NZ Plumber December 2018-January 2019

DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Season’s greetings!

PLUMBING SELF CERTIFICATION

Why it makes sense

PRODUCT LIABILITY

Do installers carry the can?

We Support You We know it can be tough out there, so it’s good to know that Methven has the products, service and support to make the job easier.

TRADE TAPWARE REFRESH

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Refreshed handles on core trade taps present a more modern look now at a lower price.

NZ based call centre with over 50 years combined industry knowledge will assist you with any tricky questions you have.

QUALITY

FREE PLUMBER APP

Over 120 staff work out of Methven’s NZ facility. It’s here where we engineer and test products to meet NZ’s high quality standards.

Instant access to all product and technical information when you need it, and also consult with clients on the spot.

WARRANTY AND SPARES

TRAINING

Fast access to spare parts and extensive warranty cover allows you to recommend Methven with confidence.

Our Methven Plumber Training Manager has over 50 years of industry experience for you to tap into as a training resource.

Book your team’s Methven training on 0800 804 222…

methven.com

EDITORIAL

Volume 70, Number 6 MAGAZINE TEAM CEO Greg Wallace EDITOR Beverly Sellers 03 543 2008 beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz DESIGN Sally Travis Design www.sallytravisdesign.co.nz PRINT Service Printers 81 The Esplanade, Petone Wellington 6141 SUBSCRIPTIONS NZ Plumber is published six times a year by Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ. Members and Certifying tradespeople receive all six editions. If you wish to opt out, please email beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz To order an annual subscription, go to www.masterplumbers.org.nz MAILING LIST For enquiries, or to update your details: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz Non-Master Plumbers’ members with address detail changes should notify the PGD Board direct, giving their registration number here: licensing@pgdb.co.nz TO ADVERTISE Contact Catherine Schuster advertising@masterplumbers.org.nz

NZ Plumber is the official magazine of Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ Inc. Contact details for the MPGD Board, Society staff, branches and associations are available at www.masterplumbers.org.nz ©NZ Plumber 2013. Registered as a Newspaper, GPO, Wellington, ISSN 0111-4379. NZ Plumber is subject to copyright in its entirety. The contents may not be reproduced in any form, either in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved in material accepted for publication, unless initially specified otherwise.

All letters and other material forwarded to the magazine will be assumed intended for publication unless clearly labelled ‘Not for Publication’. Views expressed in articles in NZ Plumber magazine are not necessarily those of Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ Inc, or of the Editor. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information included in this publication, the publisher and the Editor take no responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences of reliance on this information. Publication of advertising material implies no endorsement of either a product or service.

What a year!

House shortages, skills shortages, government reviews of just about everything… it’s been a busy one.

WE NORMALLY HAVE one leading feature article, sometimes two.

But this edition it was hard to know what to give priority to: • the PGD Act Review and Master Plumbers’ drive for plumber and drainlayer self-certification • the results of Master Plumbers’ tapware tests and the question of plumber liability for installing unfit products • the updates from the Master Plumbers’ half yearly meeting.

That’s not to mention the current lobbying for better legionella monitoring, the need to clarify the retentions payment regime for users, or the introduction of employer funding options for those who take on WINZ jobseekers as apprentices through Masterlink. In the end, it’s all made its way into this edition to give you plenty of food for thought over the summer break!

We wish you a Happy Christmas and a relaxing festive season with friends and family. Thank you to our contributors, advertisers and readers during 2018. We couldn’t do it without you.

Beverly Sellers Editor, NZ Plumber, beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz

OVER TO YOU The best reader email, letter, tip or photo published on this page wins a $50 prize voucher! Email the Ed: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz or give me a call on 03 543 2008.

NOT a plumber’s perk In the last edition Derek Staines asked for readers’ thoughts on whether plumbing firms removing building materials from site was theft or a ‘plumber’s perk’. A plumber doing work for a friend of his had taken the old hot water cylinder that was being replaced, along with some copper pipe the homeowner had accumulated over time.

“Theft,” said Certifying Plumber John Alder. “You should ask the client if they want the old one.

As for taking the owner’s pipe, same thing. Theft.”

Mark Keenan of Mark Keenan Plumbing agrees. He sent in the following: “My two cents worth regarding the issue of removing building materials from a building site is that the materials clearly belong to the owner and it is simply a case of common courtesy to ask the owner whether they would prefer the materials to be left on site or taken away.

“My own personal experience is that some people want the materials left behind and realise their value whereas others want them removed simply because they don’t want the hassle and just want rid of it. For the sake of $100 worth of scrap metal, in the long run isn’t it preferable to have a trusting relationship with your customer? If the shoe was on the other foot and your sparkie removed a leftover coil of 3 phase cable that you had paid for, I don’t think you’d be impressed.

Some might argue that’s the sparkies perk; I’d argue it’s just greedy and thoughtless.”

And this from Miles Nathan of Cape Plumbing and Drainage: "Of course it's theft, You're removing property that wasn’t yours—unless it's been discussed or part of the quote. For example, we make a point of telling the owner we will remove ALL rubbish and excess materials caused by us. This means wood shavings from drilling (regardless if the electrician's wood shavings are there as well) and any broken Gib, pipework, whether galv or plastic or copper, and the old HWC, provided it's related to our workmanship.

If the owner wants to keep the recyclables that’s the opportunity for them to say so (also if they want to clean our mess up). If the work is quoted, it's not hard to add a line in about waste and recyclable material removed—or even a small credit applied if it's a lot."

Thank you John, Mark and Miles for your emails. A $50 prize voucher on its way to each of you.

December 2018/January 2019

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Inside this issue

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DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019

WHAT’S ON 6 Upcoming events and training PLUS NZ Plumbing Conference 2019

MASTER PLUMBERS NEWS 10 CEO Greg Wallace on plumber selfcertification; Business Partner updates; training timetable; building contract & terms of trade templates, and more….

24 Product installation liability

Are plumbers liable if they install faulty or improper products?

REAL LIVES 26 Support to succeed

Plumbing apprentice Matt VanSant is taking part in a literacy programme pilot

MASTER PLUMBERS BENEFITS 14 What’s on offer for members

44 Prized perfectionist

Attention to detail is Patrick Smith's forte

IN FOCUS

16 2018 report card

Half-yearly meeting updates from Master Plumbers, Skills and the PGDB 20 Plumbing self-certification

Why self-certification for plumbers and drainlayers would level the playing field 22 Put to the test

Independent testing has revealed unsafe levels of lead in tapware products in NZ 4

December 2018/January 2019

TECHNICAL THEME: SURFACE DRAINAGE 29 Surface water drainage

Systems and solutions from Dux 30 Surface drainage design

Allproof offers design advice 32 Three waters review

Upgrading NZ’s stormwater, wastewater and drinking water services

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT 34 By the book

A new chapter opens for Christchurch’s central library

NUTS & BOLTS 38 Legionella lobbying

Legionella risks in plumbing systems 39 RCD safety

Advice from Energy Safety 39 Chlorination in Christchurch

Update on HWC failures

AROUND ASSOCIATIONS 40 Waikato winners

The region’s best in 2018

INDUSTRY TALK 46 SuperSprint action!

Prize package winners at this year’s ITM Auckland SuperSprint 48 Business stand-outs

Two Master Plumbers businesses win big in their regions

ON THE COVER DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Season’s greetings!

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24

46

49 Top marks

Highest pass mark achievers in the 2018 Certifying exams

59 Sam’s speak

It takes consistency to build a company culture

50 In the office

We should all take on apprentices, says Andrea Lovell

59 Biz brief

Short ‘n’ snappy business updates

51 Misleading representations

Fines for Steel & Tube and HRV

60 On holiday… or on call?

Will any of your employees be on call over the public holidays?

INNOVATION

NEXT GENERATION

52 Bathed in colour

Bright shades are the new bathroom trend

SMART BUSINESS

63 Show of skills

All the action from the World Skills NZ Nationals

54 Retentions 101

Understand your rights with our Q&A

64 Laurels for Lauren

From reluctant school student to goldmedalist plumber

56 Up your profit

simPRO has 8 ways to improve job profitability

66 Masterlink messageboard

Funding for host employers; WorldSkills success; meeting the career influencers

58 Pre-festive planning

Preparing your business for the holidays

68 Young Plumber of the Year

The 2018 finalists… and supreme winner

PLUMBING SELF CERTIFICATION

Why it makes sense

PRODUCT LIABILITY

Do installers carry the can?

Cover photograph: Master Plumbers is lobbying for regulatory change to enable plumbers and drainlayers to self-certify their work.

69 On-job verification

How you can help the next generation of plumbers

HEALTH MATTERS 70 Time for change

Looking at ways to improve mental health support in construction

SAFETY FIRST 72 Toolbox tips

Quick health and safety messages to share with the team 72 Worker PPE

New guidance from WorkSafe

AND FINALLY 74 Offcuts

Quirky plumbing-related media snippets 76 Dodgy plumbing

Bumper 3-page Christmas special!

December 2018/January 2019

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EVENTS

What’s on

Training and events for your New Year calendar.

If you have an event you would like to promote in a future edition of NZ Plumber, please email the Ed: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz

2019 New Zealand Plumbing Conference Date: 29-31 May 2019 Venue: InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, Queensland, Australia Earlybird rates (ex GST) until 15 Jan: •

Master Plumbers Members/Masterlink apprentices: $1,570 (single); $2,410 (double)

•

Non-Members/Business Partners: $1,695 (single); $2,540 (double)

OR PAY WITH YOUR PLUMBING WORLD MAXPOINTS OR MICO TRADE EDGE POINTS Cost includes: • • •

ALL Conference sessions/social evening events 3 nights’ accommodation at the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, Queensland Cooked or continental breakfast at the Resort.

Force for the Future is the theme for next year’s conference, with the focus on how we can grow the workforce to meet demand.

The conference venue and accommodation are at the superb InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort in Queensland. This Gold Coast accommodation boasts a marina, golf courses, a one-acre lagoon beach pool and lush gardens—all just a 10-minute drive from the popular Gold Coast theme parks.

This is the perfect time of year to escape to Australia for some winter sunshine. Coinciding with the Queen’s Birthday weekend, the event offers attendees a great chance to extend their stay and make a real holiday of it. Families are welcome, too, with kids’ club activities available at the resort. Check out the website for family accommodation options and costs, plus special accommodation rates for extending your stay.

plumbing conference 2019 New Zealand

29-31 May, Queensland, Australia

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December 2018/January 2019

EVENTS

Wed 29 May

10am-1pm

Optional PGDB CPD Training Session

1pm-2pm

Lunch

2pm-4pm

Technical sessions for plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying

4.30pm-6pm

Master Plumbers AGM

6.30pm-10pm

Mico Welcome Reception

Thur 30 May

7.30am-8.45am

Breakfast (part of accommodation package)

9am

Full-day Partner Programme – full details to follow

9am-10.30am

Business sessions

10.30am-11am

Morning tea

11am-12.30pm

Business sessions continued

12.30pm-1.30pm

Buffet lunch

1.30pm-3pm

Business sessions continued

3pm-3.30pm

Afternoon tea

REGISTER NOW:

3.30pm-4pm

Business sessions – wrap up

www.conference2019.org.nz Contacts: Alton Anamani • aanamani@masterplumbers.org.nz • Freephone: 0800 502 102 • DDI: 04 801 2017 Sarah Rowe • srowe@masterplumbers.org.nz • Freephone: 0800 502 102 • DDI: 04 801 2016

6.30pm-11.30pm

Social evening event, sponsored by Marley and Dux

Fri 31 May

7am-7.45am

Breakfast (part of accommodation package)

8am-2pm

Golf tournament at Palms Golf Course OR Trip to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

Afternoon

Free time

7pm-late

Master Plumbers Awards Dinner, sponsored by Plumbing World

Thanking our sponsors We acknowledge our sponsors for supporting the conference—in particular Platinum Sponsors Plumbing World, Mico, Marley and Dux.

Please note: This is a preliminary programme and is subject to change without notice.

BIMinNZ Date: 8 May 2019 Venue: Te Papa, Wellington The BIMinNZ Conference will provide relevant and inspiring local and international examples of where BIM sits within the project environment. The aim is for delegates to engage with the content and their fellow attendees; for them to be inspired, leaving the forum to play a role in transforming our industry.

Session topics: • Setting client requirements • Design • Construction • Specialist trades • Asset and facilities management.

Confirmed keynote speakers: • David Rendall—author of The Four Factors of Effective Leadership • Brendan Dillon—BIM Manager at Denver International Airport.

The BIMinNZ Conference is a collaboration between the BIM Acceleration Committee (BAC), the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ), and the New Zealand Institute of Building (NZIOB).

Register your interest at http://nziob.org.nz/events-2/events/

Associated Electrical Tradesperson e-Tec has scheduled the following dates for Associated Tradesperson courses in 2019. Please note: courses will only run if there is sufficient demand.

Venue

Start

Finish

Exam

Wellington

20 Mar

22 Mar

23 Mar

Auckland

5 Jun

7 Jun

8 Jun

Christchurch

3 Jul

5 Jul

6 Jul

Auckland

30 Oct

1 Nov

2 Nov

The exam can be sat on any day, but most people choose to sit it on the Saturday after the course finishes.

Contact e-Tec on 09 573 1964 or email admin@shift.org.nz

December 2018/January 2019

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2018 CPD ROADSHOW

THAT’S A WRAP!

The 2018 CPD roadshow has come to a close! Over 5,000 registered practitioners from the plumbing fraternity, were hosted at 41 CPD training sessions in 29 different venues across NZ. 36 sessions included a trade show where attendees were able to interact with key suppliers from the industry.

This year, attendees had the chance to win one of four twin-share trips to the Mico hosted Vietnam trip in 2019. Suppliers also ran showonly competitions and giveaways, which, coupled with the Mico giveaways, ensured participants did not leave empty-handed.

ThePlumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (PGDB) Chief Executive Martin Sawyers said: “The 2018 version of CPD was

again hugely successful with over 5300 practitioners attending the training sessions throughout New Zealand.

The training sessions and associated trade shows are popular with practitioners and are now a key annual event in the induwstry calendar. The intention of the Board is to continue to improve and grow this event over the next few years. The Board greatly appreciates the support of Mico and supporting sponsors for CPD. Their financial commitment and participation in the tradeshows, as well as helping to make the training affordable, is a key contributing factor in the success of CPD.” Richard Doig, General Manager at Mico, expressed similar sentiments.

“Mico took the bold step of

0800 101 999 | www.mico.co.nz

partnering with the PGDB in 2016 to host the new CPD model, amidst uncertainty in the industry at the time. It is pleasing to see the CPD roadshow growing from strength to strength and the wider acceptance of the training model by the plumbing fraternity. The largest attendance numbers to date, including a 7% increase in Auckland alone, are testament to this. I wish to acknowledge our participating suppliers for their efforts in illustrating their products and services via the trade show.

Mico is proud to continue our commitment to the PGDB and the industry. We look forward to hosting the CPD roadshow in 2019.”

PLANNING AHEAD FOR 2019 The team at Mico are already well into planning for the next roadshow, kicking off in May 2019.

As always, key learnings and feedback are taken on board as we aim to offer members an even better hosting experience next time around.

MICO VIETNAM TRIP

2018 CPD COMPETITION WINNERS This year attendees of PGDB/Mico CPD Roadshow could enter a draw to “Win one of 4 twin share trips on our Mico hosted trip to Vietnam in 2019”.

OUR FOUR LUCKY WINNERS WERE: Matthew Grantham – South Auckland Plumbing Tony Bloemendal – Laser Plumbing, Matamata Richard Campbell – FM Plumbing & Drainage Warren Jamieson – Jamieson Plumbing, Oamaru All the winners were stoked and are very much looking forward to a well-deserved getaway!

MASTER PLUMBERS NEWS

Pushing self-certification Advocacy has been at the forefront for Master Plumbers as we step up a gear in our drive for self-certification for plumbers and drainlayers.

FOR MANY MEMBERS in the main centres, self-certification is already a reality, with inspectors unable to carry out onsite inspections due to the pressures of continuing construction industry growth.

I still find it incomprehensible that gasfitters and electricians can selfcertify their work, whilst a plumber cannot—despite six years’ training and completing a Certifying exam.

Our qualifications should be given the respect they deserve.

The ability to self-certify is essential if we are to meet the growing demands of the construction sector and reduce unnecessary red tape and compliance.

Australia has had self-certification in place for over 12 years and, though enhancements can always be made, the Australian Master Plumbers tell me they could never go back to the old system.

In late November, I met to discuss selfcertification with ACT Party Leader David Seymour and National Party Spokespeople Brett Hudson and Andrew Bayly, with further ministerial meetings planned when Parliament resumes in 2019.

We also made our final submission to MBIE on the Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers Act Review and we will be in discussions with MBIE, the PGDB and other officials to try and achieve as many improvements to the Act as possible.

It is long overdue for a refresh and we hope to see some significant changes that will enable the PGDB to function more efficiently in the New Zealand marketplace.

Also in November, we met with Building and Construction Minister Jenny Salesa and Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford regarding the Construction Contracts Amendment Act and the impact of the failures of Hawkins Orange-H and Ebert Construction. At the meeting,

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December 2018/January 2019

we discussed enforcement of the Act and director liability for non-compliance. Master Plumbers have since learned that Ebert’s retentions fund was $1 million short.

The Ministers have agreed to review the Act and to seek our views on proposals for change to strengthen its effectiveness.

Having a regime that is essentially voluntary and not audited does not appear to be working and Master Plumbers will be pushing for greater compliance.

We are delighted to announce a signed agreement with the Ministry of Social Development for an exciting new Work and Income ‘Skills for Industry’ initiative, specifically tailored to our trades.

Government subsidies of up to $10,000 will be available to firms that take on WINZ jobseeker candidates of any age through our Masterlink apprentice training scheme.

After discussions with MSD, it was felt Skills for Industry would be a more suitable funding platform than the government’s recently announced Mana in Mahi initiative for young jobseekers aged 18 to 24.

We will begin with pilots in Canterbury and the Waikato, with the aim of extending the initiative to plumbing firms nationwide. Masterlink will expect the

same minimum requirements of these candidates as of all others and will carry out the same screening and testing—and we encourage employers to get involved at the interview stage.

