NZ Plumber February-March 2016

2016 NZ Plumbing Conference coming soon—don’t miss out! See page 10

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016

SETTING THE STANDARD

Introducing the new Master Plumbers brand

ARE YOU READY? Health and safety spotlight

WILDLIFE RESCUE Plumber with a passion

CPD IN A DAY How the new format will work

MICO MAKES GOOD ON

PROMISES TO THE TRADE 99.2% NEIL MCINTYRE BRANCH MANAGER MICO HUTT CITY

We love the challenge of servicing our customers, which is why we’ve put our nuts and nipples on the line!

We’ve made a serious commitment to having the right product at the right price at the right time… and measuring it!

If we’re successful then our customers are successful – building better businesses together.

So come in and put us to the test – we’re up for it!

100%

99.0% 99.6%

99.4% 99.3%

99.5% 99.2%

99.4%

99.2%

100% 99.4%

99.7%

100% 99.2% 99.7%

99.0% 100%

KEY: STOCK AVAILABILITY

98.9%

INVOICING/PRICING ACCURACY

98.6%

These figures are the average performance across all Mico branches in each region for the 4 months from July to October 2015.

99.4% 99.8% 99.2% 98.8%

SERVICE PROMISE

As a direct response to feedback about what’s most important to customers and as part of an ongoing quest to be the easiest place to do business, Mico has developed a Service Promise which launched at all Mico branches nationwide at the end of June this year.

The Mico Service Promise has six components ranging from stock availability to on-time delivery, with a strong initial focus on having 500 core plumbing products in stock at every Mico branch across the country, every day.

What differentiates our promise in the market is that it has consequences – if we fail to deliver we’ll put our money where our mouth is and lunch will be on us.

Because no one should be easier to deal with than Mico.

0800 844 448 I www.mico.co.nz

500 core products always in stock or lunch is on us* You pay what we quote or we’ll credit you $10 Trained & knowledgeable staff

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Click & collect within 30 minutes or lunch is on us* Delivery of your order on time* Industry leading warranties on our exclusive products *Conditions apply. Find out more in-store.

EDITORIAL

Volume 68, Number 1 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 258 Taranaki Street Wellington 6141 SUBSCRIPTIONS NZ Plumber is published six times a year by Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ. MPGD members receive all six editions.

Non-members can subscribe online at www.masterplumbers.org.nz/subscription-form-2 MAILING LIST For enquiries, or to update your details: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz Non-Master Plumbers’ members with contact detail changes should notify the PGD Board, giving their registration number licensing@pgdb.co.nz TO ADVERTISE Contact Catherine Schuster 027 839 8398 cschuster@masterplumbers.org.nz

NZ Plumber is the official magazine of Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ Inc. Contact details for the MPGD Board, Society staff and Regional 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.

New year, New leaf It’s hard to know where to begin with all the news in this edition.

THERE’S A REAL sense of forward momentum as the year gets underway. The news stories in this edition just kept coming—the new Health & Safety at Work Act about to come into play (our feature articles start on p13); new supervision guidance from the PGD Board (p20); a fresh new brand and trade website for Master Plumbers (p9); the NZ Plumbing Conference coming up in April (p10); a new asbestos licensing system (p48); and a whole new way of doing CPD (p34).

And that’s just for starters. As we were putting the edition together, Radio New Zealand contacted Master Plumbers looking for assistance with a story on ‘dodgy’ imported products. The resulting article, which featured on Nine to Noon in January, is reproduced on p40. Inconclusive it may be, but the general sentiment is for central government to step up and develop some kind of watchdog. There’s a system in place to investigate unauthorised work—but what about uncertified product that’s not fit for purpose?

Late last year, I was kindly invited to look round a showhome in Papamoa with design specifications based on the Homestar rating tool. It’s ‘green’, for sure, but not in the least bit hippy or ‘hairy’. Have a read of the article on p42 to find out why this home is particularly groundbreaking.

I also enjoyed talking to Bill Dwyer, a Palmerston North plumber and Master Plumbers’ member, who has devised a portable surgery to help rescue wildlife affected by oil spills.

Bill was among the crew who rushed to the Rena disaster back in 2011. Turn to p22 to learn more about his innovative work.

On the technical side, we have articles on backflow prevention (p26) and internal wet areas (p29). There’s also an interesting take on hydrocarbons on p27—settle down for a good story.

Not to forget that 11 March is World Plumbing Day! Some amazing technologies are taking the world forward in conservation of precious water. See p32 to learn how termites and dung beetles are playing their part…

Beverly Sellers Editor, NZ Plumber, beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz PS: Have you tried reading your NZ Plumber online or via the app download yet? Let us know if you have any queries about how it works.

OVER TO YOU The best email, letter or tip published on this page wins a $30 Hunting & Fishing voucher! Do you have a picture, story or news to share? Or feedback on any of the articles you’ve read in NZ Plumber?

Email the Ed: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz. Or give me a call on 03 543 2008.

No letters this issue—hopefully this means you’ve enjoyed a relaxing, well-deserved break over the summer season. We look forward to your feedback on the articles in this edtion.

February/March 2016

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PAGE TAG

46

20

54

Inside this issue

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016

WHAT’S ON 7 Backflow Group Day; CPD half-day training; NZ Plumbing Conference & CCA Seminars

MASTER PLUMBERS NEWS 8 New brand, new website; Conference low-down; partnering with BNZ; NZ Plumbing Awards entries; Auckland and Canterbury news

IN FOCUS 13 Safety at work

Playing your part; what’s ‘reasonably practicable’; how to stay out of trouble; and driver safety

20 Clarifying supervision

A look at new PGD Board guidance

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT 22 Wildlife rescue

How a plumber’s ‘portable surgery’ helped at the Rena disaster

NUTS & BOLTS 26 Don’t be fooled!

Ensure backflow products are fit for purpose 27 Meet the hydrocarbons

A story of man’s relationship with hydrocarbons 29 Internal wet areas

Changes coming to E3/AS1 30 The gas ring

A new Standard for gas measurement 30 Smart cylinder technology

Computer algorithm advances for Rinnai 31 Tech points

This issue’s technical news in brief

WORLD VIEW 32 Water is precious

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February/March 2016

That’s the World Plumbing Day message

INDUSTRY TALK 34 New way for CPD

How the new system will work

36 Government FM tender

Nationwide workshops 36 Keys to the boat

Happy prizewinners!

37 It’s relicensing time

No excuses to be late, says the PGDB 37 Second time around

For your feedback on registration & licensing 38 Clearing the air

Canterbury clean air plan 39 Recent convictions

Unlawful activity prevention 40 Dodgy product?

Are more controls needed?

CONTENTS

ON THE COVER 2016 NZ Plumbing Conference coming soon—don’t miss out! See page 10

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016

SETTING THE STANDARD

9

Introducing the new Master Plumbers brand

13

50

41 Sam’s spot

When customers turn nasty…

SUSTAINABLE FUTURES 42 & 46 Top marks Top HomeStar ratings for homes in the North and South Islands

SUPPLY LINES 47 A little Kiwi DIY

App offering from Spark to aid business growth

SAFETY FIRST 48 Asbestos licensing

New licensing system coming

SMART BUSINESS 50 Pay them right

Are you paying your employees correct holiday and leave pay?

52 Business roadmap

Understanding profit and cashflow

ARE YOU READY? Health and safety spotlight

WILDLIFE RESCUE Plumber with a passion

22 Cover photograph: The new Master Plumbers brand

INNOVATION 62 Innovators awarded

53 On trial

90-day trial periods and company policies

54 Great idea!

Seeking good ideas from staff

NEXT GENERATION 65 Plumbing gem

55 No worries

Reducing end-of-financial-year stress 55 Biz Brief

Quick smart business updates

TIMES PAST 56 High spirits

Wartime apprentice Ernie MacManus recalls hitting the strong stuff

REAL LIVES 59 Postie bikes to Bluff

A plumber’s fundraising adventure

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CPD IN A DAY How the new format will work

Winning ideas for showers and sludge

Jeweller turns plumber

67 Regional skills

Competitions coming to test your apprentices’ skills

PRODUCTS & SERVICES 68 What’s new in the marketplace AND FINALLY 70 Offcuts

Media oddities of the plumbing kind

73 Dodgy plumbing

Some things never change…

TECH SAVVY 60 Customer feedback

Online reviews: is all publicity good publicity?

February/March 2016

5

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For more information on Fastflow® visit methven.com/fastflow

What’s on

EVENTS

Events and seminars to help you build a better business.

2016 NZ Plumbing Conference Date: 6-8 April Venue: Novotel Rotorua Lakeside Cost: $799 ex GST for full registration For full details of all that’s on offer at the 2016 event, turn to p10.

To book, go to www.nzplumbingconference.org.nz

Health & Safety Roadshow Remaining dates: 8 & 9 March Venues: Palmerston North & Kerikeri Time: 4-6pm Cost: $10 per person

CPD training half-day Date: 6 April Venue: Novotel Rotorua Lakeside Time: 12:30-4:30pm Cost: $30 inc GST (payable on the day) Changes to the PGD Board’s CPD regime come into effect on 1 April 2016. (Please note: the new format won’t apply to relicensing until 1 April 2017.)

Tradespeople will now have key topics that they will cover by attending either a half-day training course or by completing the topics online. Training content will be developed by Skills.

The first of these half-day training courses will be held alongside the NZ Plumbing Conference in Rotorua. Other dates and venues will be available on the PGD Board website (www.pgdb.co.nz).

Find out more on p34.

Presented by Master Plumbers, WorkSafe NZ and ACC, this 2.5 hour seminar will give you a good understanding of the changes to workplace health and safety under the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015, and what they will mean for your business.

The session is tailored to the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying trades.

To book for the Rotorua half-day CPD training course, go to www.nzplumbingconference.org.nz

To book, simply email dheath@masterplumbers.org.nz

Venue: Novotel Rotorua Lakeside

Backflow Group Day Date: 6 April

Time: 9am-4pm Cost: $179 (ex GST)

CCA seminars Remaining dates: 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 & 16 March Venues: Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill & Queenstown Cost: $100 inc GST per person This 1.5 hour Construction Contracts Act presentation includes critical information on 2015 Amendment Act updates. The speakers are Andrew Hazelton and Rachel Conner of Hazelton Law. Places are limited. Registration is by ticket only from the Specialist Trade Contractors Federation.

Water New Zealand’s Backflow Group is holding a oneday programme in conjunction with the NZ Plumbing Conference. Topics include: • Backflow: what it is and why we should care!

• Installation of backflow prevention devices: the right way, compliance failures and common mistakes • Legal obligations inside and outside the boundary • What your Backflow Prevention Programme should look like and where to get help • Backflow philosophy: time to change our way of thinking Participants will also be provided with morning and afternoon tea and lunch. The day concludes with question time.

To book, go to www.nzplumbingconference.org.nz

To book, email office.nzstcf@gmail.com February/March 2016

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MASTER PAGE TAG PLUMBERS NEWS

Major milestones

Our new brand is part of our long-term drive to show consumers that Master Plumbers represents excellence.

AS MOST OF you will now be aware, we have made the bold step to change our brand. Why have we done this?

Our brand was 10 years old and we believe it needed updating to better represent the values of Master Plumbers and to reflect our fresh, new approach.

The new brand is just part of our wider commitment to a long-term marketing strategy. We’ve taken expert advice to develop the branding, and the accompanying Don’t Risk It consumer campaign.

Around four years ago, Master Plumbers conducted a survey that showed only six percent of the general public recognised our logo. With our new billboards, consumer website, print and digital advertising, we are endeavouring to increase public perception and the values of excellence that we represent. We are also very pleased to announce that we have secured a registered trademark for the logo and the Master Plumbers words, helping us protect the brand well into the future.

We encourage you to use the new branding on all your vehicles, workwear, premises and client communications. By now, you will have received a brand package with the logo downloads and guidelines you need to do this to best effect.

Our new logo will be proudly displayed this April at the 2016 NZ Plumbing Conference. Preparation is ahead of expectation and we have a very good event, which we firmly believe will help your business in developing excellence. Please, if you haven’t already registered, do so now on the NZ Plumbing Conference website (www.nzplumbingconference.org.nz).

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February/March 2016

As an added incentive, you will be able to complete your full year’s CPD requirement for the 2017-18 licensing year if you sign up for the PGD Board’s half-day CPD training course on the Wednesday.

The PGD Board (not to be confused with the Master Plumbers Board!), have made a bold choice in totally changing the regime for CPD training. Though not everyone will agree to the change, we at Master Plumbers feel we need to give the scheme a chance and make any recommendations for improvement after members have had the opportunity to attend a course or complete the training online.

We still believe that product training through our Business Partners plays an important part. We are looking at options to fill this space and incentivise our members to participate in good quality training.

This issue, we are delighted to welcome BNZ as a Platinum Business Partner and Principal Sponsor of MasterLink.

The partnership will bring benefits for members and the ability for our apprentices to obtain interest-free loans for their apprenticeship fees.

BNZ has taken a proactive approach to finding beneficial financial solutions for our apprentices and will be offering some great services to our members. We look forward to publicising more details of BNZ packages in upcoming editions.

