future of plumbing by training more apprentices, and educating the community about how the growth of the plumbing community can positively impact public health and safety.

Warwick Royal, director at Plumbaround Pty Ltd; Jacinta Marshall, office manager of Plumbrite Solutions; and Nick Anderson, apprentice at Evermore Plumbing & Gas were chosen as the 2023 Ambassadors from an esteemed list of nominees for their passion for the industry and contributions as professionals and individuals.

Find out more at mpaq.com.au/careers/mpaq-plumbing-ambassadors.

About O’Brien Plumbing

• Method 2: Using exposure data to choose dust controls that work.

Section 2 of the Code provides flowcharts to help PCBUs work through the two methods and explains how they link to the duties related to air monitoring and health monitoring.

For more information call MPAQ on 07 3273 0800.

The O’Brien brand has been synonymous with service and social responsibility for over 99 years in the Australian market— from auto glass and glazing to electrical and plumbing. With over 130 independently owned trade businesses across the country—of which 40% are plumbing—O’Brien has been giving back and offering the tools and resources to turn great trade operators into phenomenal business operators.

As a member network, O’Brien is proud to have donated well over $1M to local community groups and charities since 2009 and is equally invested in the partnership and role that Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland plays in this vitally important industry.

For more information on why O’Brien could be precisely what your plumbing business is looking for, visit www.obrien.com.au/become-a-franchise-member.