Successful candidates will undergo a trial period before signing into an apprentice agreement and apprentices will also be eligible for a training subsidy.

For more information about this fantastic initiative, please contact your nearest Masterlink Regional Manager.

Contact details at www.masterlink.co.nz It just remains for me to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a healthy, safe and successful New Year. We are proud to have achieved significant membership growth during 2018, with member numbers now at a 10-year high. The team at Master Plumbers have done a tremendous job in conveying the benefits of joining to potential members and in following a robust Quality Assurance process to ensure all new members represent excellence.

Greg Wallace, CEO Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ

NEW MEMBERS A warm welcome to new Master Plumbers member businesses: • Allan Plumbing and Gas Solutions, Auckland • Cannondale Contracting, Marlborough • Catapult Plumbing, Auckland • Clark Plumbing, Canterbury • CJ’s Plumbing, Canterbury • Complex Plumbing, Auckland • Dave Workman Plumbing Heating Gasfitting, Canterbury • DPV Plumbing & Gas, Waikato • Ford Plumbing, Auckland • Geoff Harriman, Auckland • High Country Plumbing & Gas, Canterbury

• In-Sink Plumbing, Wellington • Instant Plumbing and Drainage, Canterbury • J&M Services, Auckland • Martin’s Plumbing & Gas Services, Auckland • NG Heating & Plumbing Services, Southland • Pipe Dream Plumbing, Wellington • Pipe Masters, Bay of Plenty/ Coromandel • Taieri Plumbing, Otago

MASTER PLUMBERS NEWS

Master Plumbers training timetable

Our 2019 training timetable will be out early next year.

We’ve seen great attendance at our training courses during the year. Our aim is to provide a timetable of relevant business, technical and compliance training. We recently sent out a survey to members, requesting ideas for courses that would be of particular interest in 2019.

Our training is: • available to members and nonmembers, with reduced rates for members

• • •

free to attend for all Masterlink apprentices available as face-to-face courses and online options. able to be booked and paid for online at www.masterplumbers.org.nz/training

If you have any training queries, please contact Alton Anamani: aanamani@masterplumbers.org.nz

Quality Assurance programme

Our Quality Assurance process supports members from day one on.

Plumbing firms wanting to join Master Plumbers must first undergo a Quality Assurance review of their business practices to ensure they meet our quality benchmark. The review assesses areas of the business such as health and safety systems and processes, IT skills, employment contracts and terms and conditions of trade. Our reviewers are able to assist applicants who need a little support to reach the bar.

From here, we require all members to

complete an Annual Quality Assurance Declaration, and in 2018 we also began our new annual process of random audits of 1x% of the membership each year.

Members with any queries about the QA programme should contact Margaret Dawson: mdawson@masterplumbers.org.nz

Best in Brand prize

In the Christmas spirit, we’re awarding two prizes this edition!

Congrats to Dave Allnutt of North N South Plumbing N Drainage, based in Lumsden, for this super smart van with great Master Plumbers branding. Don’t Risk It—Always Use a Master Plumber is the message on the back. Nice one Dave!

We were also really impressed to see the Master Plumbers brand appear in double-quick time on the vehicles of new member business Rapid Plumbing and Gas, owned by Damien ‘Damo’ Houghton. Rapid is the word, Damo!

A $200 Prezzy Card voucher is on its way to each of you.

Are you next?

We’ve received lots of awesome entries of late. If you didn’t win this time, no worries— we’ll put your name back in the draw for the next prize. And if you haven’t entered yet, do it now! The draw for the next edition closes 14 Jan 2019. Email your photos to Sarah Rowe: srowe@masterplumbers.org.nz

NEW: CEO updates on video We’re launching a new initiative to keep members abreast of advocacy projects.

Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace spends a great deal of time advocating on behalf of members with government and key industry players.

Starting this December, Greg will be outlining priority advocacy work in a new video series, available to view on the Master Plumbers website.

Key advocacy topics currently include: • Plumber skills shortages • PGD Act review • Subcontractor retentions and commercial construction failures • Self-certification for plumbers and drainlayers • Lead in plumbing products • Standards New Zealand funding model for Standards development • Legionella in water supplies.

Half-yearly meeting

This year’s event included open discussion on skills shortages.

Master Plumbers Association and Branch delegates came together with the Master Plumbers Board and staff in Wellington this October for a packed half-yearly meeting agenda. The day began with an economic review from Wellingtonbased agency Infometrics, who looked at changes and challenges for the plumbing industry, along with forecasts for hotspot (and cold spot) regions in New Zealand.

This was followed by presentations by Master Plumbers and Masterlink senior management, PGDB Chief Executive Martin Sawyers, and Skills representatives Di Lithgow and Lance Riesterer.

In a change of format this year, the day also included a workshop session—with delegates split into groups to brainstorm ideas for growing the number of apprentices, skilled tradespeople and apprentice trainers in our industry.

Read more about the day’s presentations on page 16.

December 2018/January 2019

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MASTER PLUMBERS NEWS

NEW Gold Partner: Grundfos

We welcome new Master Plumbers Gold Partner Grundfos.

Grundfos is one of the world’s leading pump manufacturers, represented by 80 companies in over 55 countries.

In New Zealand, they have been providing solutions to customers throughout the country since 1996.

Within plumbing, Grundfos have solutions for whole of home pressure boosting, shower boosting, hot water circulation, drainage and wastewater handling.

Water Supply—Water supply pumps from Grundfos ensure a consistent flow of water at the right pressure. Choose from a variety of pump solutions, including: • self-priming options for pumping from below-ground water sources • variable speed options that adjust according to water demand to deliver constant water pressure at the tap • all in one units with integrated motor, tank and non-return valve

•

basic pump units for basic applications.

Wastewater & Drainage—If you need to get rid of floodwater or water from swimming pools, tanks and ponds, or if you need to install extra bathroom facilities remote from the main sewer, Grundfos has the right solution. Choose from a variety of pumps solutions, including: • grinders/macerators to grind and evacuate sewage • lifting stations for discharging domestic effluent • drainage pumps with varying particle handling capabilities for both fixed or portable use.

Hot Water—Hot water circulation solutions from Grundfos are easy-to-install, reliable, quiet and ensure hot water is pumped to taps and showers throughout the home. Hot water solutions include: • pressure boosters for hot water

Above: Grundfos SCALA2, an all-in-one, variable speed, self-priming pump for domestic applications.

• •

•

systems to provide extra pressure to showers and other outlets hot water re-circulators to ensure instant hot water at the outlet circulators for hot or cold water for domestic or commercial applications variable speed circulators for heating or cooling systems.

Visit www.grundfos.co.nz for more information.

Gold Partner

Caroma goes for Gold

We are delighted to announce that Caroma have moved into our Gold Partner category.

Caroma are an iconic Australian company with over 75 years’ experience in creating bathrooms and kitchens, renowned for design, functionality and as a leader in water conservation.

Conscious of the importance of water across Australasia, Caroma’s mission is to use their creativity to protect and conserve water usage in both homes

and businesses. They proudly developed the first two-button Dual flush ceramic toilet in the world, and have recently created the award-winning ultra-low flush Smartflush and Caroma Cleanflush systems—globally pioneering innovations that use up to 40 percent less water.

Together, Caroma want to help protect water for the generations to come.

Above: Caroma’s Luna Invisi Suite.

Gold Partner

NEW: Building contract templates

We’ve updated and added to our residential building contract resources for members.

We have updated the residential building contract interactive PDF template on the Master Plumbers website and added two new templates, along with guidelines for use of all three.

As you’ll know, a written building contract is now a legal requirement if you are doing work for a homeowner costing more than $30,000—and this

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December 2018/January 2019

includes if any variations bring the cost over the $30,000 threshold. However, we recommend having a written contract even if the work costs less than this.

Now available to download from your member website: • Residential building contract over $30,000 – fixed sum • Residential building contract over

$30,000 – hourly rate OR part hourly rate/part fixed sum • Residential building contract under $30,000 – for use as your terms and conditions of trade.

Find it all in the member log-in at www.masterplumbers.org.nz under Compliance Support.

PAGE TAG

Platinum Partners Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ thanks the following Platinum Partners for their support:

Gold Partners Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ thanks the following Gold Partners for their support:

Silver Partners Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ thanks the following Silver Partners for their support:

December 2018/January 2019

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Supporting Your Business MASTER PLUMBERS BENEFITS

Resources, discounts and savings available to Master Plumbers members.

Master Plumbers is here to assist member businesses in every way possible. Discover the many benefits available to those who join.

It’s all in the member log-in at www.masterplumbers.org.nz

Marketing Support Master Plumbers brand The Master Plumbers logo is available in a number of file formats and colourways, both stacked and horizontal. Use it on your company uniforms, vehicles and office signage to show clients your work is covered by the Master Plumbers Guarantee and is Quality Assured.

Free decals are available with the Master Plumbers, Master Gasfitters and Master Drainlayers branding.

Please follow our brand guidelines for use.

Master Plumbers Guarantee The residential Master Plumbers Guarantee protects consumers in the event of a member's substandard workmanship or

bankruptcy. It covers homeowners for up to $15,000 in labour costs and up to $5,000 in product costs.

Logo and customer fact sheet downloads available.

Employment Support HR Helpline Contact the HR Helpline for advice on HR and employment issues (first 30 minutes’ free).

HR guidance and resources Workplace policies, recruitment guidance, performance review checklist and more.

Employment agreements Executive, standard, apprentice, contractor, and volunteer contract agreement templates

Business Support •

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•

• • •

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Apprentices—Find top quality, mentored apprentices through the Master Plumbers Masterlink apprenticeship scheme (and we take care of all their PAYE, HR and block course arrangements).

Insurance—Competitive premiums on business and personal cover with Master Plumbers Insurance.

Fuel—Efficient fleet management and significant fuel savings with the Master Plumbers Mobilcard.

Vehicle care —10% discount (exclusive of tyres) at Pit Stop, and just $48 inc GST for a WoF. Equipment hire—20% discount on Hirepool hire equipment.

Car hire—discounted rates on Avis rental cars.

December 2018/January 2019

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• Job management—20% discount on initial implementation of simPRO Enterprise software.

• Training—Business training from just $90 ex GST per person in the annual Master Plumbers training timetable. Masterlink apprentices attend free.

• Office supplies—Competitive prices on office products with NZ Office Supplies plus a $25 credit when you open a new account.

• Debt management—Special member subscription rate on Debtorinfo debt management and collection system.

Monthly deals—Regular promotions and prizes from Master Plumbers Business Partners.

NZ Plumber magazine—Six issues per year in print and digital versions.

MASTER PLUMBERS BENEFITS

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December 2018/January 2019

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2018 report card IN FOCUS

The Master Plumbers Half-Yearly Meeting in October provided a chance to update nationwide delegates on developments among the industry’s key players during 2018.

Growing the workforce

Looking at ways to grow the numbers of apprentices and their on-job trainers is a major focus for Master Plumbers.

WITH THE CONSTRUCTION industry needing around 50,000 workers by 2022 to keep up with demand—and an Infometrics forecast showing continuing elevated activity levels for the sector over the next five years—Master Plumbers is urging plumbing businesses to take on apprentices.

drainlaying careers. Only a tiny percentage of New Zealand’s plumbers are women, meaning there is huge untapped potential for workforce growth.

Session participants felt it was also important to capture students for whom university had not been a good fit and who were looking for alternative Brainstorming session qualifications. There were also opportunities At the Master Plumbers Half-Yearly Meeting, to attract adult career switchers and older delegates from around New Zealand got into tradespeople looking to return to active groups to discuss ways to attract more quality work. Overseas qualified people were candidates and willing trainers. another option, particularly given the The Common themes emerged, including the Skills Organisation’s new, more streamlined need to improve engagement with schools, migrant pathway. careers advisors and parents. There was still Several groups suggested a levy for firms work to be done to change perceptions about that don’t take on apprentices, as a way Above: Master Plumbers CEO Greg trades careers—particularly the traditional to encourage more companies to train.

Wallace provided an update on the view of plumbing as a dirty job. Influential organisation’s extensive recent advocacy Other ideas included sharing an apprentice adults needed to be educated about the work. between businesses, or amongst members many career pathways open to plumbing of a Master Plumbers Branch/Association. apprentices, and the specialist job opportunities available.

Financial incentives for employers were also suggested, as was Business ownership was also considered a real drawcard by training for businesses who took on apprentices, to ensure session participants. they were getting the best value from them. Those that did Another common theme was the need to attract more train needed to share good news stories with other firms to females and diverse ethnicities into plumbing, gasfitting and encourage apprentice uptake.

Above: Delegates got into groups for a brainstorming session on addressing skills shortages.

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December 2018/January 2019

Above: An economic review from Wellington-based economic development agency Infometrics looked at latest forecasts for employment in our industry.

PGDB progress

PGDB Chief Executive Martin Sawyers outlined key milestones for the regulatory board over the past 12 months.

1. Record authorisation numbers 19,925 authorisations have been issued to 11,604 people during the year—an 8% increase on the previous year. There has also been a 15% increase in trainee authorisations.

2. CPD session growth Now in its third year, the PGDB & Mico CPD Roadshow has Above: PGDB Chief Executive seen increasing numbers turning Martin Sawyers. up for the face-to-face sessions, rather than doing the training online.

3. Electronic exams launched Since June 2018, the Tradesman registration exams have been offered on a more regular basis as electronic exams, held at nationwide venues under monitored sitting conditions. This replaces the previous twice-yearly exam schedule.

4. Fees reviewed A fees review conducted during the year will result in a $4 increase to Certifying and Tradesman licence fees and a $14 increase to the disciplinary levy as of 1 April 2019. Employer licences and s52 Exemption under Supervision licences will be charged on a true cost recovery basis.

5. Successful consumer campaign The Sort the Pros from the Cons consumer campaign, now in its second year, has had a huge impact in raising consumer

awareness of using only qualified and authorised people to carry out sanitary plumbing, gasfitting and drainage work. It has resulted in a 1514% increase in visits to the public register on the PGDB website.

6. Accessible migrant pathways Skills has introduced the ‘Recommendation for Registration’ (RFR) pathway to help speed up the registration process for overseas-qualified people who meet the eligibility criteria. This provides gap training as needed to meet the equivalent of a New Zealand Level 4 qualification.

7. Registration classes confirmed In response to industry feedback, the PGDB consulted for a second time on whether or not to retain the two-tier Tradesman and Certifying registration classes. A total of 800 submissions were received, with 80% in favour of keeping both, which the PDGB has since confirmed as its final decision.

8. Transition process for Certifying Plumbers to Certifying Drainlayers During the month ending 20 November 2018, the PGDB consulted on its proposals to simplify the process for a Certifying Plumber to become registered as a Certifying Drainlayer.

A decision was expected on 4 December, as NZ Plumber went to print.

9. Looking to the future As part of the current review of the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 2006, the PGDB would like to see Exemptions under Supervision removed, as well as the homeowner exemption.

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December 2018/January 2019

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IN FOCUS

Skills project pipeline

Skills representatives Di Lithgow and Lance Riesterer provided delegates with an update on the ITO’s activities during 2018.

THE SKILLS ORGANISATION has two key developments for the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying trades.

Business Advisor Programme

During the year, Skills has run a Business Advisor Programme pilot, providing business advisory sessions to selected employers in Northland.

It has appointed 12 Business Advisors throughout New Zealand and is looking for more—with the aim of having up to 20 Advisors by the end of the year.

“All our Advisors have extensive trade experience, and we currently have nine businesses working with them,” said Di Lithgow, Head of Engagement at Skills. “They range from sole traders to businesses with 30-plus staff.”

Participating businesses are entitled to four months’ free support (six months for Master Plumbers member businesses).

Mico is supporting the programme by letting businesses use their Mico Trade Edge Points for an Advisor’s services after the free service period ends.

Businesses that have been operating for a few years are able to apply to the Business Advisor Programme by contacting Lance Riesterer: lancer@skills.org.nz

Above: There has been record growth in the number of apprentice sign-ups over the past three years, and construction demand indicates that this volume is likely to continue.

Job Matching

Skills is piloting a job matching scheme, that would see jobseekers matched with plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying firms looking for an apprentice. Candidate sources would include schools, Workchoice and Māori and Pasifika Trades Training (MPTT).

The pilot is still in its early stages.

Accelerated Apprenticeships

Skills has also received the green light from the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) to explore the potential for an accelerated plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying apprenticeship.

The ITO is currently developing a project plan and will be consulting with the industry on its proposals when this is ready.

This ‘hot housing’ concept is based on successful apprenticeship models from overseas, including Australia.

Above: The strongest enrolment growth has been in Auckland and Northland, followed by Wellington and central New Zealand. The South Island has seen flat employment levels.

It would see apprentices frontloading 18 months of applied learning (60% practical, 40% theory) at a training provider before sitting the Tradesman registration exam.

On successful completion of the exam, the apprentice would be placed with an employer to gain the necessary on-the-job experience to achieve their Level 4 New Zealand Certificate.

The employer would act as the verifier, or the apprentice could be assessed by an independent assessor or training provider.

Skills is looking to run pilots in the North and South Island next year. ■

Left: How an Accelerated Apprenticeship might look.

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December 2018/January 2019

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IN FOCUS

Plumbing self-certification Self-certification for plumbers and drainlayers would level the playing field, says Master Plumbers.

MASTER PLUMBERS STRONGLY supports self-certification for plumbers and drainlayers, as the current council consenting regime is inconsistent, confusing and places too much risk on plumbers. As New Zealand’s building boom continues, we need a better solution.

Certainty of responsibilities and liabilities Master Plumbers recently undertook a survey of its members, which highlighted the inconsistent and confusing nature of the current regime. It revealed that members currently believe an inspection (or PS3) places the liability onto the 20

December 2018/January 2019

council, rather than themselves. This is incorrect.

“The current system is inconsistent and confusing for members,” says Greg. “Plumbers are required to take responsibility and liability for work with no clear guidelines of the standards.

“On top of this, there is variation in council requirements. We believe selfcertification would provide a clear and consistent regulatory framework, based on best practice. This could be applied across the country to ensure plumbers know what their responsibilities and liabilities are for all plumbing work.

This would also lift standards across the country.”