In recent times, there has been some talk about non-compliant plumbing product in the industry. It’s not a new problem, but one that has been highlighted with the high percentage of building consent failures, particularly in Auckland. It’s our belief that better controls of imported product should be in place to protect our industry and the consumer.

The Australian Watermark testing system has some merit but would

With our new billboards, consumer website, print and digital advertising, we are endeavouring to increase public perception

need to be driven by the New Zealand government. The last thing we want is a plumbing problem to the scale of the leaky building saga. Our recommendation to members is always to use well-recognised brands, with products that are fit for purpose. If the consumer asks you to install products you may have concerns about, Don’t Risk It! On a final note, there’s a strong focus on health and safety in our feature articles this edition. To help prepare members for the legislation coming into force next month, we have offered training around the country. Other resources available to members include one-on-one health and safety training at your business.

The Health and Safety at Work Act isn’t going to go away and there will be prosecutions as WorkSafe NZ and ACC look to reduce workplace injuries. I highly recommend you get your business prepared!

Greg Wallace, CEO Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ

MASTER PLUMBERSPAGE NEWS TAG

New brand, new website!

We’re very excited to launch the contemporary, new Master Plumbers brand and member website.

Much has been happening in the marketing space for the Master Plumbers brand. We’ve launched the Don’t Risk It website for consumers, with accompanying billboard, digital and print advertising. We’ve updated our marketing material promoting new membership.

And we’ve developed a promotional video that’s showing in Plumbing World stores around the country.

Completing the forward-looking approach for Master Plumbers is the launch of our fresh new branding, together with the revamped trade and member website. By now, members will have received a brand package in the mail, providing you with the new logos and brand guidelines. The pack also contains decals for your vehicles and an example of how the Don’t Risk It visuals can be used on your fleet if you so wish.

The new website is aimed wholly at the trade, giving information on membership benefits and how to join Master Plumbers.

A dashboard in the member log-in takes members straight to key resources, such as brand downloads, the Master Plumbers Guarantee and employment agreements.

It's all at www.masterplumbers.org.nz

Partnering with BNZ

We’re proud to introduce BNZ as a new Master Plumbers Platinum Partner.

BNZ has teamed with Master Plumbers as a Platinum Business Partner and Principal Sponsor of our MasterLink apprentice programme. For members, this means access to great deals and advice. Look out for the first package, including discounts, hot rates and fee waivers on products such as transaction accounts, credit card, PayClip mobile payment system, LifeCare insurance and asset finance early next month.

New MasterLink apprentices will be able to apply for BNZ’s excellent Apprentice Package, which includes a $2,000 interest free overdraft to spread the cost of their MasterLink sign-up fee. Plus, Above: Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace and BNZ’s Grant BNZ is offering a low-interest personal loan to help them pay the Lonergan shake on the new partnership. remaining $1,000.

“BNZ are extremely proud to have partnered with Master Plumbers as their preferred banking provider,” says Grant Lonergan, NEW MEMBERS Regional Manager SME Acquisition and Business Network, Central A warm welcome to new Master Plumbers member NZ. “As a business that has a long tenure of looking after New companies: Zealanders, our core values align well with Master Plumbers and we are looking forward to helping all members achieve business • Advanced Plumbing Hawkes Bay, Hastings excellence. Led by BNZ Small Business, which has been awarded • GasCo South Island, Queenstown the Canstar Best Small Business Bank for five successive years, • Harbour City Plumbing, Lower Hutt we are excited to be able to provide • Integrity Plumbing, Hamilton opportunities, products and support • Iremonger Plumbing 2015, Cambridge to all Master Plumbers’ members and • Patrick Property Services, Hastings MasterLink apprentices.”

• Word of Mouth Plumbing, Auckland

>

February/March 2016

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MASTER PAGE TAG PLUMBERS NEWS

Head to Conference!

If you haven’t yet, make your booking for the 2016 NZ Plumbing Conference—it’s just five weeks away!

Products Our biggest Trade Show yet will give you access to New Zealand’s top manufacturers and suppliers under one roof.

Products and technologies on display will keep you abreast of what’s proven and what’s new in the marketplace. Any technical queries you may have can be addressed on the spot.

People Networking opportunities abound. Like-minded plumbing business owners from around the country will be there—great for sharing issues, whether you’re a business start-up or an experienced hand.

Social events include the Master Plumbers KickStart Happy Hour, sponsored by Allproof, the Mico Welcome Night Dinner at Rotorua’s historic Blue Baths, and the Marley and Dux Fun Night Dinner, a leisurely gondola ride up Mt Ngongotaha at the Skyline Rotorua Restaurant. Two evenings of great food, drink and company!

For the Mobil Leisure Afternoon, choose between raceline karting or a tour of the local sights. Alternatively, Master Plumbers members can opt to participate in an exclusive business workshop.

Presenters The Conference wouldn’t be complete without our line-up of inspirational speakers. Allison Mooney, author of Pressing the Right Buttons: People Skills for Business Success will provide tips on how to transform a business by understanding what motivates you and respecting each others’ differences.

Developing people at all levels of your business is the message behind Ngahihi o te ra Bidois’ presentation. “My professional experiences in the business and education sectors prove to me that it is people that make a difference to profits,” says Ngahi.

Award-winning businesswoman Cecilia Robinson, founder of Au Pair Link and My Food Bag, will share her experiences of creating one of the most talked about and fastest growing companies in New Zealand.

Concurrent plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying trade sessions will also be on offer, presented by MBIE, Energy Safety and the BoP Regional Council.

Partners Bring your partner too, as we have a fabulous partner programme running alongside. This includes a trip to Acacia Bay in Taupo to join renowned landscape gardener and designer Celia Laity at her stunning home. The day starts with a gourmet morning tea on the terrace, followed by a cooking class including bubbles and canapés. A sit down lunch with wine, coffee and sweet treats will be followed by a flower and table setting demo.

Plumbing Awards This industry has some outstanding talent. People who have built highly successful businesses; people who have dedicated time and energy to training young apprentices; people who have

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February/March 2016

Above: The Rotorua venue will blow you away!

made a lasting commitment to supporting our trades. These and more will be acknowledged at the black-tie New Zealand Plumbing Awards Dinner, sponsored by Plumbing World.

We are calling for applications and nominations to the Awards by 11 March, so there are still a few days remaining to apply or nominate someone deserving. Find criteria and entry forms for all awards categories at www.masterplumbers.org.nz

Principal and Awards Sponsor

Booking details The 2016 NZ Plumbing Conference is being held at the Novotel Rotorua Lakeside from 6-8 April. Go to www.nzplumbingconference.org.nz to book: • Conference attendance (full Master Plumbers’ member registration is $799 ex GST) • The Water New Zealand Backflow Group Day on 6 April • The PGD Board CPD half-day training course on 6 April • Accommodation at rates starting from just $121.73 at the Novotel Rotorua Lakeside or Hotel Ibis Rotorua.

See you there!

MASTER PLUMBERS NEWS

Canterbury celebrations

True to tradition, the Canterbury Association combined their awards night with their Christmas function.

Canterbury Master Plumbers finished 2015 on a bright note with their annual Christmas function, attended by over 100 plumbers, partners, associate members and special guests.

The event was held in the charming old dining room at the Papanui Workingmens Club—the last function to be held at this earthquake-damaged building before the bulldozers demolished it to make way for a new complex. ”Our thanks goes to Layne Watson and Murray Bond, who worked tirelessly on the same day to ensure a water supply for our festivities,” says

Above: Phillip Mitchell of CPIT receives his award from Penny Ratcliff.

Above: Bonding time for the guys, thanks to Hydroflow

Above: Murray Bond and Layne Watson get the water hooked up to the venue.

Canterbury member Steve Woodbury.

The Canterbury Master Plumbers 2015 Awards of Excellence, sponsored by Plumbing World, were presented to Mark Barrett of Barrett Contractors and Nick Wilson, who heads Foley Plumbing in Christchurch.

There were two recipients for the Master Plumbers Service to Industry Award: Jeff Abbott of Plumbing World in Papanui and Phillip Mitchell, who is an industry teaching giant. Phillip has had an unbelievable 52 years of continuous

tutoring in Christchurch, sometimes given for free outside of his normal working hours, to ensure apprentices were ready to sit their plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying examinations.

All the awards were presented by Penny Ratcliff, Plumbing World’s South Island Manager. The guest speaker was Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace, who was delighted to have been invited to the gathering. The night concluded with a short speech noting the importance of the need for solidarity in our industry.

All go in Auckland

A great crowd attended the Auckland plumbers’ meeting hosted by Allproof Industries.

Jared Jackson of Allproof Industries admits he likes a good party. So, he was stoked by the numbers that turned up to the Auckland Master Plumbers meeting, held at Allproof towards the end of last year. “You all know I get passionate about what we do, and hopefully we provided some Allproof energy to the Master Plumbers cause,” says Jared. “There are some good people at the helm in Auckland, and I’d like to thank Regan and the team for the opportunity to host the event.”

Allproof Industries provided a presentation on the issues surrounding passive fire protection, and Jared’s father Ian also presented Master Plumbers Life Members Barry Watkins and Bryan Heron with their medallions on the night. “It shows the young ones that they belong to something strong,” Jared adds.

Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace also gave a brief speech. “Master Plumbers is truly grateful to the Allproof team for all the organisation and work they put into

Above: Ian Jackson with Barry Watkins and Bryan Heron.

Below: Jared talking passive fire protection.

the evening, which shows what a bit of drive and energy can achieve,” says Greg.

The next meeting will be held on 23 May at Marley in Manurewa.

Awards entries closing soon

Get your entries in by the 11 March deadline!

Recognising excellence in our industry is the aim of the New Zealand Plumbing Awards. Eleven categories acknowledge the full career pathway, from apprentices to employees, business owners and industry stalwarts. Nominations are also welcomed for innovative products, outstanding projects and commitment to supporting the industry.

All award winners will be announced in Rotorua on 8 April at the black-tie New Zealand Plumbing Awards Dinner, sponsored by Plumbing World.

Award categories, criteria and entry forms are available at www.masterplumbers.org.nz THE NEW ZEALAND

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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:

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February/March 2016

IN FOCUS

SAFETY AT WORK Are you prepared for when the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 comes into force on 4 April? This issue, we focus on helping you be ready.

Playing your part Health and safety consultant Richard Tattersfield outlines the roles of PCBUs, officers and workers under the new Act. 17 Meaning of PCBU (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, a person conducting a business or undertaking or PCBU— (a) means a person conducting a business or undertaking— (i) whether the person conducts a business or undertaking alone or with others; and (ii) whether or not the business or undertaking is conducted for profit or gain.

34 PCBU must consult other PCBUs with same duty (1) If more than one PCBU has a duty in relation to the same matter imposed by or under this Act, each PCBU with the duty must, so far as is reasonably practicable, consult, co-operate with, and co-ordinate activities with all other PCBUs who have a duty in relation to the same matter.

Extracts from the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

PCBUs In simple terms, the role of the PCBU is to ensure that no one (so far as reasonably practicable) is put at risk for any work being carried out as part of the day-to-day running of the business or undertaking.

This is not substantially different from what is already required under the current legislation.

The main difference is the requirement for PCBUs (businesses) to consult, cooperate with, and coordinate activities with other PCBUs with similar, overlapping duties—and a financial consequence for failure to do so.

If we look at a typical residential build where the builder subcontracts other trades—such as a plumber, drainlayer, gasfitter, electrician, scaffolder, painter, roofer, bricklayer and landscaper—each one of these could be a separate PCBU and each one could owe a duty of care or responsibility to all the other PCBUs. This means they must all discuss what hazards each party is bringing to the site and what controls they are going to put in place either to eliminate or minimise the hazards. This will probably

be in the form of a JSA (Job Specific Analysis), TA (Task Analysis) or similar documentation, so the builder has some form of documentation to verify that what has been documented on paper actually happens on site.

The drainlayer could call the plumbing inspector to book in for a drainage inspection before he commences excavating, ensuring that the trench is left open for the least possible amount of time. This way the drainlayer is taking all possible ‘reasonably practicable’ steps to limit exposure of his risk: open trench, spoil and uneven surfaces.

In the event of something going wrong, WorkSafe NZ could hold multiple PCBUs accountable for the same incident or accident. >

they must all discuss what hazards each party is bringing to the site February/March 2016

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IN FOCUS

44 Duty of officers (1) If a PCBU has a duty or an obligation under this Act, an officer of the PCBU must exercise due diligence to ensure that the PCBU complies with that duty or obligation.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), an officer of a PCBU must exercise the care, diligence, and skill that a reasonable officer would exercise in the same circumstances, taking into account (without limitation)— (a) the nature of the business or undertaking; and (b) the position of the officer and the nature of the responsibilities undertaken by the officer.

Extract from the Health and Safety At Work Act 2015

Officers As an officer, you must have a ‘significant influence’ in regards to health and safety within your business or undertaking.

Any officer of any organisation, whether they are volunteer or paid, must exercise due diligence to ensure the organisation complies with its health and safety duties.

This means they must ensure the business or undertaking has appropriate systems of work in place, and they must actively monitor and evaluate health and safety management within the organisation.