Speed up the process and save money Self-certification would help to lower building costs and speed up the time taken for work to be completed.

“The current process adds considerable time and cost onto the building process,”

says Greg. “Self-certification will provide greater efficiencies for plumbers and their customers, removing delays from late inspections. This is vital in the current market and for the delivery of the Government’s KiwiBuild programme, and is particularly important in high growth areas such as Auckland.

“Nearly half of our Auckland members responding to our survey earlier in the year are having to wait more than six days on average for an inspection, and a third have had to wait more than 11 days. The clear majority of our Auckland members (81%) say the current system is causing disruption and delays to their projects, with nearly half stating this is a major issue.”

Improve quality standards by introducing audit framework “We propose plumbing and drainlaying self-certification follows a similar model to what currently applies to gasfitting

IN FOCUS and electrical work,” explains Greg. “This would include having a thorough audit framework for plumbing work. The Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board [PGDB] would be responsible for managing this process.”

PGDB Chief Executive Martin Sawyers supports the introduction of selfcertification to plumbing and drainlaying work within the current review of the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 2006. “It has generally worked well in relation to electrical and gas services in New Zealand and has also worked successfully with respect to plumbing and drainlaying in Australia,” he says.

A key benefit of this process would be a crack-down on unauthorised plumbers and drainlayers or unqualified people undertaking work illegally. “Under the current regime, a large portion of plumbing work does not need to be inspected, and so is not certified or checked. This is leading to unauthorised people undertaking work illegally, with little recourse. This is damaging to the profession and dangerous for consumers.

“Self-certification would provide a requirement for all work to be self-certified and make it harder for unlicensed people to operate.”

Recognition of plumbing qualifications and training The current regime does not adequately recognise plumbers experience and qualifications, says Greg. “Plumbers are highly trained tradespeople. In addition to a four-year qualification, they must successfully complete a further two years’ training to gain the Certifying licence class, as well as undertaking annual CPD training.

“With such high levels of skill and professionalism, they should be trusted

to complete work to an equally highquality and safe standard as a gasfitter or electrician.

“Through our survey responses, and by talking to our members, we also know there are mixed views about the value of inspections. The industry has a skills shortage and, as a result, we have heard from many of our members that the council building inspectors are unqualified to correctly inspect and test plumbing and drainlaying work. Selfcertification would alleviate this issue.” ■

4 good reasons

Why self-certification would benefit plumbers and drainlayers.

1. Self-certification would improve quality standards and include a thorough audit framework.

2. Self-certification would provide a clear and consistent regulatory framework to ensure plumbers have certainty of their responsibilities and liabilities for all plumbing work.

3. Self-certification would provide greater efficiencies for plumbers and their customers, removing delays from late inspections.

4. Self-certification recognises the qualifications, skills and integrity of plumbers.

Member views

What Master Plumbers members have to say about self-certification for plumbers and drainlayers.

Self-certification would save the industry—both workers and clients— thousands of dollars. When we have to wait for inspections, the cost increases exponentially and we are passing this onto the client. We would be happy to self-certify and would be open tor an audit system similar to the gasfitters’ system.

Hylton Chard, Chard Drainlayers in Hawke’s Bay Self-certification gives meaning to the Certifying qualification we have to get to become a plumber. At the moment, you might as well not have the Certifying qualification if you can’t self-certify.

“There are not enough inspectors to meet the demand of inspections. The

Government has set an ambitious target of wanting to build 10,000 KiwiBuild homes a year but under the current system, without self-certification, it will not meet this target.

Self-certification would take the pressure off councils and inspectors to meet this demand.

“The gas industry went through the same problems—not enough inspectors to meet demand, so that’s how they came to self-certify. Plumbing and drainlaying is now in the same situation.

Dave Strong, Morrinsville Plumbing & Gas in the Waikato The red tape of consents and compliance will be sped up if plumbers can self-certify. We have to go through an onerous process of lodging applications and then have to wait a couple of weeks

for inspections.

“We are responsible and liable for the work anyway—whether it is inspected by a third-party inspector or not.

John Gutry, Gas & Plumbing Specialists in the Bay of Plenty The first problem is, from my experience, there are some council inspectors who don’t know anything about plumbing, and the second problem is that it can take up to two to three weeks to even get the inspection.

“Self-certification will free up the councils to allow them to do what they should be doing—policing the system in an efficient manner.

Dale Lovell, Heron Plumbing in Auckland

December 2018/January 2019

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IN FOCUS

Put to the test Independent testing commissioned by Master Plumbers has revealed unsafe levels of lead in tapware products readily available in New Zealand.

MASTER PLUMBERS IS calling for the Government to undertake an urgent comprehensive review of plumbing products sold in New Zealand following the ‘lead-crisis’ in Australia and independent testing which demonstrates similar issues in New Zealand.

Master Plumbers recently commissioned independent testing on five tapware products sold in New Zealand and found the level of lead leaching from one product to be 70% higher than the allowable limit in drinking water product standard AS/NZS 4020:2005. Although this standard has recently been superseded

by AS/NZS 4020:2018, the allowable lead limit remains the same.

Master Plumbers Chief Executive Greg Wallace says that, although four of the five products passed the test, one product with that amount of lead is unacceptable.

“This product was bought online. It’s been removed from that source but we believe it is still readily available to New Zealanders. We do not know how many of these taps have been sold and installed, but these test results show that New Zealanders’ health is at risk.

“We need the Government to undertake a full testing programme to understand the extent of the issue,” he says. “Young children are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead and can suffer profound and permanent adverse health effects. The World Health Organization deems no level of exposure to be safe.”

Master Plumbers tested a small sample of products following concerns raised by members. “Our members are concerned about the quality of some products available in the marketplace,” says Greg. “We are also closely watching the unfolding lead crisis in Australia.

Recently, lead-leaching brass fittings were discovered at Perth Children’s Hospital, 22

December 2018/January 2019

Above: Master Plumbers purchased a random selection of tapware in store and online for independent testing by an internationally accredited laboratory.

and we are concerned that the exact same fittings were sold in New Zealand.”

Master Plumbers selected five readily available products purchased in-store and online. These were tested by an independent lab, which conforms to international testing standards. The comprehensive testing was carried out on water run through the taps, and two samples of each product were tested. Master Plumbers contacted the distributor and the failed product has now been withdrawn from sale.

“Currently New Zealand adherence to standards is voluntary,” says Greg.

“Products are not being tested and, as a result, there is a high risk that unsafe products are readily available to consumers.

We believe there will be other tapware and pipe systems out there that will also fail this standard. These products may be being used in our homes, schools and hospitals.

“We are the representatives of the plumbing trade and it is our view that the current voluntary nature of standards for product safety is not working. We have informed the Minister of Health and the Minister of Building and Construction and would like to see the issue of compulsory standards prioritised, due to the potential health concerns. We

are concerned that the current sectorwide building products review being undertaken by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is not the right place for dealing with this issue.

“In Australia, following several highprofile cases of poor-quality products in public water systems, a mandatory WaterMark was introduced in 2017. This process is generally working well, and in fact, of the five products we tested, the four that held the Australian WaterMark all passed.

“We believe there should be thirdparty verification required on all plumbing and tapware products sold in New Zealand. We understand that around 75% of products sold in New Zealand already hold the Australian WaterMark.

“However, the New Zealand and Australian standards are not aligned with international best practice, which effectively has a zero percent lead threshold. In the United States, for example, all five of the products we tested would have failed under global standards. We think this aspect of the standards also needs to be reviewed.

“As these test results show, this is too important not to get right.” ■

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IN FOCUS

Product installation liability IT CAN BE very hard for New Zealand plumbers to know if the product they install is fit for purpose, given that there are currently no compulsory plumbing product standards. Some New Zealand manufacturers and suppliers choose to comply with the Australian WaterMark scheme, but it is not mandatory to do so here.

So, if a plumber installs a product that causes someone harm or results in damage to a property, is he or she liable?

Complying with the PGD Act Section 89 of the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 2006 sets out disciplinary offences for plumbers. One of these is ‘to have intentionally or negligently created a risk of serious harm to any person, or significant property damage, through having used or caused to be used faulty or improper appliances, pipes, drains, sanitary fixtures, or fittings’.

The important thing to note is that this only applies to plumbers who knowingly and deliberately install unsafe product, or don’t take reasonable care to ensure they’re not installing an unsafe product.

Customer-supplied product From time to time, a customer may tell the plumber they want to supply their own product.

In these situations, you should always explain to the customer that they should purchase products that comply with the NZ Building Code and relevant standards. Also let them know about their other options, such as buying the product directly from the plumber or buying a brand recommended by the plumber and from a recommended retailer.

If the customer still wants to provide their own product and you’re not familiar with it, or have concerns about it, we recommend that you: • Advise the customer to talk to their supplier and ask if the product meets applicable product standards; and • Explain the potential long-term problems and possible costs that could arise for the customer if the product were to fail.

If the customer still wants to go ahead with using their own supplied products, and you’re not sure if the product is compliant with the NZ Building Code and relevant standards, you should inspect it to determine its quality and appropriateness for the job. A visual

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December 2018/January 2019

Are plumbers liable if they install faulty or improper products?

Nick Crang of Duncan Cotterill has some answers and advice.

The difficult question for plumbers is what constitutes reasonable care? Many plumbers rely on brands they trust from previous experience, or on word of mouth—both of which may be reasonable approaches.

When dealing with products you are not familiar with, inspect them carefully. It would be hard to say you’d taken reasonable care if you hadn’t inspected a product.

Particular care should also be taken if you are installing a product that you have no knowledge of, or that appears ‘cheap’ or that comes from an unknown source. If you have heard bad things about the product or have previously had a bad experience with it, you should do some more investigation before installing it, in order to avoid a potentially negative outcome under section 89 of the Act.

when dealing with products you are not familiar with, inspect them carefully

Products carrying a WaterMark stamp can reasonably be relied on, but it’s wise to first look up and verify the WaterMark number on the WaterMark Product Database at www.abcb.govt. au/Product-Certification/WaterMark-Certification-Scheme.

As noted above, compliance with New Zealand product standards is voluntary. The relevant standard, in most cases, will be AS/NZS 4020:2018 Testing of products for use in contact with drinking water. Master Plumbers has some concerns about whether the standards are strict enough as well as with the voluntary system. It also appears that few products are tested against AS/NZS 4020:2018. Despite this, it would be reasonable for a plumber to rely on a statement that a product complies with AS/NZS 4020:2018 or other relevant standard, unless there is some reason not to believe such a statement (eg, it’s not made by a reputable supplier, or the claim itself is made in a suspect way).

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Complying with the Consumer Guarantees Act Under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, a supplier and/or service provider can be liable if they supply a product that is not of acceptable quality or if they fail to use reasonable care and skill in installing a product.

This may require you to supply a replacement product and/or remedy the situation, depending on whether you are the service provider and/or product supplier. ■

Nick Crang is a Partner at Duncan Cotterill’s Wellington office.

His work areas include regulatory, consumer and public law and he assists Master Plumbers on a wide range of legal matters.

inspection may not show much, but it could be hard to claim that you had taken reasonable care unless you had done so. Of course, if you don’t think that a product is safe or have a reasonable suspicion that it is isn’t safe, you should refuse to install it.

You should also require the customer to sign a letter that acknowledges the risk of using their own products.

A letter of this kind goes some way to limiting your risk as a plumber. However, it does not (and cannot) exclude your liability for breach of the service guarantees in the Consumer Guarantees Act, or the warranties in the Building Act, and does not affect your professional obligations to avoid creating a risk of serious harm or endangering life.

You should always refuse to install products that you know, or suspect, to be defective, faulty, inappropriate, non-compliant with the Building Code or may create a risk of serious harm to someone, or significant property damage.

Master Plumbers has a template letter and guidelines for members’ use. Find it in the member log-in at www.masterplumbers.org.nz (under Compliance Support).

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REAL LIVES

Support for success Plumbing apprentice Matt VanSant is taking part in a literacy programme pilot to help him with his Tradesman registration exams. He talks to Matthew Lowe about the opportunity.

PLUMBING APPRENTICE MATT VanSant is a dab hand on the tools but feared he would struggle to pass his Tradesman registration exam because of his dyslexia.

The 20-year-old is more confident about his prospects now, though, after he was one of a few chosen from around New Zealand for a literacy programme being piloted by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (PGDB).

“I’m feeling like I’ve got a chance to make it through because without it I do not know if I would get there. You misread one word and it can throw you off,” the Cambridge resident says.

In conjunction with Literacy Aotearoa, the PGDB is trialling a scheme that offers apprentices who have difficulties with reading and writing the chance to have extra support when it comes to sitting crucial exams.

Under the pilot, the PGDB has identified people who may benefit from the programme before a Literacy

Aotearoa staff member assessed them to understand the level of difficulty they have with words and numbers.

A recommendation is then made for the appropriate level of assistance at exam time, which includes no extra assistance, extra time, extra time and reader/ writer, or a professional conversation, where there is a structured conversation between a candidate and a technical assessor.

Matt had his assessment in October and has been recommended to have a professional conversation when he sits his Tradesman exam.

He is near to completing the third year of his apprenticeship and, while he enjoys plumbing, he admits the volume of paperwork for his training at Wintec in Hamilton has proved a challenge.

“The plumbing work and hands-on stuff is good and I enjoy it and seem pretty competent at it,” Matt says. “But the bookwork poses a challenge and is the most difficult bit about going to tech.

Above: Some of the written material Matt has to read through as part of his training.

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December 2018/January 2019

Above: Matt VanSant hopes to sit his Tradesman exam soon.

“When I sit my exam, I can now hopefully have the help I need to get through it. I know it all in my head but if you have got a three-hour limit, and are having to re-read things and making spelling mistakes, you put a lot of pressure on yourself and make a mess of it.

“If I can tell someone what to write down then I am not sitting there for 20 minutes trying to spell a six-letter word or dumbing down my answers to make them easier for me to write. I’m thankful to get the opportunity through the programme because putting it on paper for someone to understand is the hardest part for me.

“Hopefully this is something they can offer to more people in the industry because there are a lot of people out there who are good on the tools but when it gets to the exam side they pull the pin because they can’t face trying to sit it.

People need this kind of help and the industry would get a lot more tradesmen out of it.”

PGDB chairman Peter Jackson says the pilot programme emerged after it became apparent that many talented tradespeople had completed their training but grappled with passing the Board’s exams to become registered.

“This is a situation that has mainly been due to literacy and numeracy…

REAL LIVES

Some, after many attempts, have passed their registration exams, and others, unfortunately, have decided to adjust their career pathways as a consequence of this difficulty,” he says.

“With the current construction environment in New Zealand requiring significant increased demand for plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers, our industry needs to find solutions to address this issue. Since the beginning of the year, we have been working together with Literacy Aotearoa in an initiative that we hope will help address this problem.”

Matt, who was formally assessed as a severe dyslexic at age 12, left school at 15 with his parents’ support and is doing his apprenticeship with Plumbing Complete in Te Awamutu.

He has no regrets about choosing plumbing as a career and is following in the footsteps of his father, Rick, who worked as a plumber in the United States and Australia.

“I left school at the end of year 10 not achieving any NCEA level or standard, so I was classed as a dropout. My old

Above: The house Matt is building in Rotoorangi.

man is a qualified plumber so I got out of school and got into plumbing at 15 and found my feet there and got into the apprenticeship at 16.

“Plumbing has been the best choice I have made. Getting into a trade has put me leaps and bounds ahead of anyone else my age from school. No one I know from then is building a house and has got money in the bank to go out.”

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Matt has saved up a chunk of his earnings over the years and put it towards building a two-bedroom, 126sq m house at Rotoorangi, between Cambridge and Te Awamutu.

He has been doing most of the building and plumbing work himself and hopes to have the home completed by mid-2019. ■ We’ll bring you an update on the pilot programme in an upcoming edition.

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TECHNICAL THEME

SURFACE DRAINAGE Advice and information on stormwater and surface drainage systems.

In this section

29 30 32

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Surface water drainage Surface drainage design Three waters review

December 2018/January 2019

TECHNICAL THEME

Surface water drainage Improving surface water drainage starts with understanding the systems and solutions available, says Dux. NEW ZEALAND HAS a complex climate, with most regions receiving between 600 and 1600mm of rainfall throughout the year. Managing this through effective surface water drainage solutions prevents the accumulation of water in areas where we live, work and play.

Installing drainage systems such as channel and grate and silt pits around buildings, parks, gardens and driveways, is one way to prevent surface water accumulation by collecting and redirecting both stagnant and flowing water into the stormwater network.

The combination of these two surface water drainage solutions working together minimises the risk of flooding, maintains moisture balance and lessens soil erosion, and reduces runoff that can pollute local streams and the ocean.

A type-one surface water sump is suitable for an area of up to 4500/I m², where I is the rainfall intensity for a storm with a 10% probability of occurring annually*. The recently launched Dux AdjustaPit™ is the only height adjustable, Building Code compliant, type-one surface water sump on the market and is suitable for several applications, including driveway applications.

The unique adjustable riser saves time during installation with its 200mm of adjustability allowing installers to change the height of the silt pit to match the finished ground level by screwing the riser up or down.

Maintenance of surface water channel is straightforward as the channel is at the surface, permitting easy access by removing the grates. The Dux AdjustaPit™ features a submerged outlet to prevent floating solids from entering the stormwater network, and an easily removable access plug to allow for quick clearing of blockages. Periodically the Dux AdjustaPit™ should also be cleared of silt build up in the body of the pit.

Where surface water drainage systems

Above: Most NZ regions receive 600mm1600mm of rainfall a year.

exist, blocked and damaged drains are a common cause of surface water flooding that, left unchecked, can cause significant damage and issues for the property and surrounding environment. *For rainfall intensity information see www.dux.co.nz/adjustapit

where surface water drainage systems exist, blocked and damaged drains are a common cause of surface water flooding Above: The recently launched Dux AdjustaPit™.

Above: The Dux AdjustaPit™ allows installers to alter the height of the pit once the final ground level has been determined.

December 2018/January 2019

29

PAGE TAG THEME TECHNICAL

Surface drainage design Allproof offers design advice on its external surface drainage systems.