An officer must take all reasonable steps to: 1. keep up to date with current legislation and general knowledge of health and safety 2. have a good understanding of the hazards and risks associated with their business or undertaking, or seek advice from a suitably qualified person to gain a general understanding of the associated hazards and risks 3. ensure that the business has the resources and processes in place to be able to eliminate or minimise these hazards and risks 4. make sure that there are systems in place for incident and accident reporting, reviewing accident statistics and monitoring risks within their business or undertaking 14

February/March 2016

5. ensure that that the PCBU has and implements processes for complying with any duties or obligations under the Act 6. be able to verify that what they are being told by employees within the company is what actually happens on a day-to-day basis.

An officer can only comply with their duty by taking an active and inquisitive role in the planning and actioning of health and safety initiatives. While an officer need not be involved directly in implementation, they must make the decisions that allow for the appropriate measures to be taken by the PCBU, and take reasonable steps to ensure that they are taken.

45 Duties of workers While at work, a worker must— (a) take reasonable care for his or her own health and safety; and (b) take reasonable care that his or her acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons; and (c) comply, as far as the worker is reasonably able, with any reasonable instruction that is given by the PCBU to allow the PCBU to comply with this Act or regulations; and (d) co-operate with any reasonable policy or procedure of the PCBU relating to health or safety at the workplace that has been notified to workers.

Extract from the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

Workers A worker means an individual who carries out work in any capacity for a PCBU. An individual could be an employee, contractor, subcontractor, voluntary worker, labour force worker, apprentice or trainee, an outworker or a person gaining work experience.

Part (a) and (b) of clause 45 are no different from the current legislation as far as the requirement not to cause harm to themselves or any other person; where the difference lies is with parts (c) and (d).

actively monitor and evaluate health and safety management within the organisation Workers must comply with any fair and reasonable policy or procedure of the PCBU. For example, if the PCBU has a policy about wearing personal protective equipment, then the worker must comply with that policy or risk being in breach of the Act. The worker can be issued an infringement notice or risk prosecution and fines can be has high as $150,000.

As a WorkSafe NZ inspector, I certainly looked at the actions of the employee, especially when the business had good systems in place and employees were provided with good training and supervision.

Where the companies were taking all practicable steps, I did issue notices to employees, and under the new Act all parties could be held accountable for a breach or multiple breaches of the Act. This shows that there is equal responsibility placed on all parties— PCBU, Officer and Worker—in achieving the main purpose of the new Act, which is to provide for a balanced framework to secure the health and safety of workers and workplaces. ■ About the author: Richard Tattersfield is Senior Health & Safety Consultant at Progressive Consulting in Invercargill. Contact Richard on 03 218 1854; Richard. tattersfield@wearehr.co.nz; www.wearehr.co.nz

Stop Press!

Regulations to help you understand what you need to do to meet your duties under the new Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 2015 are out now.

The regulations come into force on 4 April, along with the Act. Subscribe for email updates and find dedicated HSWA information at www.business. govt.nz/worksafe/hswa

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IN FOCUS

What’s ‘reasonably practicable’?

Clearing up some confusion around what ‘reasonably practicable’ might mean when minimising risk in your business.

BUSINESSES MUST ALWAYS consider first whether they can reasonably eliminate risks. If not, they must take ‘reasonably practicable’ steps to minimise risks under the new health and safety law that takes effect in April. But what might this mean for your business?

• • •

It doesn’t mean you have to: do everything humanly possible to prevent accidents buy the most expensive equipment on the market spend the bulk of your week on H&S training, compliance and documentation.

It DOES mean you need to: • determine what kinds of risks are caused by your work • consider how likely those risks are • take appropriate action that is proportionate to the injury or illness that could occur • implement well-known and effective industry practices • involve your staff in identifying and controlling risks.

The upshot is you’re expected to do what a reasonable person would do in your situation. It’s about taking responsibility for what you can control.

Reasonably practicable steps

Example #1 Tim manages a small carpentry crew working on a renovation project.

When he discovers asbestos behind the plasterboard—a well-recognised industry hazard—Tim immediately sees the risks. He stops all work and calls a certified asbestos remover to come in and take over. Due to the fact that asbestos risks are well known, as are the control mechanisms around its removal, Tim has managed the risk so far as is reasonably practicable.

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Example #2 While on a job, two builders have to spend a single day outside drilling. The work will cause a lot of dust and both the foreman and the workers recognise the dust is not good for either them or those nearby. Together they decide that, while they can’t eliminate the problem altogether, they can keep dust levels down by using a water spray and regularly cleaning. They can also wear masks while working. Barricades are erected to keep others away. As this is an isolated task and not part of their day-to-day work, and because some kind of dust extraction unit would be too expensive for a oneday job, they’ve done what is reasonably practicable.

what is reasonably practicable takes into account how much is commonly known about the risks involved

Not reasonably practicable steps

Example #1 Trudi works at a retail store where she regularly has to climb a ladder to stock high shelves. The ladder she’s been given is wobbly and also a bit short. This means Trudi has to reach quite high while on an unstable ladder. She feels unsafe doing this and tells her manager she is uncomfortable with the task. In turn, the manager tells Trudi she has to keep using it because it’s the only ladder the shop has. This would be considered unreasonable due to the minimal costs

associated with getting a safer ladder and the high potential for Trudi to get hurt.

Example #2 Jono’s timber yard has workers, wholesalers and customers regularly driving in and out of the premises. Jono is worried about accidents caused by poor traffic flow. Rather than simply painting clear parking lines, and putting up speed limits and clear ‘Enter’ and ‘Exit’ signs, Jono gets a boom gate installed.

While Jono has definitely met his duty, it’s probably beyond what is reasonably practicable.

Other factors WorkSafe also explains that addressing H&S issues should be considered against a number of factors.

“What is reasonably practicable takes into account how much is commonly known about the risks involved, as well as the recognised ways of eliminating and minimising them,” a spokesperson says.

“The availability and cost of safeguards should also be considered. The question is not whether the business has the cash on hand to pay for the solution, but rather whether the cost is proportionate to the harm that could result. No one expects NASA-type technology where the risk is relatively low and a cost-effective and simple solution could work just as well.” ■ Reproduced courtesy of business.govt.nz

no one expects NASA-type technology where the risk is relatively low

Staying out of trouble If you manage risk, you probably won’t get in trouble if there’s a health and safety incident.

MANAGING HEALTH AND safety at work is about eliminating or minimising risks to workers. You should be looking at it in that order—eliminating first, then minimising.

It’s important to focus on managing risks, rather than going overboard worrying about whether a health and safety (H&S) incident will happen.

If you manage the risk— as far as ‘reasonably practicable’— then you probably won’t get in trouble even if there is an H&S incident. So, that means: • If you’re aware of a risk, but do nothing about it, then you could face a penalty—whether or not someone is hurt as a result of that risk.

• If you’re aware of a risk, and manage that risk so far as reasonably practicable and someone is still hurt or harmed, then you won’t face a penalty.

The fact that there’s been an H&S incident doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve breached your H&S duties. What is important is that you’ve done what anyone in your position and situation would sensibly be expected to do.

TIP: A key part of the upcoming H&S law changes is improving businesses’ engagement with their workers on H&S and boosting their workers participation in H&S. This means creating a strong H&S culture at work where people seek each other’s input into H&S issues, as well as engaging with your workers when deciding what to do about identified risks.

Q: Will WorkSafe prosecute if there’s an incident?

A: Many business owners don’t believe it, but prosecution is usually the last resort—not the first step. It’s also not a decision taken lightly. WorkSafe typically gets more than 3,000 serious harm notifications a year. It investigates about 800, and prosecutes about 100 cases.

WorkSafe considers many factors before deciding what, if any, enforcement action is appropriate. These can include: • the level of harm • the knowledge you and your industry have about the risk • what options you had to manage the risk • what you did about the risk • whether it was a one-off incident or part of a series of issues.

WorkSafe’s action may include a warning, a fine, an improvement notice, a prohibition notice or prosecution.

Q: What do I do in the case of a serious incident?

A: Notify WorkSafe. You can report a serious incident any time on 0800 030 040. Tell them: • what happened and how it happened • what changes you’ve made to prevent it happening again.

WorkSafe will then tell you what the next steps are, if any. ■ Reproduced courtesy of business.govt.nz

Prosecution example In December 2013, a worker at Auckland company Truestone Ltd fractured his thigh and right kneecap after falling from the roof of a single storey house without any fall protection in place. He had been told to help with demolition work on the roof despite having no relevant training.

Almost two years later, in November 2015, the company was fined $50,000 and ordered to pay reparation of $10,000. A WorkSafe investigation found there was no edge protection in place and the worker wasn’t provided with a safety harness or other fall protection. The court also criticised the PPE provided to the worker as ‘woefully inadequate.’

Truestone was found guilty of failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of its injured employee. “Truestone put this employee in harm’s way but failed to take the obvious steps to protect him and his co-workers on site,” said WorkSafe’s Programme Manager for Construction, Marcus Nalter. “There are a number of safety measures it could have used.”

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IN FOCUS

Driver safety Think safety on the road—not just on site.

position to provide immediate feedback, and help them change their driving style if necessary.

Providing driver training is another way to help meet your employer safety responsibilities. Web-based systems, such as the Teletrac Navman Driving Academy, allow plumbing firms to pinpoint their most at-risk drivers and provide a specific training regime to suit each driver’s behaviour. By improving driver’s hazard perception, this allows plumbing firms to reduce speeding, collisions, injuries and costs, and work with staff to ensure they are driving more safely.

The new Health and Safety at Work Act is expected to create significant change to the health and safety landscape in New Zealand. Technology has a part to play in helping both employers and workers in making the transition to this new law. ■

About the author: Chris L’Ecluse is Senior Solution Specialist at Teletrac Navman and an expert in the field of health and safety. www.navmanwireless.co.nz

Photograph courtesy of Fletcher Construction Company.

THERE ARE MYRIAD hazards for plumbers working on a customer site, but what about when you’re on the road driving between jobs? What can you do to keep your staff safe? What are your responsibilities under the new Health and Safety at Work Act? The Act talks about taking ‘reasonably practicable’ steps to ensure health and safety. Consider speeding for example—it would not be reasonably practicable to have the boss sit next to every driver to make sure they stick to the speed limit!

But it would be reasonably practicable for you to have regular meetings with your staff to discuss safe driving and driving within the speed limit (and to minute these meetings to prove that they have taken place).

You might also monitor the driving style of your plumbers using a GPS fleet monitoring system. Then you’re in a

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February/March 2016

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IN FOCUS

Clarifying supervision The PGD Board has released new best-practice guidance on supervision.

NZ Plumber takes a look.

THE PLUMBERS, GASFITTERS and Drainlayers Board recently published new, non-binding supervision guidelines. It says it will use the guidelines to help it determine when to take action against those not exercising proper supervision. The new guidelines don’t take effect until the imminent publication of an approved Gazette notice. Until then, the current Gazette notice and policies apply.

Also available on the PGD Board’s website is a new nonmandatory audit checklist to help you determine whether or not your current system of supervision is adequate. Plus, there is a non-mandatory template to help you decide for each particular job what level of supervision is required: direct, general or broad.

If the Board is ever in a position to investigate a complaint, the existence of the template, or a similar one of your own design, on the job file will show that you addressed supervision properly.

Who is responsible The guidelines explain that a Certifier must supervise the ‘restricted work’ of sanitary plumbing, drainlaying or gasfitting.

This doesn’t mean the Certifier actually has to physically supervise all the restricted work themselves. They can allow a nominated person from the relevant trade to do it. This will usually be someone within the business, but if they are outside the business, some sort of written acknowledgement or contract is recommended.

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February/March 2016

Even if a nominated person physically supervises restricted work on behalf of a Certifier, the Certifier remains responsible for having appropriate systems and processes in place and for ensuring an appropriate level of oversight for each task.

Who must be supervised • Trainees • Exemption under supervision holders • Provisional licence holders • Licensed Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers.

The guidelines provide more detail around the level of supervision required for each.

What proper supervision looks like The PGD Board considers there are two key aspects to proper supervision. The Certifier must ensure that: 1. there are good systems and processes in place for exercising supervision. Without these, it is much more difficult for supervision to be effective.

2. the appropriate level of direction and control is applied to each particular task.

Good systems and processes The PGD Board considers that good systems and processes have the following features:

•

•

• •

a practical management system demonstrating that the restricted work performed has been carried out safely, competently and in accordance with the Regulations and prescribed standards regular assessments of performance and skills of those supervised will be carried out to highlight areas where further training may be needed corrective and further training will be provided where needed regular instruction and/or guidance will be provided to those being supervised.

Appropriate supervision levels The guidelines explain that the Certifier must ensure the level of ‘direction and control’ they apply is appropriate. This means that in each case the Certifier should assess the following factors before deciding which level needs to be applied: • the level of competence of the person being supervised to perform the work • any actual or potential issues with the work and the reasons for those issues • the job’s geographical location • the type and complexity of work being undertaken • the timelines, costs and risks of the work • the overall risk to safety, health and the environment Once the Certifier has balanced these factors, they can ensure that the appropriate level of direction and control is applied from the following categories: direct, general or broad supervision.

The guidelines provide more information about these factors and the categories of supervision.