MANY FACTORS MUST be taken in to account when designing an external drainage system, which will affect your product selection. These include: • Project type • Capacity • Traffic (load rating requirements) • Safety and security: heelproof, lockdowns, slip resistance • Materials and location (weather and corrosion factors) • Systems, channels or point drains • Aesthetics (other materials and systems in vicinity).

Allproof have invested extensively in product testing and product development, providing solutions catering to the above factors to ensure that a comprehensive range of options are on offer. Channel and pit systems include a selection of grates in materials such as plastic, stainless steel, galvanised steel and cast iron.

These grate options can be selected for their aesthetics and performance attributes to suit New Zealand’s varying weather conditions. Installations in coastal areas may benefit from selecting stainless steel grates, with the option of having them electro-polished to increase their resistance to corrosion in marine environments.

Allproof supply open area, load rating and price guide information whilst clearly identifying heelproof options on their grate range allowing you to select a grate

option that will perform the best in your specific scenario. Open grate area allows you to identify the grate that will perform the best hydraulically, whilst taking into account other factors such as economy and the type of traffic likely to pass over it.

Residential and commercial systems

A key product in the Allproof range for external drainage systems is Domestic Channel. This product provides an economic solution for residential applications. Allproof ’s plastic Domestic Channel system comes in one metre clip together lengths available as single lengths or packs of three in 75mm and 125mm depths with inline sump and matching drainage pits. The system is ideal for residential applications such as in driveways or gardens with a selection of grates—all durable and load tested for light vehicles.

For commercial projects, Allproof recommends the Polymer Concrete system. This product uses a polymer additive as a binder in concrete to create a durable non-porous material. The 100mm clear opening system is available with staggered depths and joiners from 75mm to 225mm, enabling a total run length terminating at an inline sump of 43.5 metres. The system can be mirrored and run for indefinite lengths with an inline sump every 76 metres.

Above: Polymer Concrete 100mm clear opening with Heelproof cast iron grate.

The grates on the Polymer Concrete system are locked down to the channel, providing safety, reducing wear and tear from traffic and the risk of theft. The system can achieve a load rating of A-D, with the 200mm clear opening system load rated up to E, allowing heavy traffic to pass over the channel. The 100mm clear opening channel has the option of stainless steel or galvanised steel edges, with the 200mm clear opening channel providing a stainless steel or cast-iron edge creating a clean line against the finished surface.

Drainage pits and pit grates

Above: Cast nickel bronze Storm Series point drain.

30

December 2018/January 2019

Allproof manufacture a range of drainage pits in both plastic and polymer concrete, providing a selection of sizes with a volume capacity from 12 to 280 litres, catering for all requirements. These pits come with a selection of grates complementing the channels to create consistency through an external drainage system.

SURFACE DRAINAGE

COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL DRAINAGE SYSTEMS

Above: Polymer Concrete channel with slot grate/adaptor.

External surface drainage systems from Allproof Industries

Grate Options: Heelproof < Load Rated < Stainless Steel, Cast < Iron, Galv Steel, Plastic

PLASTIC

NEW

Allproof ’s 350 x 350mm plastic pits come with a complementary drainage pit seal that is also available as an individual item. The seal fits the wall of the pit with a Ø121mm hole saw—100mm PVC pipe is then run into the pit through the seal creating a perfect fit and easy installation.

Allproof ’s Storm Series provides a solution for areas that require a small point drain. These look and perform well in both residential and commercial projects. The Storm Series is available in polished stainless steel, bronze and nickel bronze to suit pipe sizes 80mm to 150mm with a podium set up if required.

Allproof are constantly refining and expanding their range of external surface drainage systems.

The latest product launch was developed by taking on board feedback direct from the market regarding the need for a round pit grate. The new plastic drainage pit riser is compatible with both of Allproof ’s 350 x 350mm plastic pits, adding an extra 200mm height (15 Litres) to both pits. With a heelproof cast iron grate and 100mm drainage pit seal, it makes an excellent addition to the range.

The benefits of a round grate provides flexibility when being placed in the vicinity of building lines and the integrity of the concrete finished surface is improved with the elimination of corners. Allproof provides the square pits and grates that are ideal for paver installs when cutting straight lines.

PIT RISER

Allproof Industries design, develop and manufacture a wide range of external surface drainage systems. These drainage systems cater for various requirements from residential to commercial applications with channels, pits and point drains all available.

Allproof draws on over 30 years’ experience supplying the plumbing and construction industry with quality drainage systems to provide products designed specifically for the New Zealand and Australian market.

Visit allproof.com for information on each of the systems outlined in this article and product information. Allproof recommend contacting them for any advice and assistance when designing an external surface drainage system.

allproof.com

TECHNICAL THEME

Three waters review Upgrading New Zealand’s stormwater, wastewater and drinking water management comes with an estimated $2 billion price tag.

STORMWATER, WASTEWATER AND drinking water services are the responsibility of local councils—and whilst some have kept up with water infrastructure investment, others have not.

The status quo is not sustainable for reasons of public health, the environment and the economy, said Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta at the Water New Zealand Annual Conference in September.

As a result of challenges such as tourism pressures, climate change and the recommendations following the Havelock North gastro outbreak, the Government is underway with a reform

programme for the ‘three waters’. Options and recommendations are expected by the end of the year, with policy development due in 2019.

Water is a “foundational infrastructure”, said the Minister. People want to be able to drink tap water without the worry of becoming ill, and New Zealanders don’t want wastewater polluting their local river, lake, beach or shellfish beds.

“They need to know that our infrastructure is being designed and built to take account of climate change, and that it is resilient in the face of disaster,” the Minister said.

A Beca report commissioned by the Three Waters Review and released in March showed the costs of upgrading infrastructure to meet the Havelock North inquiry recommendations would be around $500 million.

However, a second report released in October by GHD Boffa Miskell on the estimated cost of upgrading wastewater

treatment plants to meet NPS Freshwater criteria indicated costs could be as high as $2 billion. This figure does not include replacement of ageing underground pipes discharging to beaches and coasts or preventing wastewater pollution through stormwater overflows.

According to the Minister, the funding issue could be addressed within the public ownership model, but changes would have to be made to water service delivery.

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By the book

As a new chapter opens for Christchurch’s central library, the team from CBD Plumbing is delighted to have played its part in helping reshape the city’s landscape. By Matthew Lowe.

CBD PLUMBING DIRECTOR Brad Cummings says he was involved early on with the $92.7 million project to build the South Island’s largest public library, which covers 9,850 square metres in Christchurch’s Cathedral Square.

Turanga, as the new central library is called, opened in October after the previous facility on the corner of Oxford Street and Gloucester Terrace was badly damaged in the February 2011 earthquake, and plans to repair it were dropped.

Brad and his team worked with Southbase Construction, who 34

December 2018/January 2019

oversaw the building work after being awarded the contract by Christchurch City Council in May 2016. They used Building Information Modelling (BIM), a 3D model-based process that allows architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to better plan, design, construct, and manage projects, before starting work on the site.

Above: The new central library will eventually house more than 180,000 books and printed items.

Photograph courtesy of Christchurch City Libraries.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Above: Golden aluminium fins around the Turanga library are inspired by the native harakeke flax.

BIM in action

“CBD Plumbing were delighted to have secured the contract to do the plumbing on the new Christchurch city library–a focal point in the landscape of Christchurch,” Brad says.

“CBD Plumbing have worked previously with the main contractor, Southbase Construction and once again it was a great working relationship. We helped at the design stage and around the budget, identifying what products could be used and the methodology that could be used to keep costs down.

“We used BIM through the whole project. It eliminates a lot of reworks in that when you put a pipe in you know it is fine and do not have to shift it later to accommodate a light or a duct.

“BIM is quite new here but it has been used around the world for some time. It’s definitely a benefit on the installation front for plumbing.

“Working with the engineers for this project, Powell Fenwick, and Architectus the architects ensured the project was a success

and we at CBD Plumbing are very proud to be part of this major local project.”

Southbase says it added considerable value and efficiencies to the project by engaging with sub-contractors such as CBD Plumbing from the start.

“Initiating early dialogue with Southbase’s high performing subcontractor network allowed the entire project team to come up with the best and most economical solutions to comply with the design brief,” the firm says.

Tight space and time constraint challenges CBD Plumbing had up to five staff members on site during the build and they installed nearly 2.5 kilometres of pipework, including fusiotherm water pipe and Marley HDPE waste and water pipes. The company also put in toilets, basins, sinks, drinking fountains and hot water cylinders.

December 2018/January 2019

35

Photographs courtesy of CCC Newsline and CBD Plumbing.

Above: Turanga cost $92.7 million to build and opened in October.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Above left: One of 10 drinking fountain stations at the new library. Above centre: Hot water cylinder installations. Above right: Nearly 2.5km of piping was installed.

“All the wastewater stacks were in HDPE, which was a bit more time consuming than PVC would be, but we had a lot more scope for adjustment in terms of fittings. If the pipes were not out of HDPE it would have been hard to fit in because some of the spaces we had to work in, especially with the ducts, were quite tight.”

Brad says the time constraints to complete Turanga proved one the hardest parts of the project after the plumbers started in the slab in June 2016, did pre-pipe work the following May and added the finishing touches in August 2018.

“The timeframe was a challenge and getting it delivered on time was a big ask. We needed to do a bit of night and weekend work to make sure we did not hold anyone up in the building process.

“We had two plumbers at the start and end of the build, with four or five people on site in the middle of it all when we had the most to do. We had a big section of work at the start of the project then went away, came back for the pre-pipe work and went away again while Southbase were building the structure.

“Ultimately we had to conceal a few pipes here and there but overall it was a fairly standard commercial project for us.

“Architecturally it is an impressive building and the plumbing was a nice design and it has products that will stand the test of time.

It’s been good to be part of an exciting build like that for the city.”

Design inspiration from NZ and overseas

The new library will eventually house more than 180,000 books and printed items, will employ more than 100 people and is expected to host 3,000 people a day.

The library’s five floors feature new technology, from a studio for media, music and video film-making, to 3D printing, laser and vinyl cutting and robotics, around which the library will offer education programmes.

Designers of the building looked to some of the best new libraries around the world, including Birmingham in England, Halifax in Nova Scotia and Aarhus in Denmark, but they also drew inspiration closer to home.

Roof terraces and balconies face areas of importance to iwi, while the golden aluminium fins around the building reflect the shape of native harakeke flax.

Seismic bracing a key part of the project Above: An air-to-water heat pump supplies hot water to the library.

36

December 2018/January 2019

Another key part of the project was protecting the new building from any future earthquakes. To achieve this, huge slabs of concrete at the building’s core are attached to force-absorbing

dampers designed by University of Canterbury scientists.

Southbase site manager Andy Hayes says given the work that has been done he considers the library to be among the safest buildings in the city.

“If this place is affected then the town is gone. It’s a good place to be if there’s an earthquake,” he says.

Brad says seismic bracing is a major part of his company’s work now. “For a project like this about 10 per cent of our contractual value is seismic based nowadays, which is an entirely new aspect of work we have had to come to terms with in recent years.”

Other projects CBD Plumbing is involved in as Christchurch rebuilds its infrastructure following the devastating earthquake include the Nga Puna Wai Sports Hub and a seven-storey health research education facility for the Christchurch District Health Board. ■

Number crunching The plumbing statistics behind Turanga: • 1,442 metres of fusiotherm water pipe • 1,022 metres of Marley HDPE waste and water pipe • 26 toilets • 26 basins • 18 sinks • 10 drinking fountains • 4 hot water cylinders

Above: Pre-slab work.

NUTS & BOLTS

Legionella lobbying MASTER PLUMBER CHRIS Dick has been raising the red flag about Legionnaires’ disease risks for some years now, since hearing about the issue from an Australian colleague. He wants to see the introduction of mandatory checks of hot water systems in New Zealand, which has the world’s highest reported incidence of Legionnaires’.

Together with the national Master Plumbers organisation, he is lobbying the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Ministry of Health for a change to Building Code requirements, to bring them in line with Ministry of Health guidelines.

A type of pneumonia, Legionnaires’ is named after the Legionella bacteria, which thrives in damp or moist conditions. Symptoms are flu-like (though it can’t be spread from person to person) and it can be fatal. Elderly people and those with weakened immune systems are among those most at risk of contracting the disease.

The most common strain is Legionella Longbeachae, which lives in soil mixes and compost. Legionella Pneumophila— the less common waterborne strain— establishes itself where warm water is stored or stagnates.

“In Australia and the UK it’s mandatory to have water sampling in high-risk facilities—retirement villages, childcare centres, and hospitals obviously,” Chris Dick told RNZ reporter Phil Pennington last November. “Without monitoring you don’t know if you’ve got a problem.”

In 2015 six people contracted Legionnaires’ as a result of a fault in a Christchurch cooling tower, which tested positive for Legionella Pneumophila.

All buildings containing a mechanical ventilation system must have a Compliance Schedule for inspection, testing and maintenance purposes, and WorkSafe has produced guidelines for cooling tower owners to help prevent outbreaks.

However, cooling towers are not the 38

December 2018/January 2019

Master Plumbers is engaging with the government on the risks of Legionella in plumbing systems.

only breeding ground for the waterborne strain. Water in hot water cylinders must be kept above 60°C to kill off any Legionella bacteria. Equally, heat pump, wetback and solar water heaters need boosting to keep the water above 60°C— particularly during the cooler months when the sun may not provide sufficient heat.

The bacteria can also exist in the piping systems of domestic, commercial and hospital hot water systems. “Ring main plumbing designs are now commonly

used in multiple building units, such as retirement units and this can create dead legs of water if an occupant is on holiday or the unit is left vacant for some time,” said Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace at the Master Plumbers Half-Yearly Meeting this October. The first bit of the flush when the water is turned on again can contain the organism.

The Ministry of Health is currently undertaking a review of its existing Legionnaires’ guidelines to ensure new technologies are taken into account. ■

LegiNZ study An NZ Public Health Surveillance Report for the September 2016 quarter noted that a statistically significant increase of Legionellosis [Legionnaires’ disease] had been notified, with 298 notifications in the 2015-2016 year (6.5 cases per 100,000 population).

It went on to say that the increase could have been partly due to a LegiNZ study, which began in May 2015. The one-year study, based in 20 hospitals nationwide, tested all lower respiratory samples from hospitalised patients with suspected pneumonia for Legionella.

The study data is still being analysed but many pneumonia cases are now suspected to have been caused by Legionnaires’. “What the study has shown is that it’s a greater threat than what people had realised,” Otago University’s Professor Stephen Chambers told RNZ. “When you look at it nationally you find that clearly there are cases that were not recognised, necessarily, before.”

According to the Professor Chambers, most hospitals now approach all serious pneumonia cases as though they were Legionnaires’.

NUTS & BOLTS

Electric shocks and RCD safety IF YOU FEEL an uncontrolled muscular spasm from an electric shock, it’s crucial to get checked by a doctor, advises Energy Safety. If you’re in your workplace, report the issue immediately so it can be investigated.

All shocks (except static ones) interfere with the heart’s normal function and the effects can continue for several hours afterwards. Ensure you have completely removed yourself from the environment that caused the shock as the next one could be fatal.

Generally, appliances and building

wiring are wired to ensure low risk of electric shock under normal operation and under faulty conditions. Even a shock that feels like a ‘tingle’ is a warning something

Energy Safety provides a reminder on RCD safety. is wrong and shouldn’t be disregarded. It means the equipment or wiring should be checked out.

If an RCD (residual current device or safety switch) trips when you receive an electric shock (or if it keeps tripping) there is something wrong with the building wiring or an appliance, and you shouldn’t reset the RCD until an electrician has checked for defects.

The supply or sale of an RCD is not lawful if it’s labelled with a voltage (including the voltage range) other than the New Zealand 230 V or 400 V.

Cylinders in Christchurch An update on chlorination and copper cylinder failures in Christchurch.

FOLLOWING A SHARP increase in low pressure copper hot water cylinder failures in Christchurch after the water supply was chlorinated at the start of this year, cylinder manufacturer Superheat commissioned an independent report from the University of Canterbury. Over 2,000 copper cylinders were replaced in Christchurch over and above normal failures in the four months from June to September, according to the company.

The report found that, in the absence of a “creditable alternative proposition”, chlorination of the water supply by Christchurch City Council had caused the failure. Four samples of failed cylinders from Christchurch homes were investigated. Each was found to have failed due to leaks caused by “multiple corrosion pits”.

“Although a small population of exemplar cylinders were examined, the pitting observed was most likely due to the presence of chlorine and was influenced by the presence of iron in the sediments that settled to the bottom of the cylinders,” the report stated.

Whilst acknowledging the increase in failing cylinders since the introduction of chlorine, the Council isn’t compensating

property owners, as it says there are “multiple factors” as to why pitting occurs.

Water heater selection

In late November, Rheem NZ put out a guide to water heater selection in the Christchurch area for merchants and plumbers. It notes that the increased incidence of pinhole corrosion of copper cylinders in the region is affecting both older models and those within warranty.

It also refers to information on the Christchurch City Council’s website, which explains that the chemical composition of water supplies around the country is quite different, with pitting corrosion leading to pinhole failures happening more commonly in some bore water supplies, like in the Christchurch region.

“If a Christchurch consumer is replacing a failed copper low pressure hot water cylinder and is concerned about the risk of early failure of the new replacement copper cylinder due to pitting corrosion, the best alternative is a low pressure or mains pressure Vitreous Enamel (VE) electric water heater,” it advises. “These water heaters have a vitreous-enamel lined steel cylinder that is resistant to most of the types of water quality problems found

throughout New Zealand.”

Christchurch bore water supply

An external review into the Council’s management of bore water security, released in September, found a “failure to communicate” and a “lack of a comprehensive approach to the routine management of the security status of the water supply” in the lead up to the withdrawal of the bore water supply provisional secure status last December.

“In general, the Havelock North event raised awareness of the risks around the supply of untreated water from below-ground bores. However, it does not appear to have driven a change in approach to meeting the standards, and responding to issues,” the report noted.

Christchurch City Council supplies water to residents through around 146 bores, only 42 of which are above ground. In mid-November, it said it was continuing to monitor the situation and work with cylinder manufacturers and suppliers to gain further understanding.

“Work is also progressing on our well head remediation programme to reduce the chlorine levels in our water.”