Remote supervision If the circumstances dictate that direct supervision is required, the guidelines say it is never OK to use technology such as iPads and mobile phones for this. But if the circumstances indicate that either general or broad supervision is suitable, some level of technology use is appropriate.

The PGD Board notes it has become aware of the practice of Certifiers ‘farming themselves out’ to businesses that do not employ Certifiers. The Board’s view is that this practice is only acceptable in very limited circumstances and it explains why in the guidelines.

How many people can be supervised According to the guidelines, the number of people that can be supervised by one supervisor very much depends on the following factors, which need to be balanced by the Certifier: • the level of supervision required • the complexity of the work being performed • the risks involved • the experience of those performing the work.

Supervision put in place must be capable of being effective. If the Certifier can’t answer yes to the following types of questions, they are trying to supervise too many people. Will the supervisor: • be in eyesight/earshot of those requiring direct supervision?

• have time to train those who need to be trained in the skills required for the job?

• have time to review the work of those they are supervising?

• be able to manage any unforeseen events that may occur? ■ Find the guidelines, audit checklist and job description template at www.pgdb.co.nz/legislation-policies/policies

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Wildlife rescue WHEN RENA SPILLED hundreds of tonnes of oil onto the beaches of Tauranga in 2011, Bill Dwyer was one of the first on the scene.

Twelve years earlier, this Palmerston North plumber had come into contact with Massey University’s Oiled Wildlife Recovery team. What started as a discussion around setting up equipment for oil spill training purposes turned into a personal interest, and Bill went on to join the group himself.

The resulting oiled wildlife cleaning equipment was put into service in 2002, when 25 tonnes of oil from a grounded ship polluted the Gisborne coastline.

During the spill, the shortcomings of this original equipment became apparent and discussions were held to look at improvements and options.

Above: Oil spilling onto the beach after MV Rena ran aground in 2011.

Above: Bill Dwyer inside the portable surgery. The door to the plant room can be closed for easy clean down.

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February/March 2016

Rena photograph by Jean Francois Beausejour, flickr.com 7315857072

Helping save wildlife affected by oil spills is an unusual occupation for a plumber, and one that Bill Dwyer is passionate about.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

In his spare time, Bill worked with the Massey team to design and build a portable surgery that could serve as a nerve centre for de-oiling wildlife affected by oil spills. It was designed to fit in a 20-foot shipping container for durability and ease of transport. These Wildlife Emergency Response Containers have since become a very important part of the response planning and training for the New Zealand and Australian governments and oil industries.

Heading for the Rena

When the Rena disaster struck, Bill got the call at 5.30am, and a couple of hours later was in meetings to plan the response and containers were being loaded ready for transportation to Tauranga. Early on the second day, he was on a plane to join the rest of the core group involved in the rescue mission. The containers had been trucked up the night before when the warning came in that seabirds could be badly affected by the spill. By the end of the second day, both containers were in full use, cleaning up dotterels, little blue penguins and many other species.

“By day four the spill had escalated so we had to sit down and design a vastly larger establishment,” says Bill. He and two of his staff were to spend the next three months at Papamoa, setting up and supervising the running of the rescue centre for use by the wider team of bird handling and cleaning experts.

This secure area included a PPE washdown, rest areas, gear storage, wildlife washdown and a facility to secure and refine waste. Each tent marked a step in the daily process, from starting work in

Above: The two containers were just part of the Rena emergency response set-up.

the morning to discarding soiled PPE at day’s end. “We also built recovery pools for the affected penguins with aviaries containing artifical seawater for the seabirds. We couldn’t use real seawater as all the local stuff was polluted to some degree.”

Unfortunately, mortuary facilities were also needed. “But, everyone achieved incredible results with the recovery percentage in the high 90s.” People came from all over the world to see what the team was doing during the disaster.

Perfecting the portable surgery

Over the years, Bill and his DWYERtech Response team have perfected the self-contained, portable surgery design

Bill got the call at 5.30am in-house, adding refinements such as a trampoline-type flooring for the cages, so seabirds don’t injure their feet on hard surfaces. There is a great deal of technology in the lining of the container to make it self-draining, temperature controlled and air conditioned, with all the gear needed to run this located in a plant room at one end. “It keeps on getting better as we see things we can improve on,” he says.

The height of everything in the space has been carefully thought out, including work stations and wall taps for ease of operation. While wildlife are being >

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

worked on, it is a sealed environment and the run-off from the washdown is captured, scrubbed, cleaned and recycled wherever possible.

The containers can be customised to a certain extent, and are all designed to be wheeled on site and plugged in. Solar power is not currently sufficiently grunty enough to run the big load required but this may come in time.

DWYERtech Response now manufactures and markets the recovery system, with inquiries coming from Australia, Papua New Guinea, the US and Europe. The company also has a contract with the Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre, with two teams of two technicians ready to go if the phone rings.

“All the gear is packed, and the teams have their passports and personal gear ready to walk out the door,” says Bill, who now lectures around the world on set-up and equipment for wildlife rescue. “Most of the experts involved are about the actual wildlife handling and cleaning. I come at it from a completely different angle.”

Variety is the spice

When he’s not turning his attention to helping wildlife, Bill runs a 25 vehicle, 25-person company specialising in commercial plumbing, drainlaying, gasfitting, building, roofing and electrical work. He started his career in 1976, doing

Above: Wash stands set up ready for use inside the deceptively simple looking surgery.

commercial projects for the council at Christchurch Airport. With the three trade licenses under his belt, plus two electrical, he started his own company with one employee, a former colleague (who’s still with him today). DWYERtech Services was formed in 1998, offering a comprehensive commercial building service. “When I started out with just the two of us, I set up a system of tracking and storing information on jobs. I started with Job No. 1 and by 31 December 2015, that number had reached 46,263.”

During that time, he has also developed

Above: Penguins inside one of the temporary aviaries designed and built by DWYERtech.

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February/March 2016

a medical division, dedicated to electrical and refurbishment work on medical equipment. What started out on a local basis, working on hoists for the elderly, has now grown to cover wheelchair seating, special mattresses, pumps, bather-lifters, emergency gurneys and buggies.

It’s this variety of work that keeps Bill firing. When NZ Plumber caught up with him, he was heading off for lunch with the group at Massey University’s Wildbase the next day. “I enjoy the people and seeing things you wouldn’t normally see, such as albatrosses and tuatara.” ■

NUTS & BOLTS

Don’t be fooled!

A heads up from the Water NZ Backflow Group on ensuring products are fit for purpose.

AS TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES to evolve, we are exposed to a wider range of products. There are all sorts of products being offered that will state they have achieved particular standards.

Standards are there to ensure materials and products are fit for purpose and appropriately authorised for use. Some of these products are foreign to us and understanding how they operate can be tricky. It might be easy to overlook the risk a particular product may pose to the safety of your property and the health of the people on it.

The Water NZ Backflow Group has recently discussed concerns around bidet toilet seats, onsite effluent disposable systems, chemical soap dispensers and commercial dishwashers.

Some of these products will state they meet a particular standard, yet on further inspection it is questionable if they do and what exactly they have been certified for. Please don’t be fooled. We encourage you to check that they are fit for purpose.

Is an air gap OK in a unit that cannot be opened for inspection? Is an air gap or vacuum breaker sufficient in all types of commercial dishwashers?

Is a built-in dual check sufficient on a commercial chemical soap dispenser connected to the potable supply? What is the most suitable method of protection for a bidet toilet seat? Is an onsite effluent disposable system fitted with the correct backflow protection? Does it actually have any backflow protection?

We need to be mindful of where we install the backflow protection. Is it accessible and easy to maintain? Sometimes the addition of a backflow device might not suit the manufacturer, so it gets neglected. The same thing may apply for the installer or the end user.

Check out the photograph on this page. What is this serving and is it adequate protection? It is installed rather high up the

wall but where is the highest outlet? Would an RPZ have been easier here? Just because it might not be easy doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done.

We need to ask ourselves if the device is fully compliant and most of all if it’s protecting the potable supply.

Recent investigations have revealed that not everything is as it seems. The Backflow Group encourages council inspectors, plumbers, backflow testers and anyone involved with specifying and Above: What is this serving? certifying a product to please check the product is fit for purpose.

The Backflow Group welcomes you to contact them if you would like their experienced committee members to help you with your concerns. They are more than happy to offer some feedback. ■ Email the Water New Zealand Backflow Group at enquiries@ waternz.org.nz. To book your place for the Backflow Group Day on 6 April at the 2016 NZ Plumbing Conference in Rotorua, visit www.nzplumbingconference.org.nz

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February/March 2016

Meet the Hydrocarbons

NUTS & BOLTS

You’ve met the Fockers. Now it’s time to meet the Hydrocarbons, in the first chapter of Nick Foster’s tale of man’s relationship with the hydrocarbons.

THE USE OF energy has always been a catalyst for mankind.

The harnessing of wood energy to fuel fire allowed Man to evolve from a nomadic existence to settled civilisation. With the passing of time, man developed an unbreakable relationship with that fuel which continues today.

Along the way, though, the need for more energy-intense fuels saw Coke developed from Wood. Later on Coal (just Wood in another form) was discovered and that fuel powered the industrial revolution. This was still not enough for Man. Then he was introduced to the hydrocarbon family, met and fell in love with Methane.

Now Methane is a flighty, light-headed girl. She loved to work hard for Man, and enjoyed lighting up his life, cooking his meals and warming his home. She willingly commuted between jobs through a pipe system. Life was good for them—wherever Methane couldn’t go, Man retained Coal, Coke and Wood on the side.

Over time, though, Man wanted to expand Methane’s duties into areas she was not able to reach. As he expanded his homes, Man sometimes found it too hard to extend Methane’s pipeline, but still wanted to take advantage of her obvious benefits and her efficient, tidy work habits. He found he was always cleaning up after Coal and the others, and their personal hygiene habits (bad breath to name just one) left him sometimes regretting their relationship. That was when he met Methane’s cousins, the brothers Propane and Butane.

A powerful pair

Unlike Methane stuck in her pipe, these guys were happy to get around anywhere in their cylinders and tanks. They could even travel across the oceans and into the air. Compared to Methane, they were stronger, and more heavily built and shared a lot of sibling similarities.

However, Man soon discerned their subtle differences. Of the two, Propane was lighter and a little more slightly built; he was cheerful and hot headed, and loved working for Man. Butane was more sullen and could be moody, interpreting Propane’s diligence at work as a cold shoulder, and causing him to feel comparatively depressed. When this happened, it was often difficult for Butane even to get out of his cylinder and go to work.

Man found the brothers could deal with a prodigious workload together, however, as long as he treated them with respect and honoured their individuality. While both would readily knuckle down together, Propane and Butane exhibited a strong sibling rivalry, and were fiercely competitive. If the workload grew above acceptable levels, Propane would gear up, >

Above: Methane loves to cook.

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NUTS & BOLTS

Butane was more sullen and could be moody take on more and work until exhausted, while Butane would indulge his naturally lazier character and chill out in the tank. If things got really serious, he would sometimes refuse to work at all if glory-hunting Propane was going to do it all.

Regulator becomes foreman

Man is a cunning beast. He soon worked out that subtle management could motivate Propane and Butane to always share the load. Like any good manager, Man knew the secret to a happy workforce—one that would keep him in clover and getting richer—was a really good foreman, and sufficient workforce to get the job done without becoming exhausted. He employed Regulator as foreman to control the workload that Propane and Butane saw. He made sure there was enough of each to ensure the brothers were well supported and, with sufficient reserves to call on, to enable them to rotate at the coalface, maintain constant effort and eliminate exhaustion.

By carefully selecting Regulator from the candidates available, Man could ensure the pressure of work was evened out between them. If Regulator was too narrow-minded for the job at hand, and didn’t give Propane and Butane sufficient challenge, the job just took too long and sometimes didn’t get done at all. If Regulator was too broad-minded or loosely controlled, while they could easily cope, the brothers had too much freedom and tended to try to work too fast, which meant Regulator would always be jumping up and down attempting to bottle their enthusiasm.

The size of the workforce was not quite so important. While it was critical to ensure there was enough, having too much present only meant more downtime for Propane and Butane, who would happily just hang around in their cylinders and tanks waiting their turn. Man found that the cost of housing the excess workforce and all the hassles with consents and suchlike usually prompted him to try to get the balance just right. It was easier and more efficient to truck in more of the brothers on a just-intime basis than it was to keep them on the payroll just hanging out waiting for work.

So, Propane and Butane went to work for Man. They could do anything Methane could do, but weren’t limited to the places Man had run Methane’s pipelines. In fact, after a while Man seemed to tire of laying more lines for Methane to run around in, and just sourced more cylinders for her cousins to travel the countryside. Methane has seen this and has become competitive with her cousins now. She could easily work with them as a happy family, following along after the cousins into new areas and freeing them up to continuing exploring in new territories; but their respective employment agents seem to believe that it should be one or the other. Man has become so busy he doesn’t seem to notice this trend, and is typically taking all of their efforts for granted.

28

February/March 2016

Above: Brothers Propane and Butane are fiercely competitive.

Friends and relations

Man has progressed a lot since meeting the Hydrocarbons, and for a while they were enough to satisfy his lust for power. Along the way, there were the almost inevitable dalliances with others.

Methane thought Nuclear was a cow and was happy to see her sidelined, and she is somewhat OK that her Great Aunt Oil and her brood of liquids continue their relationship with Man. They were there before her, after all, as was that sluggard Water who was only ever good for a spin if you put a fire under her and got her all steamed up.

But some newcomers are beginning to concern Methane. Man seems to be vulnerable to the bewitching smile of that gusty blonde Wind, and equally willing to give time of day to blueeyed Solar. Both Propane and Butane agree and are watching a more distant relative, Hydrogen, who they think is after some of their mobile work; but unless she gets off her high horse and develops a more down-to-earth attitude, they think Man may tire of her high-maintenance ways and need for expensive gifts.

Even if he is so smitten that he must see a relationship develop, all the Hydrocarbons are united in their support for where Man is heading. They see their role as supportive of Man’s transition among the bevy of energies vying for his attention. In some cases, they are committed to the belief that without their support neither Wind nor Solar stand a chance, and even Water needs a helping hand from time to time…

Now, we haven’t talked about Electricity and all those little Volts. There is a reason: this is the story of the Hydrocarbon family. The Hydrocarbons are realistic. They know that Man will never part from Electricity, and are resigned to the pragmatic view that it is better to deal with the enemy you know. ■ So, what is it like to spend a day in the lives of the Hydrocarbons?

Find out next edition, when Nick Foster follows the LPG brothers Propane and Butane through a typical day at work in Man’s house.

NUTS & BOLTS

Internal wet areas Changes coming to E3/AS1 will have an impact on plumbers.

THE INTERNAL WET Area Membrane (IWAM) Code of Practice is in the process of being cited by MBIE in the Acceptable Solutions document for NZ Building Code Clause E3 Internal Moisture. The second edition of the code of practice was published in September 2015 by the Waterproofing Membrane Association Inc NZ. An updated E3/AS1 is expected in April, and may be accompanied by a new E3/AS2 to encompass the entire code of practice. Some of the changes will have an impact on the plumbing community, such as a new section pertaining to penetrations that has been added and referenced in an effort to fully comply with E3.3.6. This states that: ‘Surfaces of building elements likely to be splashed must be constructed in a way that prevents water splash from penetrating behind linings or into concealed spaces.’

Water splash is the primary focus of E3.3.6. However, unsealed access holes created to meet tapware manufacturers’ requirements are often the cause of water penetrating past the wall linings and into the wall cavity. The requirement to seal the access hole with a wet wall caddy device will become the accepted solution, as it will address the issues of unsealed access holes, water splash and potential hardware failure from either the crox nut fitting or the water control device itself.

Previously a sealant bead was the normal method used to seal faceplates onto finished surfaces. However, this does not address the above-mentioned issues, which have proven to be a problem with internal water damage. By sealing the required access hole with a wet wall caddy, water cannot enter the wall cavity and cause damage. Instead, it is captured inside the device and diverted back out the front of the shower mixer and/or tap and down the wall lining.

So how does this waterproofing requirement affect the plumbing industry? The wet wall caddy is situated inside the wall cavity and encompasses the shower mixer and/or tap and its associated fittings (shower rose and/or outlet). This means it is installed by the plumber at the same time as the tapware fittings, requiring knowledge of its function and installation procedure.

Installing a wet wall caddy device will not interfere with the normal installation requirements of tapware fittings. All that is needed is an understanding of the set back and access hole requirement of the shower mixer, and an allowance to be made for the outlet fitting.

The code of practice outlines other critical areas of importance for the plumbing industry, such as new waterproofing membrane parameters for under baths and vanities, and information relating to sealing penetrations for these areas.

A good understanding of the document is beneficial to the industry and to the overall success of a building’s sustainability and waterproofing integrity. ■ A digital copy of the IWAM code of practice is available at www.membrane.org.nz About the author: Chris Withers is Territory Manager and Architectural Consultant at Viking Roofspec. He is also the founder and Director of Aquatite Enterprises, and designed the Wetwall Caddy. Email chris@aquatite.com; www.aquatite.com

CPD points

Reading this article could count towards your self-directed learning CPD points.

See www.pgdb.co.nz/trade/cpd for details.

Above: Example of a completed installation of a wet wall caddy.

Above: These diagrams from the Internal Wet Area Membrane code of practice show wet wall caddy detail for acrylic lined (left) and tiled applications.

February/March 2016

29

NUTS & BOLTS

Gas Ring A new Standard aims to improve the accuracy of gas measurement.

NZS 5259:2015 Gas measurement provides achievable performance-based requirements for gas measurement that are useful, measurable, and repeatable as a minimum standard for the gas sector, says the LPG Association in its Gasline publication.

The Standard is a revision of NZS 5259:2004, which is cited in the Gas (Safety and Measurement) Regulations 2010, and provides performance criteria for all gas measurement systems offering a means of compliance under the Gas Act 1992.

When revising the Standard, the committee considered: • current best practice in relevant national and international standards • new and developing technologies • compliance costs • generic development, such as electrical metering.

The performance requirements have been reviewed and updated to ensure all existing regulatory requirements for accuracy and suitability have been incorporated.

These have been extended as necessary to apply not only to the meter and conversion device but also to other components of the gas measurement system. Worker competency requirements are also included.

NZS 5259:2015 applies to gas measurement systems for fuel gases as defined in the Gas Act and the conversion of measured volume or mass to energy.

CPD points

Reading this article could count towards your self-directed learning CPD points.

See www.pgdb.co.nz/trade/cpd for details.

Smart cylinder technology A computer algorithm is behind the savings available to homeowners with Rinnai’s SmartCylinder™ range.

AFTER TWO YEARS in development, Rinnai launched their Smart Cylinder™ range into the New Zealand market in mid 2015. The smart cylinder uses a micro-computer to save energy by learning the demand cycle of a home over a short period of time.

A computer algorithm constantly updates, so if hot water requirements change—students come home for the holidays, for example—the algorithm adjusts to the new demand profile.

European technology The technology was developed in Europe, where nine million electric cylinders are sold each year. European regulators saw that any opportunity for energy savings would be advantageous for overall energy consumption across hot water systems. An energy rating system was created for all hot water systems, and the use of a ‘smart’ thermostat improves the energy rating for electric cylinders by one level in the scheme.

Rinnai saw the potential of this technology and worked to develop a system compatible with the New Zealand market.

30

February/March 2016

New Zealand’s ripple control system was a challenge, so they employed a European energy expert during 2014 to assess the specific New Zealand requirements, and to work with the European supplier to develop a compatible system.

Computerised features An interface allows the homeowner to get involved with more advanced features should they wish. They can increase or decrease comfort levels to save more— essentially by increasing or decreasing the buffer of hot water in the cylinder. A manual mode also makes the cylinder ‘unsmart’ to maintain a set temperature like a normal hot water cylinder. A holiday mode allows the homeowner to set a period of up to 99 days, during which the hot water maintains an ambient 6°C.

Reducing heat loss The actual savings made depend on the installation, but savings of 10-15% are typical, with savings of up to 23% observed in field tests. Savings are made by reducing heat loss from the cylinder

and associated plumbing, as well as by reducing energy lost from pipework as it cools after hot water has been flowing.

The European efficiency testing standard for a hot water system simulates a real life situation with a number of ‘tappings’ of various volumes of hot water over a time period. This is a superior test to the New Zealand version, which only looks at the static heat loss from the cylinder. Much of the loss actually eventuates from the plumbing system, which is why pipe lagging is also important.

Tech points

NUTS & BOLTS

This issue’s technical news in brief.

FIRST EPA NOTICE RELEASED

AS/NZS 3500.4:2015 RELEASED AS/NZS 3500.4:2015 – Plumbing and drainage – Part 4: Heated water services was released in December 2015. This is the latest update to be made to the 3500 series, with parts 1 to 3 also modified during 2015. Plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers can access relevant online Standards free via the trade login at www.pgdb.co.nz.

BRANZ FIND ADDS FILTER FEATURE The BRANZ Find online tool helps you search and locate useful building and construction resources such as guidelines, Codes of Practice, technical guidance, Standards and legislation. You can now filter your search even further by selecting all resources, free resources or paid resources via a dropdown menu. Use the search tool at www.branzfind.nz.

Building and construction professionals can also contact the BRANZ Technical Helpline on 0800 80 80 85.

The Hazardous Substances (Importers and Manufacturers Information) Notice 2015 has now come into effect. The notice requires anyone importing or manufacturing hazardous substances in New Zealand to provide their contact information to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). Importers and manufacturers have 30 days from their next (or first) manufacture or import of a hazardous substance to provide their details to the EPA. This notice is the first released by the EPA, under changes made to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act in September 2015. Notices are a new tool which allow the EPA to make new rules to manage the risks from hazardous substances without having to seek legislative or regulatory change from government.

CPD points

Reading this article could count towards your self-directed learning CPD points.

See www.pgdb.co.nz/trade/cpd for details.

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WORLD VIEW

Water is precious

With World Plumbing Day coming up on 11 March, its Facebook page highlights some global activities and technologies aimed at saving and harvesting water.

WITH RECENT RECORD-breaking droughts in California, a mandatory 25 percent cut in water use has been put in place for residents and businesses. The World Plumbing Day Facebook page includes a video on the Los Angeles ‘water cops’, who drive around the city, monitoring and educating residents on water conservation. Indoor water use is not the problem, says one—most of it is outdoors, such as lawn watering.

Another video looks at a new invention to replace disposable water bottles. According to Business Insider, Americans on average drink from 150 plastic bottles a year. Skipping Rocks Lab have come with ‘Ooho’, a water bottle that’s completely edible. It takes inspiration from fruit membranes, like orange and banana peel, with a biodegradable casing made from brown algae and calcium chloride.

Mimicking nature

Nature provides plenty of other inspiration for water acquisition and use.

The Facebook page links to an excerpt

Above: Seawater greenhouse systems copy the water harvesting strategy of the Namib Desert beetle, condensing humidity into fresh water.

32

February/March 2016

Above: Some cactus spines can condense water vapour and funnel it into their stems.

from a Tapping into Nature report by US-based environmental consultants Terrapin Bright Green. The report describes several ways in which plant and animal behaviours can be mimicked to gather water and water vapour.

All organisms “leverage the natural phenomenon of osmosis—the movement of water across a membrane from one concentration to another—to their advantage”, says the report.

“Plants and animals rely on this passive transfer to extract pure water from salt, brackish and contaminated water sources.” Mimicking osmosis, it explains, may lead to scalable technologies for producing clean drinking water that can be deployed globally.

Humidity control in buildings is another challenge where nature can show us the way. According to the report, termites impede humidity fluctuations by means of absorbent fungal structures. In collaboration with

Terrapin, researchers are developing a humidity-damping device, based on the fungal combs found in certain termite colonies, to passively dehumidify buildings in humid climates.

While much of the water we use is in liquid state, several organisms are able to harvest water vapour, adds the report. A cactus in Mexico uses its spines to collect water droplets from fog, while a Namib Desert beetle condenses water vapour using its black, bumpy shell. Taking their cue from nature, researchers at a Chilean university have developed a fog harvesting mesh technology that can capture 10 percent of the water vapour contained in fog. And in Australia, a seawater greenhouse copies the way the Namib Desert beetle harvests water.

It’s water… but not as we know it. ■ For 2016 activities on World Plumbing Day, visit www.worldplumbingday.org.nz. These include an Australian apprentice skills competition, to be held at the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC).

438 438

215 215 150 150

AS/NZS 3718 WM-022483

675 675

1027* 1027*

435 435 350 350 260 260

Fixings Fixings 393* 393*

43* 43* Finished Floor Finished Floor

5555

INDUSTRY TALK

New way for CPD A whole new CPD system for our trades has been developed. Find out how it will work in this Q&A with PGD Board CEO Martin Sawyers.

Why has CPD changed?

The first round of consultation in relation to registration and licensing conducted in 2015 indicated there was dissatisfaction with the current form of CPD. As a consequence the Board proposed a new model of CPD and, following a second round of consultation, has decided to implement that new model with effect from 1 April 2016.

What were the issues with the previous system?

While there were many good aspects of the previous system, there were also a number of problems. In particular, there were significant variations in the quality and cost of the courses provided. Many were critical of the fact that the previous system had developed into a points gathering exercise and a product forum for some suppliers rather than meeting its purpose of keeping tradespeople competent.

34

February/March 2016

How was the new system developed?

The new system was developed in conjunction with a stakeholder group made up of industry representatives. On that committee were representatives from tradespeople, suppliers, Master Plumbers, the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Federation, and tertiary providers.

How will it work?

Under the new system, every tradesperson will need to complete mandatory training.

During the next licensing year this training will be approximately 4 hours in length and tradespeople will be able either to attend a half-day course or complete it online. The topics covered will be Supervision, Approved Products, Health and Safety Changes and the Disciplinary Process. The Skills Organisation is developing the materials, which will be delivered by trained presenters.

this new approach will help ensure the industry stays abreast of key issues When does it start?

The new system commences on 1 April 2016 and every practitioner will need to complete the new course before they relicense on 1 April 2017. The half-day courses will be available throughout the country and will largely be run during June, July, August and September 2016. The online version of the course, for those who didn’t make it to the face-to-face sessions, will be available from 1 October.