December 2018/January 2019

39

AROUND ASSOCIATIONS

Waikato winners Top tradespeople in the Waikato region were acknowledged at the 2018 Waikato Master Plumbers Awards.

NOW IN ITS fourth year, the Waikato Master Plumbers Awards brings the region’s apprentices, employees, business owners, industry stalwarts and suppliers together for a night of camaraderie and celebration.

The 2018 event was held once again at the Wintec Atrium, with speakers including Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace, Hamilton Mayor Andrew King, and Hamilton MPs Tim Macindoe and Jamie Strange.

Above and left: The assembled crowd at the Awards Night at the Wintec Atrium.

BEST ALL ROUND COMPLETED APPRENTICE Awards were presented to the best all round completed apprentice at Wintec from Years 1, 2 and 3. The awards were sponsored by Caroma (Year 1), Greens Tapware (Year 2) and Buteline (Year 3).

And the winners are: • Year 1 – Keenan McCleery of Gas, Oil & Combustion • Year 2 – Mitch Horan of FB Hall • Year 3 – Kaleb Reeve of Morrinsville Plumbing & Gas Right: Mitch Horan, left, with Mark Lunjevich of Greens Tapware.

Above: From left, Keenan McCleery with Caroma GM James Ewart and Waikato Master Plumbers President Mike Foote.

40

December 2018/January 2019

Above: Kaleb Reeve, left, with Hata Puriri of Buteline.

AROUND ASSOCIATIONS

MASTERLINK APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR And the winner is: • Kaleb Reeve of Morrinsville Plumbing & Gas The judges said: Kaleb is a great team player who shows high consistency in his workmanship and theory during his block courses. He thrives on the challenge of the theory assessments. He enjoys learning, and has a great ability for absorbing instructions. His confidence and communication has grown throughout his apprenticeship, and he is respected by all his colleagues.

MOST OUTSTANDING GASFITTER, SPONSORED BY RHEEM And the winner is: • Val Pop of CF Reese The judges said: Val has 36 years’ experience in all aspects of gasfitting.

He has been heavily involved in passing on his knowledge and training.

Right: Val Pop, left, with John Bebbington of Rheem.

MOST OUTSTANDING DRAINLAYER, SPONSORED

BY MARLEY

Above: Kaleb Reeve receiving his award from Masterlink Central North Island Manager Dave McGall.

MOST OUTSTANDING PLUMBER, SPONSORED BY PLUMBING WORLD And the winner is: • Lance Brew of Warren Thompson Plumbing The judges said: Lance works to a high standard in all aspects of the plumbing trade. He gets on well with all sub trades and is well respected by his customers.

Above: Plumbing World Hamilton Branch Managers Julena Phillips (left) and Kym Scantlebury with Lance Brew.

And the winner is: • Jonathan Kent of Earth & Drain Ltd (CF Reese) The judges said: Jonathan has over 30 years’ experience in the industry and run his own company for the past 10 years. He prides himself in the quality of work in his specialty area of wastewater treatment and Above: Jonathan Kent (right), with Dave pumping stations. He is Morgan of CF Reese. always committed, reliable and provides exceptional service.

TRAINING LEADER OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY MICO And the winner is: • Plumbing & Gas Works The judges said: Plumbing & Gas Works has taken on a number of additional apprentices and work experience staff over the last couple of years.

They facilitate evening tutoring for staff to assist with knowledge transfer or exam preparation. PGW sets aside a portion of their monthly team meetings for either in-house training sessions, or product Above: Jacob Smith, left, with Vince Jones of Mico. training with suppliers.

December 2018/January 2019 41

AROUND ASSOCIATIONS

INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE, SPONSORED

BY HIREPOOL

PERSONAL GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT, SPONSORED BY ZIP PLUMBING PLUS

And the winner is: • Annette Kingdon of Plumbing World The judges said: Annette has 25 years’ experience in the plumbing industry. She has gained vast training and her knowledge of products is outstanding. Her recall on projects is extraordinary—she is an industry encyclopaedia.

When called upon to help with maintenance of product that was installed up to 25 Above: Annette Kingdon, left, with years ago, she can easily Kane Williamson of Hirepool. recall and research products.

And the winner is: • Peter Kana of Laser Plumbing Te Kuiti The judges said: Following a career in the police, Peter returned to his plumbing roots and started working for himself, along with his wife Toni. Peter and Toni are very active in supporting their local community, from donating a chainsaw to the local fire service, to providing free services Above: Peter and Toni Kana. to the local St Joseph’s School and sponsorship of the local ambulance service.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE INDUSTRY, SPONSORED

BY DUX And the winner is: • Warren Thompson of Warren Thompson Plumbing The judges said: Warren started his apprenticeship in 1975 at FB Hall’s and went on to start his business in 1981. In 1982 he joined the Waikato Master Plumbers and has remained an active member, undertaking a number of roles including President.

Warren was also a member of the Master Plumbers Board from 2002-2005. He has a vast wealth of experience and is always keen to share it with whoever asks.

Above: From left, Sharyn and Lance Brew, and Warren and Jenny Thompson.

WAIKATO MASTER PLUMBER OF THE YEAR And the winner is: • Laser Plumbing Hamilton West (Brad Kells) The judges said: Brad has been in the industry for over 25 years. He has grown his company during this time from a sole trader to 20-plus staff. Brad has vast experience in commercial, residential and rural plumbing work and has been a past President of Waikato Master Plumbers and a big contributor to the plumbing industry in the Waikato.

Right: Brad Kells of Laser Plumbing Hamilton West (left) with Waikato Master Plumbers President Mike Foote.

42

December 2018/January 2019

WINTEC APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR And the winner is: • Patrick Smith of CF Reese The judges said: Having completed his apprenticeship with CF Reese Plumbing, Patrick has grown and developed into a technically well-versed tradesman. He has led teams on large commercial jobs. He has always displayed maturity and gained the Above: Patrick Smith, left, with Simone respect of all his peers.

Rakena of Wintec.

Patrick has set his sights on becoming a Certifying tradesman and is well on his way to fulfilling that goal. He has always demonstrated the right values and technical ability to go far with his career, whether it be on the tools or in a managerial position.

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REAL LIVES

A prized perfectionist Patrick Smith’s plumbing career began with a chance conversation and is now earning him accolades. By Je t’aime Hayr.

WHILE IN HIS final year at school, Patrick Smith got chatting to the plumber during a kitchen renovation at the family home.

After a few conversations, he realised he’d stumbled across something that really interested him. “I knew nothing about the industry, but I had always wanted to do something ‘handson’, so I decided to give it a go,” he says.

After finishing college, Patrick began a plumbing pre-trade certificate at Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) and, as part of his study requirements, began unpaid work at CF Reese Plumbing in Hamilton one day a week, increasing to two days a week as his studies progressed.

A disciplined student with a good study ethic, Patrick enjoyed learning on the job. “Wintec balance the study with practical experience, so you aren’t snowed under. The workbooks were pretty straightforward, and it was just a matter of doing them as they came out so as not to get behind. I did

the coursework in bulk lots by studying with friends on the course. That helped to keep motivation up.”

Scholarship win

Patrick had almost finished his pre-trade course when he won the 2012 Colin Reese Memorial Scholarship from CF Reese Plumbing at the Gallagher Industry Awards. The scholarship gave him a Masterlink plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying apprenticeship, with all his training fees covered along with a starter set of tools worth $1,000.

Patrick is grateful to have his foot in the door at CF Reese.

“It’s a really exciting company to work for because no two days are the same. I’ll be sorting a leaking roof one day, then the next job might be an issue with a septic tank or a freshwater pump, and the day after that I’ll be involved in a bathroom renovation.”

Above: Patrick’s maturity and attention to detail make him a stand-out tradesperson.

44

December 2018/January 2019

Taking on responsibilities

CF Reese General Manager Dave Morgan says Patrick has always shown a very high level of commitment to his apprenticeship and quickly stood out from his peers due to his openness to learn both in the field and on his block courses. “Patrick demonstrates a maturity in his work that is well beyond his years. As a result, he now manages some of our key customers and people always request him. He is also our health and safety staff representative and leads the way with his dedication towards our health and safety programme.”

Patrick has worked on a few large projects in Hamilton, including a contract to do a block of shops, food stores and six apartments, which took around 12 months to complete. “That was my first time doing all the work on my own. It was awesome to see the craftsmanship of the different tradies involved and the progression of the building from start to finish.” He also manages some of CF Reese’s large commercial clients. “For one large client I look after all plumbing, roofing, drainage and wastewater treatment on-site. I was the only one working on that account for a few years, so that honed my relationship-building skills.”

Passion for the trade

Patrick loves the fact that plumbing is technical and hands-on.

“It’s a bit of everything. You’ll do an honest day’s physical labour, but it requires a lot of product and general knowledge, along with the ability to problem solve on your feet.”

He finds it rewarding to reflect on how much he’s learned since he started. “At first I didn’t know how things worked at all, but now I can understand what’s causing issues.”

It hasn’t always been easy; he’s had to learn to manage his time effectively, which was initially challenging for his perfectionist personality. “It’s a fine line between being able to do a good job for the customer and not taking too long.” But, ultimately, he believes his attention to detail makes him good at what he does.

“Even if you think people won’t see your work, always do it to a tidy, high standard and clean up after yourself.”

Patrick also credits CF Reese for their incredible culture for learning and for their approach to team-building. “Our General Manager Dave Morgan is so supportive of the apprentices and we have such a talented team. Questions are welcomed and we also now have a former Wintec tutor on board to assist with in-house training and block courses. That’s helpful as I am now learning drainlaying as the final stage of my apprenticeship.”

Bright future ahead

What’s on the cards? Patrick is a young man with a big future ahead of him—particularly since winning the 2018 Wintec Apprentice of the Year Award as a newly qualified plumber and gasfitter.

“The immediate goal is to gain more experience in residential plumbing and I’d also like to specialise in solar heating and pumps. The long-term goal is to start a company of my own, but to get there I need as much industry knowledge under my belt as I can.” His manager Dave Morgan agrees. “Patrick is a great example of how a young man can make a successful start to a long career in plumbing; we’re proud to have him on our team.”

Watch this space. ■

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INDUSTRY TALK

SuperSprint action!

A super weekend

Thanks to Rheem, four lucky competition winners had the chance to follow the ITM Auckland SuperSprint racing action up close with a special behind-the-scenes experience.

THE ITM AUCKLAND SuperSprint is undoubtedly the most anticipated event on the New Zealand motorsport calendar. The four winners of the 2018 Rheem Super Weekend competition were treated to a VIP experience at Auckland’s Pukekohe Park Raceway during the NZ round of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship.

The weekend, which included travel and accommodation, began with a guided tour of the pits and a chance to see the team during their pre-race preparations. Dave Morgan of Hamilton’s CF Reese Plumbing was one of the four winners and has been an avid motorsport enthusiast for well over 20 years. This was the first time he’d been so close to the action and he was accompanied by CF Reese Director Aaron Rink.

Above: On the pit tour, from left, Dave Morgan, Jon Sanders and Aaron Rink.

Above: Kay Shirley from Rheem with SuperSprint drivers Fabian Coulthard (left) and Scott McLaughlin.

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“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me,” said Dave. ”I can’t believe I’m standing here while the team do their final checks and then Scotty [McLaughlin] walked past me a couple of minutes ago and chatted to me, casual as anything. What a legend!”

An opportunity to do a grid walk moments before the race gave the Rheem Super Weekend winners a chance to meet Shell V-Power Team Racing stars Fabian Coulthard and Scott McLaughlin before watching the event from a VIP suite in prime position above the pits.

Jon and Mike Sanders from Christchurch’s Today Homes said they

had no idea what to expect before the trip but on arrival were blown away by the hospitality and service of both the race team and the hospitality lounge staff.

It was an action-packed weekend, with McLaughlin taking out the tyre wall on Friday, followed by a collision from Coulthard on Saturday. Even so, the team pulled out all the stops and had the cars back on track, with Coulthard finishing up 7th on Sunday and McLaughlin taking out top position in race 29–a first in front of his home crowd since 2013.

As a major sponsor of the Shell V-Power Racing Team, Rheem

INDUSTRY TALK

Money-can’t buy experience

Plumbing World winners at the ITM Auckland SuperSprint enjoyed pole position, courtesy of Aqualine!

THE FIRST WEEKEND in November saw the conclusion of Aqualine and Plumbing World’s money-can’t-buy experience at the ITM Auckland SuperSprint.

Winners Kevin Whale from Whale Plumbing Whakatane and Paul McDonald from Eagle Plumbing Auckland enjoyed a weekend of hospitality in the Aqualine Villa, with prime views of the pits and all the race action.

However, the real highlight for both competition winners were their hot laps with V8 SuperSprint drivers Anton de Pasquale and James Courtney. Kevin and Paul were suited and booted in team colours and experienced a high adrenaline hot lap around the track.

Kevin couldn’t keep the smile off his face whenever he was asked about his hot lap, but secretly admitted it was as scary as it was fun hitting corners at what felt like 200km an hour.

The prize also included a meet and greet with the Kiwi racing legend Greg Murphy and a guided tour of the Pukekohe pit lane.

Above: Kevin Whale prepares for his hot lap experience with V8 SuperSprint driver Anton de Pasquale.

Above: Fabian poses with the Sanders brothers, Jon and Mike.

were in awe of the composure and professionalism of the team. “Watching the race from above the pits means we can see more than most about what the drivers and team are up to, and both Fabian and Scott had some major setbacks with crashes and the like,” said Brian McFarlane, Marketing Manager at Rheem New Zealand. “Yet a fan comes up to them just minutes after an incident wanting a selfie or an autograph and they’re only too happy to oblige. I couldn’t do the same… but it’s all in a day’s work for these guys– incredible! What an amazing team for Rheem to be associated with.”

Above: Paul Eagle suited and booted for his hot lap with V8 SuperSprint driver James Courtney.

December 2018/January 2019 47

INDUSTRY TALK

Business stand-outs

Two Master Plumbers’ member businesses have recently won top business accolades in their regions.

Peter Jackson Plumbing, Kapiti Coast Winner: Medium Business Excellence Award, Kapiti Horowhenua Electra Business Awards 2018

Peter Jackson Plumbing picked up the Medium Business Excellence Award at the 2018 Kapiti Horowhenua Electra Business Awards, held in October. The judges congratulated owners Peter and Sonya Jackson for the sustained growth of their business over the last 20 years, and acknowledged the strong role they have played in community life.

“We’re always looking to be better, to improve, and to be the best in our region!” says Sonya Jackson. “It keeps us moving forward and being involved in our industry as well as our business practices.

“On entering the Electra Awards, you also gain feedback on your business and any areas they believe you can improve in.

For this Excellence Award, they send in at least two business mentors to assess every area of your business. The mentors go through everything—health and safety, procedures, processes, training, financials, marketing, giving to the community—and it’s a great process to be involved in.”

The company’s community involvement includes doing plumbing/gasfitting at greatly reduced rates for the Te Nikau Training Centre, which provides a residential addictions recovery programme. Peter has also been on the committee for the Zeal Charitable Trust, supporting the Zeal creative youth

Above: Peter (left) and Sonya Jackson with their company’s award, sponsored by the Horowhenua District Council and presented by Levin Councillor Bernie Wanden.

programme coming to Kapiti. The firm has also helped with donations for Kapiti Youth Support through the Kapiti Run for Youth and donating goods and time.

This is not the first time Peter Jackson Plumbing have been recognised for their business success. In 2012 they won the Electra Small Business Excellence Award and in 2016 they won Master Plumber of the Year.

Climate & Plumbing, Taranaki Winner: Medium Business Excellence Award, TSB Taranaki Chamber of Commerce Awards 2018

Climate & Plumbing owners Sam and Lee Tyson also collected the Medium Business Excellence Award, sponsored by Velocite, along with the Trades Excellence Award, sponsored

by GJ Gardner, at the TSB Taranaki Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards in October.

The owners of Climate & Plumbing were faced with a unique situation when they took over the reins in November 2010.

They knew a lot about running a business, but very little about the industry they had just bought into.

Eight years on, the Tysons’ business nous has seen Climate grow from a small to medium sized business, as well as becoming industry leaders along the way. The recognition of these awards has been a nice reminder that the values and processes they base their business on, are working.

Climate & Plumbing have also won other business awards, including the 2015 Master Plumber of the Year. ■

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Above: The Climate & Plumbing team were all smiles on winning their award.

Top marks!

INDUSTRY TALK

Highest pass mark achievers in the 2018 Certifying registration exams have been recognised by the PGDB. EACH YEAR, THE Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers Board (PGDB) formally acknowledges the people who score the highest results in its Plumbing, Gasfitting and Drainlaying Certifying registration exams by presenting them with a Merit of Excellence Award.

Congratulations to: • Lyall Foster from Nelson in Plumbing (96.5%) • Kareem Yusaf from Christchurch in Gasfitting (94.5%) • Morgan Fox from Pegasus in Christchurch for Drainlaying (92%).

“They have all shown commitment to their career path with a great attitude to their work and education as they have progressed through the industry qualifications,” says PGDB Chairperson Peter Jackson. “It is fantastic to be able to reward them for that. Top performers such as these lead by example in raising the profile of our industry and ensure the highest of professional standards within the trades.”

Above: This year’s highest Certifying exam scorers, from left: Morgan Fox, Kareem Yusaf and Lyall Foster.

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INDUSTRY TALK

In the office

Some apprentices have big career ambitions, while others just to do the job in hand. Either way, we need more of them, says Andrea Lovell.

It would be fair to say that 98% of the time I love our apprentices and watching them grow with the knowledge we are giving them. The other 2% of the time I want to strangle them!

There is a shortage of qualified plumbers and gasfitters in the industry at the moment, and if we aren’t going to take on apprentices and train them, this shortage is only going to get worse—which is going to put more stress onto the plumbers we already have.

If every Certifying Plumber in New Zealand were to take on one apprentice today, we would have an additional 3,598 plumbers coming into the industry, and that would be a good thing.

In my experience, there are two kinds of apprentice: ‘the goal setter’ and the ‘do as I’m told’ apprentice. (Sometimes you also come across the ‘full of excuses’ apprentice, who’s all about the money and just filling in time till the weekend—but we won’t go there!)

The ‘Do As I’m Told’ Apprentice

• Hasn’t yet realised his/her own potential • Waits for instruction • Not a self-starter • A follower, not a leader.

The ‘Goal Setter’ Apprentice

• Always on time • Writes in his/her diary • Never sick • Willing to go the extra mile • Asks questions • Willing to learn • Communicates well • Wants more responsibility • Nothing is a problem.

Not every apprentice we take on is going to be a leader and run his/her own jobs. In a business, you don’t want too many leaders; you need followers too.

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Misleading representations Record fine for Steel & Tube

Steel & Tube Holdings Limited (Steel & Tube) was fined $1.885 million in October after pleading guilty to 24 charges under the Fair Trading Act. This is the highest fine handed down under the Act (the previous highest was $1.08 million for Reckitt Benckiser in 2017 for misleading claims about their Nurofen specific pain range).

However, the Commerce Commission believes it is not high enough and is appealing the sentence. The Commission’s reasons for the appeal are that the Judge failed to properly attribute the knowledge of a Steel & Tube manager to the company, and also didn’t adequately take into account the size of Steel & Tube and the potential for it to gain from the conduct.

Steel & Tube made false and misleading representations about 482 batches and approximately 480,000 sheets of steel mesh, which it sold for about $24 million during a four-year period ending in April 2016. The offending fell into two categories: • Representations on batch tags, batch test certificates, advertising collateral and its website that its SE62 steel mesh was 500E grade steel mesh meeting the AS/NZ Standard for reinforcing steel, when it was not. Steel & Tube failed to properly age and test the product.

• False and misleading representations on batch test certificates and Steel & Tube’s website claiming the steel mesh had been independently tested when it had not.

INDUSTRY TALK

HRV fine for water filter claims

In October, HRV Clean Water Limited (HRV) was fined $440,000 after pleading guilty to making unsubstantiated claims about the benefits of its water filters and for making misleading claims about the quality of New Zealand’s home water supply.

The claims, made by the company over a three-year period ending in October 2017, related to the ability of a magnetic “ionizer” in its water filter systems to soften water, and the benefits that consumers could expect after using the water filters and the water filters’ ability to reduce skin conditions, such as eczema and dermatitis.

HRV also made misleading representations about the quality of water and about additives in NZ’s home water supply, and the need for consumers to buy a water filter to address this.

“The impression that a reasonable consumer would take from these claims is that without treatment, using the water supplied to New Zealand homes carried health risks. This was not true,” said Commissioner Anna Rawlings. ■

Describing the culpability of Steel and Tube as “grossly negligent”, the sentencing judge said the lack of robust procedures would have been self-evident if even basic enquiries had been made.

“Steel & Tube’s representations arose because senior management of a large company failed to put in place adequate procedures and oversight,” said Commerce Commission Chairman, Dr Mark Berry in October, adding that this was unacceptable and high-risk conduct that undermines public confidence in construction products being sold into the market.

The Commission has carried out a series of investigations into steel mesh following a complaint in 2015. As a result: • Fletcher Steel Limited was issued with a warning • United Steel Limited and Pacific Steel (NZ) Limited were issued with compliance advice • Timber King and NZ Steel Distributor was sentenced and fined $400,950 • Brilliance International Limited was sentenced and fined $540,000 • 59 charges against Euro Corporation are before the courts.

December 2018/January 2019 51

INNOVATION

Bathed in colour A new trend for colourful design is causing a splash in the bathroom.

COLOURFUL EXPRESSION IS the future for tiles, bathroom furniture, washbasins and bathtubs, according to the organisers of the 2019 ISH Trade Fair. A ‘Trend Colour Selection’ will feature as part of the regular Pop up my Bathroom design trend platform at next year’s event in Frankfurt, Germany.

Restrained tones, multi-coloured effects and overtly bold colour statements will all feature in fashionable bathrooms, say the organisers.

“A mix and match approach with painted vintage pieces, Boho rugs and cushions has been finding its way into living spaces like living rooms and kitchens—now this new colourfulness is working its magic on the bathroom.

“Textiles are ideal for bringing colour into the bathroom, but now there is a revolutionary trend for colour in integrated products, such as vanity units and basins, mineral cast and ceramic items, taps and mixers, shower cubicles and bathtubs.”

Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH/Pietro Sutera

this new colourfulness is working its magic on the bathroom

Particularly popular are powerful, eye-catching colours in the yellow-orange-red spectrum, and a palette of blues with Nordic freshness.

For bathroom interior design, green is the colour of the moment. Shades range from delicate pastels and fresh hues to dark elegance. The trend can be attributed to consumers’ increased environmental awareness, says ISH, and also symbolises the health-giving aspects of the bathroom.

White, black and shades of grey are all popular background notes. Black is also being used on its own as the dominant colour, combined with materials such as marble and brass. And there is a demand for individually designed bathrooms, with colour coordinated combinations of products and materials.

“Colour in the bathroom is beginning to take over from the long-standing white phase,” explains Jens J Wischmann, General Manager of the Association of the German Sanitation Industry (VDS). “Coloured surfaces have, of course, always been around. Now the use of colours is bolder and not determined by the surfaces.”

In the past, strong colours and patterns have appeared on waterproof wall coverings, whilst the bathtub, lavatory pan, wash basin and tiles remained white. Now, however, a wide

Above: The new trend is for bright colours in sanitary fittings.

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particularly popular are powerful colours in the yellow-orange-red spectrum variety of colours and shades has reached sanitary equipment in a fresh reinterpretation of the shiny, coloured bathrooms of the 1980s.

Jens Wischmann says it’s about a holistic approach to colour in the bathroom, with a mix of styles that may, at first glance, appear to contradict one another. He sees progressive bathroom furniture makers as the sector’s design pioneers of the future. ■ The Pop up my Bathroom show has been organised by Messe Frankfurt and the Association of the German Sanitation Industry. It will be held in Hall 4.0 at Messe Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, from 11-15 March 2019, as part of the 2019 ISH Trade Fair. www.ish.messefrankfurt.com Right: Growing environmental awareness is leading to a fashion for shades of green in the bathroom.

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December 2018/January 2019 53

SMART BUSINESS

Retentions 101 Our Q&A aims to help you get to grips with construction contract retentions. By Sarah Johnson.

A 2018 BDO survey revealed that significant numbers of New Zealand construction companies are not complying with the new retentions regime for construction contracts.

This is alarming news for subcontractors who may find their hard-earned retentions money is no longer be available if the contracting company gets into financial difficulties.

Graham Burke, President of the NZ Specialist Trade Contractors Federation, advises that the best thing subcontractors can do to prevent this situation happening to them, is get smart about protecting their retentions money.

“The legislation can only protect you so far. If you’re entering a contract that specifies retentions, then you need to make sure the contract states what the retentions are, where they’ll be held and in what form, and when they will be paid. Then you need to follow up and ensure that what’s in the contract has in fact happened. If a company’s not prepared to build these safeguards into your contract, and look after your retentions, then don’t work for them,” Graham says.

If you’re new to retentions, we cover some of the must-know points here.

What is the retentions regime?

Introduced by the Construction Contracts Amendment Act 2015 (the Act), the retentions regime applies to all new and renewed commercial construction contracts entered into after 31 March 2017.

The regime aims to safeguard money retained under construction contracts, by setting requirements for how that

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money is to be held, used and accounted for. It also introduces penalties where retention money is not properly managed or paid out.

What is retention money and who holds it?

The Act defines retention money as: an amount withheld by a party to a construction contract (party A) from an amount payable to another party to the contract (party B) as security for the performance of party B’s obligations under the contract.

The money is held back, or retained, until the parties are satisfied that the work is complete and has been carried out to the required standard.

Where money is to be retained, this should be specified in the contract, along with the amount or percentage to be retained.

There is no minimum amount that qualifies as a retention under the Act; any amount retained will count.

Typically, the party retaining the money will be either the construction company (where money is retained from a head contractor) or the head contractor (where money is retained from subcontractors).

What types of contracts does the regime apply to?

The retentions regime only applies to commercial construction contracts.

Commercial construction contracts are defined broadly to include any contract for carrying out construction work

“in which none of the parties is a residential occupier of the premises” that the contract relates to. So unless the contract is with a person who actually lives in the building, the contract will be classed as commercial and come within the Act. It’s important to note that not all contracts allow for retentions. If there’s no provision for retentions in the contract, the Act doesn’t apply.

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How is retained money held?

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Retained money must be held, by the party retaining it, in trust.

This means they’re holding it on behalf of the subcontractor it’s owed to.

Retained money can be mingled with other money, but the company retaining it must keep proper records of where the money is and who it is owed to. In other words, it must remain auditable or traceable.

The subcontractor owed the money is entitled at any stage to ask to see the accounting records to make sure their money is being properly held.

The Act allows retentions to be held in forms other than cash, including as liquid assets or in a financial instrument, such as an insurance policy or bond. The key point is that the money must remain easy to get at, once it becomes due.

How is the money used?

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What does this mean in practice?

Knowing where your money is, is a good first step in keeping it safe. If you’re signing a contract that specifies retentions, make sure it also specifies where and how the money will be held, and when it will be paid.

Once money’s been retained, ask to see it. Check that it’s being held properly in terms of the contract, remains accessible and traceable, and is not misused.

If retained money remains unpaid once it’s due, you’re entitled to charge penalty interest, so make sure this is covered in the contract too. There’s no set penalty interest rate; it’s up to the parties to agree one.

And as a final safeguard, make sure the accounting system you use is able to accurately manage retained amounts. In basic accounting software programmes, retained payments can become difficult to keep track of and may be overlooked when they become due. ■

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Retention money can only be used to remedy any breaches under the contract; for example to fix a contractor’s substandard work.

It can’t be used by the party holding the money for any other purpose. Importantly, if the holding party goes broke, the retained funds aren’t available for insolvency purposes to repay other creditors’ debt.

The party holding the money must continue to do so until it is either paid out, is no longer payable under the terms of the contract, or the subcontractor it’s owed to agrees to give up their claim to it.

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SMART BUSINESS

Up your profit

8 ways to improve job profitability from simPRO.

JOB MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE is, at its core, a sign of the times. With the 21st century comes technology designed to optimise business workflows and make our lives easier. What else can we expect from a time where you can learn about the history of the pipe wrench in seconds, thanks to an internet-connected screen that fits neatly into the palm of your hand? simPRO’s solutions are proven examples of the value that job management software holds in the trade services industry. Here are eight ways you can improve your job profitability using this kind of technology:

1

Speedy scheduling

Scheduling tools allow you to see what staff are available, where and when, at a glance, days or weeks in advance.

Schedule the most suitable or closest employee to attend a job and avoid unnecessary travel time. Automated scheduling notifications for employees also mean that everyone is kept informed whenever you add, change, or delete a quote or job.

2

Empower your staff

simPRO’s mobile app has onsite quoting, sales, invoicing and customer sign off capabilities. This means your plumbers can upsell, quote on additional jobs, invoice and collect payment before leaving the site and capture customer signatures when they approve a quote or sign off on a job. The app’s real-time updates and geo-stamping means you can easily see the travel status of staff in the field, and keep them informed of any schedule changes through notifications to the app.

3

Right materials the first time

Using simPRO’s stock management feature, staff can track materials from warehouse to van. Maximise chargeable hours by removing the hassle of having to turn around for the right tools or material–and keep customers happy when your plumbers have everything they need to do the job right, the first time.

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4

Monitor your fleet

simTRAC is a GPS vehicle tracking solution that provides detailed reports and a maintenance planner. See the location of your fleet at any time and receive reports that detail everything from on-site time to travel time, through to vehicle speeds.

5

Empower your customers

Empower your customers with the simPRO Customer Portal: an online gateway through which they can request quotes, view and pay their invoices, and even book jobs themselves. Not only does this reduce admin costs and time, it means your customers are satisfied knowing they can call on your business quickly and efficiently.

6

Keep projects on track

Confidently manage multi-stage projects and keep control of project costs and variations. Schedule entire teams and equipment, live track your project’s progress and control your costs in realtime for better profits.

7

Asset maintenance made easy

Managing reactive and preventative maintenance work is easy with simPRO’s Asset Maintenance Planner, as plumbers can quickly review asset service histories.

This maximises chargeable hours and ensures customer satisfaction in the knowledge that your business maintains detailed records of jobs and test records.

8

Increase your understanding

Understanding where your business is at, whether it be the project you’re working on, how much to claim on progress claims, which jobs have been earning (or losing) you money, is key to improving your profitability. simPRO’s 60+ in-depth reports give you a bird’s-eye view of the business in real time.

Any way that a business can integrate a proven and systemised approach to operations will help improve its profitability. Adopting, or adapting, even one of these eight suggestions to your business could lead to an improvement.

Free consultation Explore ways simPRO can help improve your plumbing business.

Contact simPRO on 0800 100 854 to book a free consultation.

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Pre-festive planning Prepare your business for the holidays with five questions.

IF YOU’RE A business owner/manager you may be thinking about how to be prepared for the Christmas and New Year period. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself when running through your pre-festive season ‘to do’ list.

Does your business need a little something extra to tide it over till the New Year?

For businesses in retail or hospitality, the Christmas period is the busiest time of year. For others it’s a time of slowing down until customers return from Christmas and New Year holidays. Many businesses need extra cash to cover staff payments, holiday pay, overheads and service other debts while no income is coming in to the business over the festive ‘shut down’. Temporary overdraft facilities known as Temporary Ranges can help with covering costs over the Christmas period. These overdrafts can often be approved relatively quickly, and you can usually arrange to pay them off over a number of months, depending on the needs of your business. Get in touch with your bank sooner rather than later.

It’s a busy time, so don’t wait till the last minute to get it set up.

Will your staff be paid on time?

Making sure staff get paid on time is

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important–everyone relies on their final pay cheque before Christmas to cover last minute costs and take them through to the New Year. Make sure you’re on top of your payroll requirements over this time, as it’s likely to be an ‘out of the ordinary’ pay run with staff taking leave days and including statutory holidays. Online facilities like EdgePayroll can be really helpful for making these payments easily from any location (so you can stay on top of your business needs if your summer holidays have already started).

Have you checked your insurance cover?

Many businesses require additional stock to keep running over the Christmas period. Make sure your insurance cover is sufficient to include this, and if you’re not sure, get in touch with your provider to double check. Better safe than sorry.

Will you need access to your business accounts while out and about?

Most banks will have a shut-down period over the holidays and, as with many businesses, will have reduced staff numbers in their contact centres. Be sure to get the mobile business banking app set up on your phone so you can keep an eye on your accounts and set up or authorise payments.

Are the public holidays covered?

Most people get Christmas Day and Boxing Day off as paid statutory holidays, but if your business has to stay open you will need to agree in advance who is going to work on those days. Employees who work on these days would then get another day as a holiday.

Keep in mind that public holidays are separate from annual leave that’s taken by employees over this time. If your employees are on annual leave when a public holiday falls, the public holiday can’t be deducted from their annual leave.

You can require employees to take annual holidays during the close down period–even if it means employees have to take time off for which they’re not fully reimbursed. You need to provide employees with at least 14 days advance notice of the close down.

Ask the right questions to stress less Regardless of how the holiday season impacts on your business, asking yourself the right questions will ensure you cover all your bases ahead of time. Put a plan in place to keep your business ticking along, and enjoy a stress-free Christmas and New Year holiday.

SMART BUSINESS

Sam’s speak

It takes consistency to build a culture, says Sam Tyson.

IF YOU GO to the dentist once a year, you may leave that day with shiny white teeth, but that one visit is not going to stop your teeth from rotting.

If you brush your teeth every morning and every night for two minutes, you are going to prevent your teeth from decaying. That is what consistency gives you.

Small things on their own don’t amount to much, but when you do them consistently, they add up to long-term results.

That is the approach I take to building culture at Climate & Plumbing. One way we do this is, every Monday (apart from public holidays), we have a toolbox meeting with the whole team. If I am not there, I nominate someone else to take the meeting.

1. One good experience

We start off by getting everyone to tell the group one good thing they got up to over the weekend. Some may have gone tramping, played rugby or mowed their lawns and had a beer afterwards.

Some may have spent time with their kids, or simply hung out on the couch binge-watching the latest series of Outlander.

Slowly and consistently, week by week, we get to know each other, and learn what’s important to our workmates.

It also gives people confidence to speak in the group for the next item on our agenda where we look at last week’s jobs and find out what went well and what didn’t go so well, and discuss how we could do better next time.

This is not a dobbing-in, or a boasting exercise—it’s teaching people to share experiences and learn and grow from each other.

2. Time for discussion

Next, we talk about any other things up for discussion. We have a whiteboard in our meeting area where our people are free to write ‘things’ to discuss at next week’s meeting. Sometimes these discussions can be quite robust, making it important as the leader

Biz Brief

of the meeting to keep it moving, productive and appropriate.

3. Work pipeline

Then we speak about the work we have coming up. What we have on this week and next week, with a future outlook as well. This gives our people an understanding of what we are facing as a business, what they may like to be part of, or what we need to be thinking about or acting on, depending on the workload.

4. Hazards identified

I then ask what new hazards have been identified over the last week and if any health and safety incidents have been reported. We openly discuss what we could have done to prevent the incident, or what we need to do to eliminate or mitigate the hazard. Once again, it’s not about dropping someone in it, it’s about sharing the experience and learnings.

This is also the time when we add in a bit of health and safety training. It could be about how to tie your ladder off safely, or how to look for signs that your workmate is not OK.

5. Things to celebrate

The last part is about announcements. We let everyone know what we’ve heard in the industry or locally in our market; what social events we have coming up; or if there are any celebrations—like who has a birthday this week. It is important to end the meeting on a good note, so everyone leaves with a positive outlook.

The meeting takes around 40 minutes. It starts at 7.30am and everyone is expected to turn up on time. Every week we follow the same agenda. Every week we get to know each other a little bit more. Every week we feel more secure and trusting that we are there for each other. Every week we come together as a team and are consistently building our culture. ■

Short ’n sweet business updates.

Do you qualify for an ACC refund?

Be cyber smart

Around 300,000 businesses have been charged incorrect ACC levies since 2002.