When you come to relicense for the year beginning 1 April 2017, the Board will need evidence that you have completed the training. It will keep an attendance record at the training days, and the online platform will allow the Board to retain evidence of those who have completed the course that way.

Where will the course be available?

The Board is still finalising the exact details of where the course will be delivered but can confirm it will be available in at least 30 locations nationwide.

How can people book?

Practitioners are able to book for the face-to-face course by completing details and making payment on an online platform.

Bookings for the online version will open in September. More details will be provided through the Board’s website as soon as they are available.

Master central heating Register for our courses and become an expert central heating installer.

• Learn from some of the best in the industry • Theory and hands-on learning • 8 courses to choose from • Earn CPD points

Visit centralheating.co.nz/training

How much will it cost?

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the course by Mico Plumbing and Bathrooms, the cost per practitioner will be $30.

Why did Mico come on board?

The sponsorship by Mico Plumbing and Bathrooms supports their commitment to the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry. They are dedicated to supporting all practitioners with continuous learning to ensure they stay up to date with changes within the industry around legislation and products.

When does the existing system end?

The new system requires every practitioner to have completed the CPD course for when they come to relicense for the year beginning 1 April 2017. Those who are relicensing for the year commencing 1 April 2016 will still need to have gained sufficient points under the old system to relicense. If you haven’t already got sufficient points please make sure you attend or complete some courses online so there are no problems when you come to relicense. ■ The very first of the PGD Board’s half-day CPD training courses will run on Wednesday 6 April, alongside the 2016 NZ Plumbing Conference in Rotorua. Register for the training at nzplumbingconference.org.nz

P: 0800 357 1233 E: info@centralheating.co.nz

w: www.centralheating.co.nz

INDUSTRY TALK

Government FM tender

Interested in participating in the whole-of-government FM project?

Request for Information (RFI)

RFI now available to the market at https://www.gets.govt.nz, inviting interested parties to attend workshops (not a prerequisite to participate in rest of process).

Solution development (workshops)

Workshops will centre around key themes and topics, seeking supplier input and feedback

Open Request for Proposal (RFP)

RFP opens and is released on GETS

Evaluation

Shortlisted providers taken through to next stage

Clarification period

Briefing to suppliers and request for more detail, if required

Final RFP

Time given to suppliers to submit a refined response, if required

Refined evaluation

Evaluation and moderation will be required on any changed or new material

Award

Negotiation and final award; debriefs.

Next steps

To participate, ensure you are registered on GETS and subscribed to UNSPC code 72100000 for Building and Facility Construction and Maintenance Services. The RFI will contain the information you need about workshop dates, objectives, selection criteria and so forth.

For help with the GETS system, call the Help Centre on 0508 438 743. For any FM queries, email Property Procurement Specialist Abby Vige: fm@pmcoe.govt.nz

Keys to the boat The Chesters New Lynn team and Rinnai would like to congratulate Chenery Contracting on being drawn as the lucky winner of the Haines Hunter SF535 boat package. Chesters team Grant Chester and Alan Radcliffe joined Rinnai's Ray Ferner and Kathryn Geck at Westhaven Marina in January to issue the keys of the brand new boat to Chenery's Darrell McLeod and Eugene Klokie.

Above: Grant Chester (left) and Ray Ferner (right) shake hands with Darrell McLeod of Chenery Contracting.

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February/March 2016

Photograph by Robert Linsdell. www.flickr.com 482489

In December, a notice was posted on the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS) website with an update on the whole-ofgovernment Facilities Management (FM) procurement project.

This includes building compliance services, such as HVAC systems, and general building services, including plumbing.

A series of supplier engagement sessions was undertaken by the government’s Property Management Centre of Expertise during May and June last year. Feedback showed that suppliers wanted a more structured, formal opportunity to engage with government about what this FM solution could look like.

As a result, prior to the Request for Proposal (RFP) process for FM services, a number of workshops with varying suppliers supported by agencies are planned over a four to six week period from this March.

The intended process is as follows:

INDUSTRY TALK

It’s relicensing time

No excuses for not relicensing on time, warns the PGD Board.

With the 2016-17 licensing period starting on 1 April, the PGD Board is reminding the trades to renew their licences on time. It says it intends to take action against those aren’t relicensed by 1 May. This needn’t become an “unpleasant exercise” if everyone cooperates, it says.

“With the Board taking its focus off licensees themselves and focusing on trying to catch and hold to account those who are unauthorised, it is important that the industry stands alongside us and makes sure it is relicensed,” says PGD Board CEO Martin Sawyers. “We are in this together so we need your help. Please make sure that you relicense on time.”

The legislation requires everyone who wants to renew their licence to do so before 1 April to allow for administration time.

If you have employees, make sure they are authorised too.

The current CPD scheme still applies to the 2016-17 licensing year, so you will still need to follow the 12 point, 20 point, 24 point system.

New fees Fees for the 2016/17 licensing year are shown in the table below:

Annual practising licence renewal/issue

Fee (inc GST)

Practising licence – Licensed or Certifying

$86 per trade

Disciplinary and prosecution levy

$271 per person/licensing year

EXAMPLE: Number of licences held + levy

Total cost per licensing year

One trade

$357

Two trades

$443

Three trades

$529

Employer licence application fee

$920

Employer licence assessment fee

$2,760 max

One-off registration

Fee (inc GST)

Registration fee

$355 per trade (one-off fee)

Practising licence – Licensed or Certifying

$86 per trade

Disciplinary and prosecution levy

$271 paid once per person/licensing year

EXAMPLE: Registration + practising licence + levy

Total cost

One trade + levy

$712

Two trades + levy

$1153

Three trades + levy

$1594

Trainee limited certificate

$55 per trainee

$86 per trade Notification of an exemption under supervision for plumbing, gasfitting or drainlaying (payable by the supervising Certifying Plumber, Gasfitter or Drainlayer) Exemption from registration and licensing requirements and conditions (under section 52 of the PGD Act)

$635

For a full list of the new fees or to relicense online, go to www.pgdb.co.nz/trade. You are now able to pay by internet banking.

Second time around

Have your say by 17 March on the PGD Board’s second round of consultation on registration and licensing.

If you didn’t manage to get along to one of the PGD Board’s recent nationwide workshops on its registration and licensing review, there’s still time to give them your feedback.

As a result of comments from its first round of the review, back in May 2015, the Board has developed specific options for change to registration and licensing requirements. It now wants

your views on these options by 17 March.

Once feedback has been considered, it will develop draft Gazette notices and will seek your views one more time before finalising any changes.

Provide your views online at www.pgdb.co.nz/consultation/current

February/March 2016

37

INDUSTRY TALK

Clearing the air

Master Plumbers has expressed its strong opposition to home heating installation proposals in ECan’s review of the Canterbury Air Regional Plan.

IN EARLY 2015, around 220,000 Canterbury households were asked for their views on the regional council (ECan)’s proposals for change to the Canterbury Air Regional Plan. One of the key proposals related to home heating emissions. In Schedule 1, Part 1, it proposed that, after 28 February 2015, domestic solid fuel appliances in Canterbury were to be installed—or their installation approved—by a person or company accredited as a Solid Fuel Appliance Installation Technician (SFAIT) by the New Zealand Home Heating Association in order for a building consent to be granted prior to installation.

Heated discussion ECan received around 250 written responses to its discussion document, the highest number of them focussing on home heating. The Canterbury Master Plumbers Association was among those providing feedback, and made it clear in its submission that it was firmly against the proposal. The national Society followed this up a month later with a written submission in support of the Association’s viewpoint—noting that it was aware of this matter arising in other jurisdictions.

“Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ Inc opposes the proposed amendment … because it proposes that a Plumber or Gasfitter, registered under the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act, 2006 … would be required to become a member of The NZ Home Heating Association, a Trade Association of wood heating manufacturers and retailers

Certifying Plumbers and Gasfitters already have the statutory authority and competence to install solid fuel burners 38

February/March 2016

established in 1985 that does not have statutory standing in the New Zealand Building/Construction sector.”

The submission went on to note that Certifying Plumbers and Gasfitters already have the statutory authority and competence to install solid fuel burners in compliance with the various Acts and Regulations. Certifying and Licenced Plumbers are, in fact, the only people who are licensed and qualified to do the complete installation of solid fuel burners, particularly when there is an associated wetback.

“Master Plumbers therefore submits that the provision of Part 1 in Schedule 1 … be removed and replaced with the following: Part 1 – Installation Domestic solid fuel burners installed after 28 February 2015 are to be installed, or their installation approved, by a person or company with the competency under the Building Act 2004.”

Master Plumbers also corresponded with ECan Chair Dame Margaret Bazley regarding its concerns around the accuracy and transparency of the consultation process. “Master Plumbers is concerned that the decision to insist that an installer of a solid fuel burner must be a member of the Home

Heating Association of New Zealand is unreasonable,” it noted, adding: “Master Plumbers is very prepared to work with Environment Canterbury Council in the delivery of training and upskilling in this matter.”

Attending the hearing ECan appointed an independent hearing panel to conduct a public hearing in Lincoln in late October. During the hearing, which was attended by representatives from both the Canterbury Association and the national Society, the Council officer indicated the Council’s intentions to redraft the provisions of the Regional Plan—giving little opportunity for submitters to be heard.

Redrafts of the relevant policies and rules were posted on the Council’s website in mid December, and submitters were given further opportunity to comment on the proposed wording by mid February.

Decisions will be notified this March, with the new Air Plan in operation by December 2016.

Last December, Canterbury Master Plumbers wrote to thank the national Society for its support at the hearing and for working on this matter on behalf of all plumbers. We will keep you posted on progress in NZ Plumber. ■

Recent convictions Unauthorised plumbing work in Hawke’s Bay and Christchurch lead to fines.

A Hastings man has been prosecuted by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers (PGD) Board for installing a hot water cylinder, four foot spa baths, a basin and an extension of a wastewater pipe at a property in the Havelock North shopping centre when not holding current authorisation to do the work.

A local plumber had notified Above: The R.A.C app.

Hastings District Council that the man was carrying out work without a building consent. A council building officer subsequently inspected the property and made a complaint to the PGD Board.

In Christchurch, builder Barry Barnes has been fined $1,500 for carrying out restricted plumbing work without authorisation.

The Board has released a free download mobile Report a Cowboy (R.A.C) app to help its new intelligence and investigations unit in preventing this type of unlawful activity. “It is designed to quickly report illegal operators—and tradespeople and industry stakeholders who wish to make a complaint about unauthorised work should use it,” says the PGD Board’s Investigations Manager Jayson Thomas.

“The app allows you to submit photo or video evidence, and also has the ability to log GPS coordinates and allows you to request confidentiality.”

Download the R.A.C app through the App Store or Google Play or go to www.pgdb.co.nz home page and click on the R.A.C image for easy download

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Gasfitter fine

A Certifying Gasfitter was issued a $1,000 infringement notice last October for failing to lodge the details of a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) for high-risk gasfitting within 20 working days of the date of issue.

Energy Safety reminds that it is a requirement to enter information regarding high-risk work onto the Electricity and Gas High Risk Database. Failure to do so is a breach of Regulation 52J of the Gas (Safety and Measurement) Regulations 2010.

To ensure compliance, Energy Safety is contacting a selection of practitioners for copies of certification documentation.

Invalid explanations include: • lack of knowledge or understanding that the information needs to be loaded on the database • actively choosing not to enter information.

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INDUSTRY TALK

Dodgy product?

In this article, which first appeared on Radio New Zealand News in January, Phil Pennington looks into ‘dodgy’ plumbing products.

THE PLUMBERS, GASFITTERS and Drainlayers Board is ramping up its clampdown on who does the work, adding a second investigator alongside the ex-policeman and introducing a new ‘report-a-cowboy’ app.

But it has no remit to investigate products and there are claims too much is just too dodgy. Temuka plumber Murray Bartlett said poor workmanship and bad products often went hand in hand.

“I had one the other week where they supplied a cheap shower mixer and I said to them, ‘I’m sorry I can’t install that’— but an unauthorised tradesman wouldn’t do that. If I decide to import some stuff from India or China and I flick it off on Trade Me, nobody asks the question ‘Does it comply with the New Zealand standard?’”

Mr Bartlett said he believed a flood of poor product being imported unchecked was a factor behind stubbornly high rates of building inspection failures in Auckland. A third of the city’s 130,000 or so inspections failed in the last year, though the Auckland Council talks mainly about poor workmanship by a rump of less competent builders than about dodgy building products.

Some MBIE investigations under way

Poor workmanship also bugs Milton Sands, a director at big Auckland pipe merchant Aquatherm. But he also estimated half of all plumbing products being used here had not been certified to the New Zealand standard, though many would still be good products.

What it showed up, though, was the lack of controls. “Until we have some certifying body in New Zealand checking products, the end user is always at risk.

It’s got to be [central] government; local government hasn’t got the resources.”

It’s manifestly unclear just how many of the thousands of taps, cisterns and pipes for sale are a failure waiting to happen.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has the power to warn 40

February/March 2016

about or ban building products—but it hasn’t ever done so.

It said the “presence of this regulatory tool provides a threat that modifies behaviour and incentivises voluntary product withdrawal or change”.

The ministry did now have a couple of product investigations under way and those would help test its efforts to improve on its surveillance and intervention, it said. It was also planning a major campaign this year to, it said, ‘promote’ the use of building products that complied.

Word of mouth

Firm figures to judge the problem are hard to come by but anecdotes abound.

Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board Chair Peter Jackson worked as a plumber in Invercargill before retiring to Queenstown. He said Chinese manufacturers had offered to put the brand name of his choice on tapware.

Mr Sands, from Aquatherm, said his firm and others created pressure over a

plumbing pipe product that was cracking and it was withdrawn. The Department of Building and Housing did not respond to their concerns, he added.

The cracking pipe, marketed as Dismee, was being sold as being certified under Australia’s Watermark compliance system. “But when we actually checked up on that product, the [certification] number actually belonged to an obscure light fitting.”

Similarly, Mr Bartlett said when a Timaru council inspector checked on a suspect drainage pipe he found the certification did not stand up. “The drainlayer who installed it had to pull it out. We all knew what was happening— we all just figured it isn’t worth the candle to buy that stuff so we will just stick to the New Zealand-made product.”

So, as it stands, word of mouth remains the main protection against dodgy plumbing products. ■ Reproduced courtesy of Radio New Zealand News

INDUSTRY TALK

Sam’s spot

Sam Tyson has good reason to believe you need processes in place for when customers turn nasty!

I just happened to be looking out the window when I saw one of our guys come hurtling into our workshop, leap out of his van, and head around to our workshop office out the back. Next minute a man pulls up into our carpark, jumps out of his car, storms into our showroom, pulls out his phone, holds it up, demands to see our service manager, and states he’s recording everything!

Turns out the man, one of our customers, who had laid a complaint earlier in the week about the behaviour and processes used by one of our tradesman on site, was returning home and saw said tradesman pulling out of his street. The customer immediately assumed our guy had been to his place to cover up the accused errors.

It was pure coincidence. Our guy had been at another house in the same area on a service call and we had the Navman Wireless report to prove it. According to the customer, though: “Everyone knows those reports can be doctored!” Eventually the customer calmed down, mainly due to the diplomatic skills of our service manager.

When we received the complaint earlier in the week, we investigated it thoroughly and felt confident that everything had been carried out correctly and it was more about the customer getting angry and upset when he was informed that extra work was required for the installation of his gas appliance to conform to the NZ standards.

We discussed the incident of the customer tailgating our guy back to our premises at our workshop meeting on Monday along with ‘what to do when customers turn nasty on site’. Long story short, self preservation is key—remove yourself as quickly as you can, preferably in your van, and phone the office once safe, to let us know what’s going on and so we can help.

Another situation we discussed was ‘what to do if propositioned on the job by a customer’. Recently, an electrical apprentice in Taranaki was propositioned by a male customer

when he was alone on site cleaning up at the end of a job. He rebuked the advance and the customer laid a complaint of assault.

I asked our guys what they would do in that situation. They immediately responded by saying they would sacrifice our young apprentice Alex, that he would be a much better prospect because he is young and has beautiful, long curly hair!

Jokes aside, it can be a very awkward predicament, whether male or female.

Once again, the decided course of action was to remove yourself from the situation and immediately phone the office to report the incident.

These types of incidents can be emotionally stressful for all concerned and, as an employee, you need to make sure you have a procedure in place that everyone is aware of, and a support system for your staff member if an incident does occur.

As it turns out, the electrical apprentice has since chucked in his job because of what happened. ■

“Having seen these products made at their factory gives me great confidence.

They are just so reliable.”

Les Coste Coste Plumbing

NZ MADE

0800 500 484 apexvalves.co.nz Sam Tyson.

B u y th e B e st!

February/March 2016

41

SUSTAINABLE FUTURES

Eco for everyone Environmentally friendly homes should be accessible to all, according to the company behind this 10 HomeStar rated property.

LOCATED IN PAPAMOA, the show home is attracting interest for more than its looks and layout. The 230m2 four-bedroom is the first in the country to achieve 10 HomeStar Design accreditation. It is one of a range of 14 standard house plans available through Tauranga-based Belvedere Group, under its EcoStar Homes brand.

The company saw a gap in the volume house building market for eco homes that could provide the comfort and affordability of a standard home while offering energy and water savings. “We based all our specs on the HomeStar system, with a target 7 star rating as our minimum standard,” explains Commercial Manager Iain Gleaves.

Looking at the home from the outside, it’s not immediately obvious that this is so different from other volume home designs on the market. Set on a new

Above: The north-facing PV array and solar tubes.

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SUSTAINABLE FUTURES

subdivision, the single-storey property has a rendered facade and large, recycled macrocarpa beams over the double garage. Inside, a wide hallway leads to an open-plan kitchen and separate family room on one side, and to the laundry, bathroom and bedrooms on the other.

Hidden features, such as a fully insulated slab and wide140mm stud to accommodate R4.0 rated wall insulation and R5.0 in the ceiling, keep the house

warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Thermally broken, argon-filled, double glazed windows in the northfacing kitchen capture the sun and store the passive heat in the concrete floor, while minimal glazing on the south side prevents heat loss.

Power, hot water & heating Mark Hartstone of Heating Systems Ltd was the brains behind the power,

Left: LED light fittings in the kitchen.

Right: Pipes being laid under the driveway.

hot water and heating systems for the house, which has been designed to be cost neutral. Drawing inspiration from sustainable homes overseas, he put pen to paper and designed his own solutions— surprising even himself with the results.

“The house has outperformed my own > expectations,” he says.

Exclusive to

SUSTAINABLE FUTURES

On the roof, 60 solar tubes heat the household water via a 300Lt domestic cylinder, with a buffer tank to prevent overheating and to assist with the hydronic underfloor system. A controller switches over to the buffer tank once the domestic water reaches 65°C, then heats the underfloor to 24°C, and the floor maintains this temperature throughout the night—the heat being held by the combination of insulation and thermal mass. For particularly cold days, energy efficient wood burners in the kitchen and living room provide extra warmth.

Water pipes laid under the dark concrete driveway are also used to pull hot water into or out of the house for underfloor heat or overheating protection.

“The driveway temperature can reach 25°C on a good day in winter,” explains Mark.

Although connected to the grid, the household’s electricity demands are more than met by a PV array on the roof that generates around 5kW of peak power.

In the first of its type for New Zealand, a Solax converter converts any surplus AC power or DC for storage in large Aquion Energy recyclable saltwater batteries, located in the garage. To run the home at night or as an emergency back up during the day, AC electricity runs the home’s appliances, charges the DC batteries and exports surplus power to the underfloor heating or back into the electricity supply grid.

With electricity companies now paying around 7c-10c per kW compared to the previous 20c, it makes sense for the home to maximise its own electricity generation through storage. It also means solar generated power is available through the evening, not just during daylight hours.

Homeowners can even watch the power being generated in real time on a laptop.

“Over the course of a year, a fourperson family living in this Tauranga home could expect an average monthly power and water bill of $9.24, compared to $315.25 for an average new home built to the NZ Building Code,” says Iain.

Water supply Four 4000Lt rainwater tanks supply water to the property. The Atlantis rainwater system is also used to top up 44

February/March 2016

Above: The homeowner can watch power being generated in real time on their laptop.

a fully automated greywater system that recycles water from the laundry, basins and showers to feed the toilet cisterns and irrigate the section. If rainwater storage runs low, mains water kicks in. If, on the other hand, there’s excess stormwater, it dissipates on site via an in-ground crate system. “The site has to be permeable, so we’ve used gravel for soakage and timber decks rather than concrete,” explains Iain.

Tauranga Hardware and Plumbing are behind the plumbing systems for the home. All tapware is WELS rated, the toilets are 3Lt flush and the showerheads are low flow—and if a leak is detected, a water saver automatically cuts off the flow, explains company director Craig McCord.

The house has maximum 5 star Lifemark accreditation for long-term accessibility, with a walk-in shower, wheelchair-friendly powerpoint, basin and workbench heights, and wide doors and corridors.

even the location was taken into account in terms of easy access to schools and healthcare.

Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges and NZGBC CEO Alex Cutler launched the home to the public last August. Although the house features innovative and smart solutions, one of the key reasons it scored top marks was due to commonsense design choices—such as good orientation for sun and high levels of insulation, said Alex Cutler. “It doesn’t have to be rocket science to design a really efficient, sustainable house.” ■

Down to detail Everything in this house is designed with the environment (and savings) in mind.

An Econnecx energy management remote control provides the homeowner with a simple turnkey solution for controlling the home’s appliances during off-peak energy periods. Heated towel rails are on a timer, LED lights use sensors and there’s an electric vehicle charging point in the garage.

The house uses environmentally certified materials wherever possible, and during the build stage, waste was minimised using a recycling programme and the REBRI waste management system. To achieve its 10 Homestar rating,

Above: Rainwater tanks for the water supply.

EXCLUSIVE

NZ PLUMBER NOW AVAILABLE DIGITALLY TO MASTER PLUMBER MEMBERS! Book your place now at the 2016 New Zealand Plumbing Conference! – See page 7

CONTENTS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015

21

ON THE COVER Book your place now at the 2016 New Zealand Plumbing Conference! – See page 7 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015

Art and Craft

17

Sheetmetal mastery at the Len Lye Centre

12

Art and Craft

24

28

Inside this issue

Sheetmetal mastery at the Len Lye Centre

37

Mud, glorious mud Tradies join the Tough Guy & Gal Challenge

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015 37

WHAT’S ON

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

7

17

Registrations are open for the NZ Plumbing Conference 2016

MASTER PLUMBERS NEWS 8

CEO Greg Wallace talks marketing and membership; Master Plumbers gets the big tick from ACC; National President on tour; awards entries; new members; and two Gold Partner updates

12

Commercial leases One of your most important business contracts…

REAL LIVES 14

Out West Why West Coast plumbing takes planning

28 To the rescue This plumber’s a fire truck driving dynamo!

4

Mirror, mirror Sheetmetal mastery at the new Len Lye Centre

INDUSTRY TALK 30 Bathed in glory Bathroom Excellence winner 31

Occupational regulation review MBIE plans to simplify

Preventing Legionnaire’s Keeping water systems safe

31

Innovation for Green Star Rating tool gets an update

Best practice: rainwater Top tips from Marley

31

24 Backflow know-how Questions installers should ask themselves

Involving the industry PGD Board establishes a liaison group and proposes a new CPD model

32

Sam’s Spot A plumber’s tools are sacred, says Sam!

NUTS & BOLTS 21

22

IN FOCUS

Commercial leasing

43

60

25

27

The gas ring This issue’s updates for gasfitters Tech points Some online projects afoot for the industry

32

People NZPM Board; vale Nigel Mason

34 Recent convictions Licence checks are proving effective 35

Raising the roof Winners at the RANZ Roofing Awards

Fees in focus New regular column for PGD Board CEO Martin Sawyers

SMART BUSINESS 39 Eyes on insurance Covering your tools… and keeping your insurance current 43 Growing your business Business development advice from The Icehouse 44 Biz brief Employment law changes and more…

46 Understanding GST The IR has the low-down 47 Recruit to suit Kicking off our new HR series with recruitment

TIMES PAST 48 Wartime apprentice A gust of wind leads to hair-raising results for Ernie MacManus

Commercial leasing

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF

What you need to know

BACKFLOW KNOW-HOW Installer basics

OUTWARD BOUND Tomorrow’s leaders

NEXT GENERATION 66 Why hire an apprentice?

MasterLink videos have the answers!

AROUND ASSOCIATIONS 53

Active in Auckland Q&A session with Auckland Master Plumbers President Regan Frost

WORLD VIEW 54 Water for future Plumber Trevor Gatland volunteers in Timor Leste 62 On the world stage Kiwi plumber at the World Skills Internationals

HEALTH MATTERS 58 Asbestos alert Ignore the risks of asbestos on worksites at your peril!

TECH SAVVY 60 Accounting add-ons You need them but be selective

58

ASBESTOS ALERT Worksite risks

70 Cover photograph by Patrick Reynolds: Len Lye Centre facade

SAFETY FIRST 50 H&S reform: one step closer The Health & Safety Reform Bill has passed

69 Got a Trade The first-ever Got a Trade Week 70 To the limit Ten apprentices test their mettle with Outward Bound 72

MasterLink winners Success down South

72

Following the code An apprenticeship code of practice

73

Making 2015 a success Skills looks at credit completion

PRODUCTS & SERVICES 75

What’s new to the marketplace

AND FINALLY 76 Offcuts This issue’s media snippets 78 Dodgy plumbing Will they ever learn?

October/November 2015

5

October/November 2015

Get ready for the 2016 NZ Plumbing Conference in Rotorua – See page 7

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015

What you need to know

Learning the trade

Touring two training centres

BACKFLOW KNOW-HOW Installer basics

OUTWARD BOUND Tomorrow’s leaders

ASBESTOS ALERT Worksite risks

Perfect or defect?