If you were in your first year of selfemployment between 2002 and 2017, or paid provisional ACC levies after ceasing trading or changing your business structure, ACC may owe you a refund. To find out if you might be eligible, visit acc. co.nz to provide your details (or use ACC for Business if you’re registered for this).

ACC expects the refund process to be complete by 31 March 2019.

You need to protect your online information, just as you lock your home and vehicle. Four tips from CERT NZ: 1. Have unique passwords for your online accounts 2. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your online accounts (eg, email, social media, internet banking) on your laptop, tablets and smartphones. 2FA is when you’re asked to provide two things to access

your online account (eg, password and a code sent to your mobile).

3. Update your apps, software and devices when alerted. These updates often fix vulnerabilities that attackers can use to get at your info.

4. Check your privacy settings to see who you’re sharing your info with.

If you’re not careful about who you share with, it can be really easy to find out things like where you work and when you’re away on holiday.

December 2018/January 2019 59

SMART BUSINESS

On holiday… or on call?

THERE ARE 11 public holidays throughout the year, four of which fall over the Christmas period. They are an additional benefit to annual leave.

1. Employee works on a public holiday a) If an employee works on a public holiday: they are legally entitled to be paid time and a half and also to receive a day in lieu. b) If an employee’s public holiday is ‘Mondayised’ (ie, the public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday when they don’t normally work, so is moved to the following Monday–or in some cases Tuesday): they are entitled to be paid time and a half and also to receive a day in lieu for the Mondayised day but can’t also claim the actual day the public holiday falls on.

2. Employee is on call on a public holiday For employees who are on call, public holiday entitlements depend on the type of call-out arrangement. a) The employee is on call and must accept a call-out: • If they are called out, they are entitled to at least time and a half for the time worked, plus a full day in lieu if they would have otherwise worked on that day of the week.

• If they are not called out and would otherwise have worked on that day of the week, they would be entitled

CLASSIFIED ADS

to their relevant daily pay or average daily pay, for the public holiday. b) The employee is on call but can choose not to accept a call-out: • If they accept the call-out and would have otherwise worked on that day they get a day in lieu. They also get at least time and a half for the time they worked.

• If they choose not to accept the call-out and would otherwise have worked on that day of the week, they would be entitled to their relevant daily pay or average daily pay, for the public holiday. c) The employee is required to stay at home all day in case of a call-out: • If they are called out, they are entitled to a day in lieu if they would have otherwise worked on that day of the week.

• If they are not called out, and would

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December 2018/January 2019

otherwise have worked on that day of the week, they would be entitled to their relevant daily pay or average daily pay, for the public holiday. d) The employee is a casual employee: • If they work on a public holiday, they are not entitled to an alternative holiday. However, they must still be paid at least time and a half for the time actually worked on the day.

• If they don’t work on a public holiday, they are not entitled to be paid for the public holiday. This is because there is no expectation of ongoing employment in a casual employment agreement.

In closing, an employee is not entitled to an alternative holiday if they: • work on a public holiday and that day is not an otherwise working day; or • are on call on a public holiday but are not required to restrict their activities; or • are only employed to work or be on call on public holidays.

Merry Christmas and enjoy the festive season! ■ About the author: Lisa Duston is HR Manager at Master Plumbers. Lisa offers HR advice to Master Plumbers’ members at competitive rates (first 30 minutes free).

Contact Lisa on 021 245 1704 or email lduston@masterplumbers.org.nz

The cost to advertise is $60+GST for Master Plumbers' members; $100+GST for nonmembers. Just send your text (up to 100 words) to advertising@masterplumbers.org.nz

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Will any of your employees be on call over the public holidays? Lisa Duston outlines the pay entitlements for different scenarios.

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NEXT GENERATION

Skills on show Wintec plumbing tutor and WorldSkills Plumbing and Heating Skills Expert Bryan Smith provides a behind-the-scenes report from this year’s WorldSkills Nationals.

APPRENTICE PLUMBERS CAME together with welders, joiners, graphic designers, industrial millwrights and young cloud computing and robotics talent for this year’s National WorldSkills NZ competitions, held in October at Wintec in Hamilton.

This year’s Plumbing & Heating competition was designed to meet the WorldSkills International creed of sustainability and community service, with the framing and bathroom and kitchen pipework donated to Habitat for Humanity after the event.

The frames, which will be used to build 2.7m x 6m modular transportable dwellings, were built over the weekend before the competition. I’d like to thank Gerry Twigg from our carpentry department, who gave up most of his Saturday to help me, as well as my son Seph and my wife Carlotta. All holes were drilled and nogs put in on the Monday for fixing of water supplies, gas, and sanitary fixings, as there wasn’t enough time allowance for the competitors to do this themselves. My thanks to Paul Dempster, WelTec Deputy Manager for Plumbing & Heating, and to Hunter

Above: Frames stacked ready for pick-up by Habitat for Humanity at the end of the event.

Turner for their sterling effort with this on the Monday.

On the Tuesday morning the workshop was cleared, the frames erected, and the workshop set up for the competition, which started that afternoon with the eight contestants completing the first four hours of their 16-hour competition.

They were Michael Allport, Wade Bennet, Josh Grayson, Bradley Primmer, Lauren Phillips, Michael Sampson, Albert Singh and Ethan Stephenson.

We thank their employers for allowing them to attend the competition. Without your support we would have a great deal of difficulty finding the best young plumber to represent New Zealand at the next International competition, being held in August 2019 in Kazan, Russia.

Competition time

The competitors began by completing an isometric drawing of the project and a material take off for the cold water pipework and fittings—they lost points if they under- or over-ordered these. All other materials were provided. If they made mistakes they were allowed extra, but again lost points.

The first practical task was to make a 32mm copper branch connection into a 40mm section of copper pipe. Once completed they had the choice of starting on the hot copper pipe or the cold pipe.

Both had to be completed and pressure tested to 1500 kPa. Wednesday morning started at 8am with a busy eight hours ahead. The competitors continued to work on their hot and cold water supplies. Wednesday also saw them completing the installation of their rainwater head and downpipe.

Thursday was the final day of only four hours. The last of the water supplies were completed and the gas pipe installed and pressure tested. All contestants managed to complete the project, the earliest with three hours to spare and the last with two minutes.

Above: Lauren being presented with the Skills Award by former International competitors Adam de Pass (right) and Hunter Turner.

The completed projects were marked by two teams in the afternoon. For full marks, each measurement had to be ± 2mm from the plan, with half marks given for 2-4mm and no marks for over 4mm. The results were entered into the CIS marking system and the winner determined. Congratulations to Lauren Phillips for winning Gold, Michael Allport for winning Silver and Ethan Stephenson for winning Bronze.

The following day, the complete L-shaped frames were separated, flat packed, removed from the workshop and left ready for Habitat for Humanity to pick up. ■

Thanks go to…

WorldSkills NZ and Habitat for Humanity would like to thank the following sponsors for their time, effort and contribution of materials, which made the competition the success it was: • Placemakers, Te Rapa: timber for the frames • Dux: cold water pipe • Felton: shower mixers, slide rails, basin and kitchen single lever taps • Mico, Te Rapa: hot water and gas pipe.

December 2018/January 2019 63

NEXT GENERATION

Laurels for Lauren From a reluctant school student to a gold-medalist plumber, Lauren Phillips has an extremely bright future ahead.

LAUREN PHILLIPS KNEW from a young age that she liked being outdoors and using her hands. “I never wanted to be sitting reading at school, so I chose all the practical subjects, like food technology and woodwork,” she says. “I even learnt sewing to avoid book learning.”

She also loved playing sport and has been part of the Southland representative softball team since she was 12.

So, when Lauren spotted an advertisement from local firm Fairbairn Plumbing looking for a plumbing and gasfitting apprentice, she leapt at the chance. With a mum who’s an office administrator and a dad who’s a truck driver, the plumbing trade was not in her blood, but she liked the sound of it, as it was manual work and offered plenty of opportunity to be in the great outdoors.

Loving the variety

Winton-based Fairbairn Plumbing, run by Marty Fairbairn, does the whole gamut of plumbing, gas and drainage work, so variety was assured. “It’s always been just me and an apprentice,” says Marty. “I was a bit hesitant about taking on a female apprentice at first, but my wife persuaded me to give Lauren a trial.

“I remember the first day she turned up, we were doing a job fixing pipework and I sent her to the van for some fittings. Not

Above: Lauren standing in her completed bay.

64

December 2018/January 2019

only did she come back with exactly the right fittings, but she had fetched the crimpers too. That impressed me, and I offered her the job.”

Marty took Lauren on through the Master Plumbers-owned Masterlink apprentice scheme—and Lauren is very pleased he did. “They sort all my block courses and everything for me. I don’t know how it would work for me otherwise,” she says.

Masterlink mentor Roger Herd visits the company every quarter for Lauren’s regular appraisal. “She has been a great apprentice from day one—switched on, strong and determined,” he says.

Lauren says she and Marty work well together, and it’s great to learn directly from the boss. “We do everything, from new builds, to maintenance and extensions, including rural work like dairy sheds. We even spent three days on a waste and water piping job for the TSS Earnslaw in Queenstown, which was cool.”

Competition time

When the WorldSkills NZ regionals swung into Southland/ Invercargill in April, training provider SIT put Lauren forward for the competition, where she ended up placing first. She then found herself up for the National contest, held at Wintec in Hamilton this October.

Commercial plumbing just got better.

Much better.

Above: Lauren with her gold medal!

“It ran from 1pm on the Tuesday to 12.30pm on the Thursday—a 16-hour practical test,” she recalls. “Our task was one big project to pipe out a bathroom and kitchen to full scale.

After the competition, all eight competitors’ work was cut out of the walls to be donated to Habitat for Humanity housing.

“On the first day, we had to do a downpipe and reducing tee from 40mm to 32mm, then start marking out for the water pipes. Then, on the Wednesday, we completed one water system, which had to be pressure tested by the end of the day. If we finished in time, we could start the other water system, so there’d be hot and cold. We had to finish and pressure test this on the last day, as well as putting up and pressure testing the gas pipe.

“Everything had to be done to the millimeter and we were also judged on cleanliness, tidiness, attitude, planning, having our tools set out properly and the correct PPE.”

Golden moments

Lauren says she kept her nerves at bay by thinking of it as just another day at work and managed to finish with time to spare on the final day. “The judging took over five hours and we weren’t allowed back in, so we went back to the hostel where we were staying.

“At 6.30pm, all the competitors from all the skills categories assembled for the prize giving, with bronze, silver and gold winners being read out for each. When they called my name as the gold winner for Plumbing and Heating, I just sat there thinking it couldn’t be right. It was only when someone said, ‘That’s you!’, that it sunk in and I went up on stage to get my medal.”

Roger says he had a gut feeling Lauren could go all the way, and he was first to break the news to Marty. “I nearly fell off my ladder with delight,” says her boss. “Lauren’s pretty competitive and likes to give her male counterparts a run for their money, and she’s shaping up well to make a good tradesperson.”

Lauren is now waiting to hear if she’s been selected to go to Kazan in Russia in 2019 for the International competition, with the full support of her family, Marty and Masterlink. ■

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MASTERLINK MESSAGEBOARD

Funding for host employers

Significant subsidies are available to Masterlink hosts taking on apprentices through the new Skills for Industry programme.

‘Skills for Industry’ government subsidies of up to $10,000 will be available to plumbing firms that take on Work and Income (WINZ) jobseeker candidates of any age through Masterlink.

We will begin with pilots in Canterbury and the Waikato early in 2019, with the aim of extending the initiative to plumbing firms nationwide later in the year.

Candidates will be recruited from regional WINZ centres and also from its Limited Service Volunteer (LSV) initiative, which puts jobseekers through a pre-employment course at army training camps. We will carry out our usual rigorous screening and testing before placing the successful candidate in the host business. You’re very welcome to be involved in the job interviews.

The candidate will then undergo a three-month trial period with the host before signing into a Masterlink apprenticeship.

MSD will fund the apprentice’s sign-up fee and we will supply a starter tool and PPE kit as we do for all Masterlink apprentices.

Above: Masterlink met with potential apprentice candidates at the LSV Expo in November. Masterlink hosts taking on WINZ jobseekers as apprentices will be eligible for up to $10,000 in government funding.

Just get in touch with Lisa Duston, who will be able to advise if there are suitable candidates in your area: lisa.duston@masterlink.co.nz

Masterlink success at WorldSkills Not one, not two… but THREE Masterlink apprentices reached the WorldSkills NZ National finals.

We are stoked that Masterlink apprentices Lauren Phillips, Albert Singh and Bradley Primmer made it all the way to the WorldSkills NZ Nationals in October—you really did us proud.

With just eight national finalists in the Plumbing & Heating category, this an amazing achievement—and credit must also go to Lauren, Albert and Bradley’s Masterlink host companies and their regional Masterlink mentors Roger Herd and Colin Kilpatrick.

Lauren works at Fairbairn Plumbing in Winton, Albert at W Mattson in Auckland and Bradley at the University of Otago.

Putting the icing on the cake, Lauren went on to win Gold (and Bradley just missed the podium, coming a close fourth!).

Read Lauren’s story on p64.

Above: Three of the eight Plumbing & Heating category finalists were Masterlink apprentices: Bradley Primmer and Lauren Phillips, first and second from left, and Albert Singh, third from right. Lauren went on to win Gold.

Beating back the competition

Former Masterlink apprentice Daniel Warren was one of the 10 finalists at Plumbing World’s 2018 Young Plumber of the Year competition.

It’s been a good year for Daniel Warren. In March, 31-year-old Daniel completed his plumbing and gasfitting apprenticeship with Masterlink. One month later, he won the Oamaru Branch event in Plumbing World’s 2018 Young Plumber of the Year competition, going on to come a close second at the Southern Regionals in Queenstown in August 66

December 2018/January 2019

and then being selected to compete as one of just two Wild Cards at the National competition in October (see more on p68). Legend, Daniel!

Daniel is a licensed Tradesman Plumber and Gasfitter at Hi Flo Plumbing in Oamaru, owned

by Peter Ryder.

Right: Daniel at the National event.

MASTERLINK MESSAGEBOARD

At the CATE careers conference We joined with Plumbing World to showcase plumbing at this major event for career education professionals.

This November, the Annual 2018 CATE Conference was held at Sky City Hotel in Auckland. The aim of this three-day event is to showcase local and international trends in career education across all sectors.

Masterlink, Master Plumbers and Plumbing World shared a joint exhibition stand in the trade show area to promote the opportunities available in plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying career pathways.

Conference participants were drawn to our stand by the bathtub full of goodies contributed by Plumbing World. With Masterlink apprentice and Young Plumber of the Year videos to watch and an awesome rugby-related prize draw, there was plenty more to see and do while visiting.

Plumbing World Young Plumbers Club Ambassadors Logan Dodds and Jesse James Cassrels also dropped in for a lunchtime visit on the first day (pictured above).

Meet our H&S reps

Our apprentices have two health & safety reps to approach with any concerns or queries.

We’re very grateful to Josh Kenyon and Ben Ryan for putting their hands up to be our Masterlink apprentice health and safety representatives.

Josh, a Masterlink apprentice at BOP Plumbing & Gas in Rotorua, has been a Masterlink H&S rep for just over a year now. Ben officially took up the Masterlink H&S rep role this September, and says he’s also a H&S rep at Heron Plumbing in Auckland, where he’s a fourth-year apprentice. “I was chosen because I had been a firefighter with the Army for six years,” says the 31-year-old father of two.

Masterlink apprentices can contact Ben, Josh or their Regional Manager with any health and safety concerns using the Masterlink Health & Safety app or by text or email.

Above: Josh Kenyon (left) and Ben Ryan.

Toolkit winner!

Myles Owen is the lucky winner of our CPD trade show prize draw.

Masterlink National Business Manager Bob McCoy presented Myles Owen of Hagen & Owen Plumbing in Napier with his prize toolkit in October. Well done Myles and we hope it’s coming in handy!

Right: Bob and Myles pictured far right with apprentice Riley and business owner Tim Hagen to the left.

December 2018/January 2019 67

NEXT GENERATION

Young Plumber of the Year Plumbing World congratulates the 10 finalists and ultimate winner of the 2018 Young Plumber of the Year competition.

MORE THAN 250 contestants from across the country competed in the 2018 Young Plumber of the Year branch and regional events throughout the year for their chance to win a share in over $20,000 worth of prizes—and only 10 made it through to the final!

Wednesday 10 October 2018 saw the Young Plumber of the Year National Final take place at the Wintec Centre for Trades in Hamilton. The morning for the finalists consisted of a one-hour theory assessment before making their way to Wintec where they were supplied with all the tools and fittings required to install a bathroom setting within four hours.

Finalists were then joined by their employers and partners for a formal awards dinner and the opportunity

to reflect on their achievements and network with industry leaders.

We are very pleased to announce the 2018 Young Plumber of the Year is: •

Runner-up in the 2017 competition, Hayden Findlay (26) has recently moved himself and his business from Auckland to Wanaka and is looking forward to establishing himself there.

Hayden is stoked with his win. On the night he said, “I’m rapt to win the prize, finally, after coming second place last year. It was such a tough competition this year and I can’t believe I’ve come out on top. Competing for the second time, I thought the pressure would be a bit less, but actually it seemed to be a bit more.

Competitors were much tougher—they seemed to be at the next level.”

Huge congratulations also go to our second and third place getters: • •

Above: Second place winner Alex Hyland in action.

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December 2018/January 2019

1st place: Hayden Findlay of Eco Plumbing & Gas Ltd, Wanaka

2nd place: Alex Hyland of Steve Wolter Plumbing Ltd, Gisborne 3rd place: Adam de Pass of Jackson Plumbing Ltd, Invercargill.

The competition recognises proficiency on the job and also passion for the plumbing industry. Both qualities are in high demand, with recent forecasts estimating the need for a 30% increase in qualified plumbers to meet current and future construction requirements.

Congratulations to all 10 of our young plumber finalists, who have shown us they are the best in the industry. We hope to see them and a whole lot of new competitors back again at the branch events in 2019, with planning already underway.

Above: First place winner Hayden Findlay.

We would like to acknowledge the wonderful employers, supporters and family of sponsors who have supported Plumbing World’s Young Plumber of the Year initiative so far.

Check out our website (ypc.co.nz) and social media pages to see more videos and images from this year’s competition.

We look forward to seeing many new and familiar faces when we launch the 2019 competition. ■

The 10 finalists Well done to all 10 finalists at the 2018 event: Kane Berry, Andrew Bright, Adam de Pass, Hayden Findlay, Jason Gamble, Alex Hyland, Liam Pascoe, Hunter Turner, Nikita Ward and Daniel Warren.

On-Job Verification

NEXT GENERATION

Skills explains how you can help the next generation of plumbers with On-Job Verification.

WANT TO HELP keep the New Zealand plumbing industry supplied with quality plumbers like yourself? Become a Verifier and ensure the industry remains at the top of its game by supporting the next generation of plumbers.

Signing up to become a Verifier will be hugely rewarding.

It’s an important role that means you get to pass down years of hard-earned knowledge and experience, helping make sure apprentices are doing the job right!

So, what exactly do Verifiers do? Well, simply put, they confirm that apprentices are able to complete a particular task to a high standard without assistance and minimal supervision.

This is achieved through on-job assessments, where the apprentice collects all relevant information and documentation as evidence that they’re experienced in the work that the assessment covers. When the apprentice feels they’re ready to be assessed, as their Verifier you’ll either observe their work or look through their paperwork. If you feel the apprentice has accurately demonstrated the necessary skills and knowledge you can sign the assessment off as being verified. Once verified, the apprentice will then send the paperwork to Skills where an Assessor will complete the final sign-off.

Above: Be in touch with Skills if you’re interested in becoming a Verifier.

Chatting to apprentices before, during and after the verification process will help you to confirm they know what they’re doing and allow them to identify their strengths, as well as what they may need to work on.

Your wealth of experience and knowledge will be highly valued to your apprentices and with your guidance and support you’ll be playing your part to ensure the industry continues to be in capable and skilled hands. ■ Like the sound of becoming a Verifier?

Call Skills on 0508 SKILLS (0508 754 557) to find out more.

LOOK AT YOUR HANDS The scars, wrinkles and cracked skin tells your story.

Your hands have helped you become a master of your trade.

Help an apprentice do the same, and give their hands the chance to tell their story.

Take on an apprentice today 0508 SKILLS | skills.org.nz

December 2018/January 2019 69

HEALTH MATTERS

Time for change More work is being done to address alarming mental health statistics in the construction industry, following a recent BRANZ study.

THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY has the highest suicide rate of all New Zealand industries.

“For many years we’ve put the focus on safety, rather than looking at people’s health more broadly,” says Site Safe Chief Executive Brett Murray. “It’s time we recognised that we must do more and prevent suicide from having a tragic effect on the lives of so many Kiwi families.”

Together with the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ), Site Safe NZ is leading a new, in-depth study to uncover the underlying trends behind the high number of suicides in the industry.

“This vital research will help us get the data we need to

understand the bigger picture,” says Brett Murray. “Unlike Australia, where the high rate of suicide in construction has been recognised for years, in New Zealand we are still coming to grips with the scale of the problem.”

And understanding the problem is the first step to prevention, he says.

The study aims to analyse the coroner’s findings of all 339 suicides of construction workers from 2007 until 2017.

The hope is that this will give an understanding of any common factors driving poor mental health in construction, so that prevention programmes can be put in place.

The study’s initial results are expected early next year. ■

A culture problem The new Site Safe-led study follows on from an earlier BRANZ scoping study, released in September.

BRANZ asked 15 people from major construction companies and associations what they thought were the drivers for poor mental health in the industry, the high suicide rate in particular.

The most commonly mentioned drivers were: • a “macho”, “bullying” and homophobic workplace culture • the high-pressure nature of the industry (boom and bust cycles etc) • drug and alcohol use • well-informed customers demanding more • high-risk worker population • an undervalued career path • intergenerational issues on worksites • intolerance of diversity.

Poor mental health or distress drives workers away from their jobs or the entire industry, said BRANZ General Manager Industry Research Dr Chris Litten. This results in lower productivity and increasing costs, reinforcing a vicious cycle of pressure and stress.

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Above: A macho, bullying culture is one reason for high anxiety, depression and suicide rates in construction, according to a recent BRANZ study.

“Some of those interviewed noted some positive changes happening within industry but there was a unanimous call for more research to understand the factors behind the high rates of suicide,” he said.

In the meantime, there is discussion within the construction industry on further trialling the Australian support programme Mates in Construction in New Zealand.

HEALTH MATTERS

Does your business have a bullying policy?

Master Plumbers and its apprentice company Masterlink take a zero-tolerance approach to workplace bullying.

Among its wide range of HR support materials, Master Plumbers has developed a Harassment and Bullying Policy template for members to use in their businesses.

The policy explains what types of behaviour amount to bullying and harassment, and what steps people can take if they want to lay a complaint.

Unacceptable bullying behaviours include: • • • • • • • • •

Verbal abuse Direct violence, including physical assault, intimidation or harassment Abusive emails Threatening body language Unreasonable demands Unreasonable actions undermining work performance Inappropriate or abusive comments via social media Inappropriate surveillance or monitoring Inappropriate interference with personal belongings or work equipment.

Above: Master Plumbers has developed a Harassment and Bullying Policy template for members to use in their businesses.

the policy explains what types of behaviour amount to bullying

Download the policy at www.masterplumbers.org.nz/dashboard/ hr-support/workplace-policies/

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SAFETY FIRST

Toolbox tips Quick health and safety messages to share with the team.

Assess your H&S performance Want to improve your workplace’s health and safety? Try the new, free, mobile-friendly SafePlus online self-assessment tool. www.worksafe.govt.nz/managing-health-and-safety/businesses/ safeplus/

hazardous substances. Find good guidance at www.hazardous substances.govt.nz View the list at www.epa.govt.nz/industry-areas/hazardoussubstances/chemical-reassessment-programme/priority-chemicalslist/

Be a Safe Guy

Spike in construction injuries

WorkSafe has launched a new Be a Safe Guy campaign, aimed at young workers. They’ve teamed with comedian, D’Angelo Martin aka Tuturu Māori—a 19 year old from Kaitaia—for a series of videos that show there’s no wrong way to say the right thing. Be a safe guy—Ahakoa o kōrero, kia haumaru tonu koe.

Check the videos out at www.worksafe.govt.nz/about-us/ campaigns/be-a-safe-guy/

There were 72 serious work-related injuries in construction in 2017, up from 45 the previous year. This bucks the general downward trend of recent years, according to Site Safe Chief Executive Brett Murray. “These are tough times for the industry, but this is exactly when we can’t afford to take our eye off the ball.” He encourages any construction businesses with health and safety concerns to get in touch with Site Safe. “We offer a free ‘ask an advisor’ service and are happy to answer health and safety-related questions and provide guidance on tricky situations.”

Master Plumbers members are entitled to a 10% discount on annual Site Safe membership. ■

Chemicals under the spotlight EPA say they’re taking action on some chemicals that could present risks to people and the environment. They’ve identified a priority list of around 40 chemicals to be reviewed. Care should always be taken when working with chemicals and other

Worker PPE

New guidance from WorkSafe helps workers understand PPE requirements.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) helps keep workers safe on the job. “It should be the last line of defence after the business has taken all other reasonable actions to eliminate or minimise risks to your health and safety,” says WorkSafe in its new PPE guide for workers.

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The business:

The worker:

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is required to provide the worker with PPE that is right for the work being done; fits reasonably comfortably; works as it’s supposed to. must show the worker how to correctly use, wear and maintain their PPE must pay for the cost of PPE unless the worker chooses to provide their own

December 2018/January 2019

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• •

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can’t pass on the cost (in full or part) for providing the worker with PPE can’t make the worker pay to replace any lost or worn-out PPE can’t make the worker agree to provide their own PPE before offering them a job or when in the job.

must wear their PPE when working must follow the business’s advice on how to correctly use, wear and maintain their PPE must tell the business as soon as there are any issues (eg, it no longer fits properly or has broken) can choose to provide their own PPE but it must meet the business’s PPE requirements

•

can change their mind about providing their own PPE at any time but need to give the business time to arrange alternative PPE. ■

Download the WorkSafe guidance at https://worksafe.govt.nz/managinghealth-and-safety/businesses/generalrequirements-for-workplaces/personalprotective-equipment-a-guide-for-workers/

EXCLUSIVE

NZ PLUMBER NOW AVAILABLE DIGITALLY

TO MASTER PLUMBER MEMBERS! CONTENTS

24

JUNE/JULY 2018

ON THE COVER HOW BINDING IS A QUOTE? AND CAN IT BE WITHDRAWN?—See p62

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

RESIDENTIAL CONTRACTS Your rights and obligations

12

60

45

Inside this issue

2017 t MPA Finalis

62

30

DODGY PRODUCT

HOW ORGANISED ARE YOU? Work smart tips

15

NEW!

Better policing needed

TECHNICAL THEME

TOMORROW’S GASFITTERS Learning support

20

HOT WATER

Water chemistry, home heating and more

70 Cover photograph: A new consumer campaign from MBIE.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

WHAT’S ON 7

Check out our industry calendar

MASTER PLUMBERS NEWS 8

CEO Greg Wallace on apprentice training; new Comms & Marketing Advisor; product advocacy and Best in Brand prize

50 Staying strong Outstanding Services to Industry Award winner Dave Strong

TECHNICAL THEME: HOT WATER TECHNOLOGY 21

IN FOCUS 12

15

Policing products Why better controls are needed around imported product

24 Warm water—warm home Combining household hot water with the central heating system

Customer contracts A new campaign reminds contractors of their obligations

26 Legionella control Legionella in potable water systems

REAL LIVES 18

Driven to succeed Plumber Jacob Smith sets himself a high bar

42 Walking into retirement Why this 76-year-old ex-tutor is tramping the length of New Zealand

4

Water pH impact Why water pH matters when choosing hot water products

August/September 2017

29 HPWH technology How they work plus installation tips

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT 30 Preservation plumbing Heritage house plumbing work

NUTS & BOLTS 35

Taken in isolation Benefits of isolation valves

36 Backflow basics What plumbers need to know about backflow prevention 39 Device types Unsure which type of backflow device to use?

40 Tech points Technical updates in brief

INDUSTRY TALK 44 Asbestos removal training Training requirements for an asbestos removal licence 45 Heating up Emirates Team New Zealand Rinnai’s hot water solution for the Bermuda crew 45 Watercare changes in Auckland Changes to compliance statements and connections 46 Sam’s speak What’s the answer to the plumber shortage?

48 Steel mesh charges Charges filed against three producers 48 Cylinder restraint study Could be time for a new approach 49 Homestar rating tool updated Homestar v4 makes the assessment process easier

HEALTH MATTERS 52

P aware The risks of working in meth houses

SUSTAINABLE FUTURES

58 KiwiSaver—10 years on It’s a no-brainer for young working people to join, says the IR 59 Contract Works cover When your subcontract agreement includes Contract Works excess 60 How organised are you?

Top tips to working smarter—plus two case studies

NEXT GENERATION 70 Tomorrow’s gasfitters How Rinnai is supporting gasfitting apprentices 73

Taking on the world Young Kiwi plumber prepares for Worldskills Internationals

77

Apprenticeship designed by you A new website from Skills to have your say

62 Quote, unquote How binding is a quote?

54 Water recharge Two new managed aquifer recharge projects

64 Pricing & payments Tips on optimising efficiency and profitability

SMART BUSINESS

INNOVATION

56 We’re watching you Legal boundaries of electronic staff surveillance

66 Drain brain Odour eating floor waste product

57

67 Urgency needed on skill shortages BNZ on why business and government need to work together

Process for change What to know when altering an employee’s agreement

WORLD VIEW 69 Hospital on hold Lead contamination in water at new Perth Children’s Hospital

SUPPLY LINES

PRODUCTS & SERVICES 79 What’s new in the marketplace

AND FINALLY 81

Offcuts Bits and pieces of the unusual kind

82 Dodgy plumbing The best of the worst August/September 2017

5

MASTER PLUMBER OF THE YEAR What makes a winning business

APRIL/MAY 2018

READ ALL ABOUT IT

PEDAL TO THE METAL

Addressing lead in plumbing fittings

NZ Plumbing Conference highlights

2017 MPA Finalist

CAMP GLENORCHY

Major sustainable plumbing project BEST OF THE BEST

National award winners

PODS & PREFABS

Implications for plumbers

THE HEAT IS ON

Heating technical theme

Available via www.pocketmags.com

Just download the Pocketmags app on your mobile device and log-in to start reading!

www.masterplumbers.org.nz

AND FINALLY

Offcuts

Birds, bugs and a broken turtle shell feature in this edition’s quirky plumbing-related snippets.

Pest of the month

Look out for drain flies warns entomologist Brent Page in the Horowhenua Chronicle. Apparently, this tiny, hairy, moth-like (and harmless) fly flourishes at this time of the year in the region, living in plumbing pipes and shower or sink drains. Once they emerge, they congregate in large numbers around nearby light sources. The fly lives for about 20 days and lays its eggs just above a waterline around the shower or sink drain where there’s grease, hair and sludge for the larvae to feed on. Hatching begins after the eggs are splashed with water. As for pest control?

Reduce the larval food source, advises Brent. Mechanical drain cleaning is the most effective control method but a squirt of antibacterial foam is a simple solution.

Kakas at the plumbing

New Zealand’s rare native parrot, the kaka, was rereleased into urban Wellington in 2002 in a bid to lift numbers—and it’s now breaking into the city’s homes to breed, reports Stuff. Noisy and destructive, they are unwelcome tenants for many homeowners, who are calling DOC to see if the kakas can be evicted. By nesting in ceilings, they are also at risk from chewing on potentially harmful materials, including the plumbing, according to Stuff.

Don’t blame the shark

Whangārei plumber Andrew “Nugget” Brough holds no grudge against the great white shark that attacked him while he was surfing at Baylys Beach in October, according to a recent report in the Northern Advocate.

We’re in their ocean, said the 25-year-old, who was left with shark tooth fragments in his arm as a souvenir of a bone-deep wound requiring two surgeries and dozens of stitches. His full-arm cast came off in November, at which point he was to learn how much longer he had to stay away from his plumbing job and out of the water. Brough told the paper he was determined to return to the sport he loved.

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December 2018/January 2019

Carrots for concrete?

Carrots could strengthen cement and cut building industry carbon dioxide emissions, according to British researchers, reports RNZ. Apparently, the researchers found you could increase the strength of concrete by 80% by mixing in just a small amount of carrot particles.

And because the carrots were found to prevent cracks, less cement would be needed, lowering the global carbon dioxide output. The carrot particles were provided by Scottish company CelluComp, who explain that a carrot is made up nearly entirely of water but stays rigid and crunchy because of fibrous cellulose, found in all plants.

It’s not the fibre that causes the strength, they say, but the way it holds water. The researchers are trialling other mixtures, including sugar beet pulp.

Plumber’s putty for turtle

A wild Eastern box turtle in a US zoo was having trouble moving due to a fractured shell, reported the Washington Post in October. The solution? A vet student designed a small wheelchair using Lego and some plumber’s putty, so the turtle could keep moving while recovering from shell surgery.

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If you have existing insurance cover, our free and no obligation-review can often find you are paying too much and secure you a better deal.

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www.spratt.co.nz December 2018/January 2019 75

AND FINALLY

DODGY Plumbing

Keep them coming! Send your Dodgy Plumbing examples to the Ed: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz

Have we got a festive bumper special for you!

Cold turkey (or chicken)

“Here is what we found in a blocked toilet,” says Sam Tyson of Climate & Plumbing.

Christmas dinner anyone?

Another fine mess

“Came across this installation in Dunedin while on site replacing a basin tap,” says Simon Hendry of Dunedin Plumbing & Gas Ltd. “I think it’s fair to say this was not done by a Certified Gasfitter!!”

Bad fit

Spotted in Dunedin….

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December 2018/January 2019

Home and hosed

Thanks to Elliott at BT Plumbing for sending in this photo. “Found this on the entry point servicing a couple units in Kelston... wonder why they had a leak!!”

AND FINALLY

HWC howler

“We were called to remove the sink and HWC as the tenant was upgrading,” says Heron Plumbing’s Dale Lovell. “Found this lovely example of how not to install a HWC: • Relief valve into tray • Relief valve run in plastic • No seismic strapping • Unable to get to the element • Timber offcuts to lift the HWC. “But I guess at least it has a trap on the waste to stop the smell back from the soil line.”

Round the twist

“Dodgy temp gas main I came across in Wellington ,” says Alex of Straight Flush Plumbing of this photo.

Duo of doozies Root of the problem

Stan Bossom, Building Control Officer at South Wairarapa District Council, sent in this photo of a bundle of tree roots pulled from a concrete water tank. “The roots had infiltrated the overflow drain from the water tank and grew around the inside of the tank, resulting in contaminated water and excess water draw off. A visible air gap in the overflow would have prevented this phenomenon.”

“Found these beauties on a house renovation recently, where the previous owner could do it all!” says Marcus Palmer of Bell Plumbing & Drainage.

“First is the guy’s funky dishwasher connection. Nice use of garden hose.

Second is a soldered copper tee.

Although not leaking, thought it would be good to remove!”

December 2018/January 2019 77

AND FINALLY

DODGY Plumbing

UED

CONTIN

Sticky situation

“Got called to a leak in wall,” says Dave Savage of Opononi Plumbing. “I replaced all the water plumbing and then noticed the pan connection. Easy to remove though, as glued 100 joint below floor had no glue.”

Creature from the deep Where to begin?

“Spotted this masterpiece in South Otago,” says Colin Smith of Southern Plumbing and Heating. “Customer said the gas company wouldn’t supply any more gas till he had a solid copper pipe running from the reg to the unit. Haha that’s just the start of the problems.”

Please send the biggest size photos you have.

The bigger the file, the bigger we can show it on the page!

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December 2018/January 2019

“I got called out to a pump not working right,” says Wayne Thompson of Laser Plumbing Queenstown. “The roots of the rose bush next door got through the water outlet hole and squashed the pipe— took a bit of effort to get out. It looked like a prehistoric animal the way it was draped around inside of tank.”

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