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF

12-month defect repair guidance

CELEBRATING INNOVATION How new products evolve

HR ADVICE LINE New service for Master Plumbers

PLUMBERS WITHOUT BORDERS Lending a hand where it’s needed

Available via www.pocketmags.com

Can be read on your iPad, iPhone, Android device, Mac, PC or Amazon Kindle Fire

www.masterplumbers.org.nz

SUSTAINABLE FUTURES

Future plans Plans for this 10 Homestar Built house in Christchurch are available online. Ross Miller reports.

NEW ZEALAND’S FIRST home to achieve a 10 Homestar Built rating was designed and developed by architect Bob Burnett, who is sharing the design and build information with anyone who wants to create their own sustainable home.

The 140sqm, two-storey demonstration home in Church Square, Addington is one of two neighbouring 10-star rated properties designed by Bob, who is part of the Superhome movement. This industry group is encouraging the building of 1,000 new homes nationwide with a 6 to 10 Homestar rating. “Building highquality green houses should be standard practice in New Zealand,” he says.

Along with the latest insulation and multiple glazing, the home features a combined greywater and rainwater system, water-efficient fittings, PV solar power and energy-efficient lighting and electrics. All paints and sealants are low VOC, and other materials are certified by Environmental Choice NZ or the Forest Stewardship Council.

Slab-edge insulation prevents heat loss from the concrete floor slabs, and innovative hydronic underfloor heating also keeps the home warm. A highperformance thermal envelope includes external wall frames that are least 140mm thick and provide resistance to wind and earthquake loads that far exceed Building Code requirements.

The domestic hot water supply is an integral part of the heating system. An Ecomaster air-to-water heat pump heats the Peter Cocks stainless steel mains

Above: A specially designed greywater system.

46

February/March 2016

Above: Outside the two-storey home.

pressure hot water cylinder, located under the stairs. A crenellated coil in the bottom third of the cylinder extracts heat, which is delivered to the floor when needed. This system is also integrated into the PV system as its primary power source.

A solar wall ventilation system uses the sun’s energy to pre-heat ventilation air, substantially reducing heating expenses and controlling moisture levels to prevent health-damaging mould and mildew. The system extracts heat energy from the exhaust air and transfers it to warm the incoming fresh air.

Bob Burnett designed a special greywater recycling apparatus for this build. Greywater is collected in a 500Lt tank tucked away beneath the decking in the driveway. This is treated by an Intewa Aqualoop system—the first certified to British Standard BS-8525-2:2011.

The treated greywater is then combined with rainwater, filtered by an Intewa purain filter, in a secondary tank. The Intewa Rainmaster Eco 10 pumps the treated water out of the tank to use it for flushing toilets, washing machine and

irrigation. It switches automatically over to mains water supply if not enough water is available in the tank. ■ The Superhome website gives access to detailed plans available for a small royalty fee; www.superhome.co.nz

Above: The bathroom is future-proofed for accessibility.

SUPPLY LINES

A little Kiwi DIY

Richard Sandford, Head of Business Marketing at Spark, explains why it is vital small businesses make themselves accessible to customers over mobile— and how they can build their own mobile responsive site simply and cheaply.

MOBILE REVOLUTION NOW MAINSTREAM Over half of New Zealanders are now shopping online, and more of us are buying on mobiles. According to a recent Neilson Online Retail Report, 41 percent of smartphone owners and 58 percent of tablet owners say they have made a purchase on their mobile device.

An IBM Survey late last year showed that in 2014, for the first time, Thanksgiving shoppers were more likely to browse special deals on their mobile devices than on their desktops.

It’s not enough to simply tick the ‘online presence’ box with a basic website—New Zealand businesses need to be where their customers are, and their customers are now likely to be glued to their smartphones.

So are we in New Zealand ready for this new world? Well, the numbers would suggest we have some work to do. Half of New Zealand businesses have no online presence at all. Of those that have a website, only a quarter have a mobilefriendly site.

In our experience, New Zealand businesses are very open to engaging with new technology. The reasons they don’t are usually down to a lack of time, or the perception that it will be expensive.

DIY APPROACH The good news is New Zealand business owners can now turn this massive

shift towards mobile shopping to their advantage—by quickly and easily building their own mobile responsive websites and mobile apps. Better still, they can do it without spending a fortune or training as a computer programmer.

To help make this possible, Spark have teamed up with Putti, smart software that gives businesses a way to do a DIY job on a mobile-responsive site or mobile app. Putti provides a simple step-by-step process for building your own mobilefriendly website using your existing

Special offer for Spark Business customers Because we at Spark Business believe this is the future for our small businesses, we’ve decided to offer Spark Business customers a Putti mobile responsive site free for the first 24-months, with discounts on Putti app packages. It’s a simple, affordable (and actually quite fun) way of making sure the next time a customer visits your site, they have the sort of experience that keeps them coming back.

More information on the Spark Business offer of a mobile-responsive website for 24 months, and exclusive discounts on Putti services can be found at www.spark.co.nz/ business/shop/webservices/mobile-apps-websites/

step-by-step process for building your own mobile-friendly website images, text and logos. For a small monthly fee, the Putti team will host the site or app for you. You’ll be able to customise your website or app to your brand, audience and objectives, and if you’re not keen on having a crack at it yourself, the team at Putti will create your site or app for you, for a small, oneoff fee. ■ More information on Putti can be found at www.puttiapps.com

Platinum partner

February/March 2016

47

SAFETY FIRST

Asbestos licensing From this April, there’s a new licensing system for asbestos removal.

ARE YOU RUNNING a business with workers who may disturb or remove asbestos or asbestos-containing material (ACM)? Asbestos regulations have been updated to bring NZ into line with other countries.

Under the new regulations, which come into force on 4 April, a licence will be required to remove more than 10m2 of non-friable (bonded) asbestos or ACM in one job, or any amount of friable asbestos (ie, powdery or with potential to become powdery). Licences will be issued by WorkSafe New Zealand.

You can register now with WorkSafe to get up-to-date information on the new licensing process, including when and how you can apply. (Please note that registration is not a licence application.)

Who will need a licence?

The new licensing system is aimed at ensuring people removing asbestos have the necessary skills and experience to keep themselves, and others, safe.

All removal work needs to be

performed safely. Suitable controls need to be in place to ensure the risks have been minimised, including correct use of PPE, respiratory protective equipment, safe methods of work, decontamination facilities and the disposal of all asbestos waste in an approved landfill.

Building maintenance or servicing is

Any amount of friable asbestos

$490

(ACM), including any amount of: - Friable asbestos or ACM - Asbestos contaminated dust or debris (ACD) - Non-friable asbestos or ACM

•

Removal of insulation materials, including lagging Any removal tasks where the asbestos is in a powder form when dry, or able to be reduced to powder with your hands

More than 10m2 Any amount of non-friable asbestos or ACM asbestos ACD associated with removing any amount of non-friable asbestos or ACM

Removing soffits, cement roofing sheets, external wall cladding or textured ceilings if over 10m2 of nonfriable ACM

$490

Class A

•

•

No licence required

•

•

48

If your business is likely to need an asbestos removal licence, it’s a good idea Indicative fee (inc GST and valid for five years)

What asbestos can be removed?

•

What do I need to do?

You need this Examples of when a licence is licence if you are needed removing:

New licences

Class B

allowed without a licence. However, if it involves removing more than 10m2 of non-friable asbestos, or any amount of friable asbestos, a licence is required.

Any type or quantity of asbestos or asbestos containing material

Up to and including 10m2 of non-friable asbestos or ACM, cumulatively over the course of the removal project for the site ACD that is: - associated with removing 10m2 or less of non-friable asbestos or ACM - any associated minor ACD

February/March 2016

•

SAFETY FIRST

to register your interest with WorkSafe at http://business.govt.nz/worksafe/asbestos

I have a Certificate of Competence – what do I need to do?

If you have a current Certificate of Competence (CoC), you don’t need to do anything yet. Until your certificate expires, you can work under the new asbestos regulations, under the categories listed on your certificate.

When it expires, you will need to apply for one of the new licences, or to work on another business’s licence. ■ Find out more at www.worksafe.govt. nz under Asbestos. WorkSafe has published a licensing pamphlet and handy hints information sheets. It will publish a detailed Code of Practice and further fact sheets

Did you know?

Currently, more than 170 New Zealander workers die each year from asbestos-related diseases.

No excuses

Last December, Christchurch company Blakely Construction Ltd was fined a total of $45,000 for failing to properly identify and manage asbestos at a demolition site.

The company was contracted to demolish some buildings in March 2014. It engaged a specialist contractor to remove 140 ‘Super 6’ roofing sheets, which contained asbestos. During the work, the contractor identified further asbestos contamination on site and advised the company.

Demolition work continued and, when more Super 6 sheets were uncovered and accidentally broken up, the company’s site manager instructed staff to “carry on working around the matter by pushing it aside”.

This pattern of behaviour continued for more than a week. The excavator continued moving around the site, potentially spreading further contamination.

WorkSafe received a complaint and issued a prohibition notice the same day. It noted that Blakely Construction should have taken time to identify all asbestos containing materials before demolition work started, so they could be removed safely.

Once the company became aware of asbestos contamination, it should also have stopped work on site immediately and ensured that it was fully decontaminated before resuming.

Asbestos may be found in: • Insulation and pipes • Excavations (pipes) • Flues and seals on wood burners • Roofs • External cladding and eaves

• • • • •

Ceilings Interior walls and finishes Floors Fuse boards Fences

WORKING ON BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED BEFORE THE LATE 1990s?

Chances are you’re removing material with asbestos in it.

Licensing for removing materials with asbestos in them is being introduced on 4 April 2016, along with other regulatory changes. For more information go to: www.business.govt.nz/worksafe/asbestos or call us on 0800 030 040.

a

ASBESTOS

SMART BUSINESS

Pay them right Are you paying your employees correct holiday and leave pay? Get it right or risk back payments and fines, says Olivia Grant of Duncan Cotterill Lawyers.

DO YOUR EMPLOYEES work overtime or do their hours or pay vary week to week? If so, you may be paying them incorrectly for annual holidays, public holidays, sick and bereavement leave.

The correct methods of calculating pay for annual leave, public holidays, sick leave and bereavement leave are set out in the Holiday Act 2003. They are complicated and many employers struggle to work out what their obligations are under the Act. The issue usually arises in the plumbing industry if an employee’s pay varies week to week or if they work overtime but they are paid their standard daily rate (usually eight hours per day) for leave.

Payment for annual holidays

When an employee takes an annual holiday after their entitlement to the holiday has arisen, annual holiday pay must be paid at a rate that is the greater of the employee’s ‘ordinary weekly pay’ at the beginning of the annual holiday OR the

employers who are found in breach of the Act will be required to back pay all employees 50

February/March 2016

employee’s ‘average weekly earnings’ for the 12 months immediately before the end of the last pay period before the annual holiday.

Ordinary weekly pay is the amount that the employee would have earned in any ordinary working week. It includes regular productivity or incentive based payments, payments for regular overtime, and cash value of any board or lodgings. Payments that are exceptional, discretionary and irregular are excluded from ordinary weekly pay.

If it is not possible to determine an employee’s ordinary weekly pay (this might occur if the employee works regular overtime at varying hours or rates) the pay must be calculated in accordance with the following formula: the ‘gross earnings’ for the previous four calendar weeks and minus irregular productivity or incentive based payments, irregular overtime payments or exceptional payments. That figure is then divided by four to get a weekly sum, to obtain an average over the previous four weeks of normal remuneration.

Average weekly earnings is the weekly average of an employee’s gross earnings over the previous 12 months. To calculate an average weekly amount, employers must divide the employee’s ‘gross earnings’ over the last 12 months by the last 52 week period before the annual holiday.

The employer must determine both rates of pay to determine the greater amount of payment due to the employee.

SMART BUSINESS

Example – Payment for annual holidays Liz is a salaried plumber. During the month of March 2016, she has been paid for working unrostered overtime, and a performance bonus for exceeding targets for the year to date in accordance with her employment agreement.

Liz is entitled to take two weeks of annual holiday in April 2016. Her employer calculates her annual holiday pay at both her ordinary weekly pay and average weekly earnings in order to determine the greater amount. As a result, Liz is paid her average weekly earnings. Her employer divides Liz’s gross earnings (including irregular overtime and her bonus) over the last 12 months by the last 52 weeks period before her annual holiday.

Payment for public holidays, sick and bereavement leave

Employees must be paid not less than the employee’s ‘relevant daily pay’ or ‘average daily pay’ for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave and bereavement leave, where the day would otherwise have been a working day for the employee.

An employer must first attempt to determine an employee’s relevant daily pay before using the average daily pay calculation.

Relevant daily pay is the amount the employee would have earned if they had worked on the particular day concerned, and includes commission, productivity/incentive payments, overtime payments, and the cash value of board and lodgings.

Payment of any employer contribution to a superannuation scheme is excluded.

If an employee works variable hours, or it is not possible or practicable to work out their relevant daily pay, an employer should calculate the employee’s ‘average daily pay’. For example, employees will be paid ‘average daily pay’ where the employee has worked unrostered overtime or varying hours within the pay period when the holiday or leave falls.

Average daily pay is a daily average of the employee’s gross earnings over the past 52 weeks. Divide the employee’s gross earnings by the number of days (whole or part) the employee worked or was on paid leave during the last year. Exclude any additional payment for working on a public holiday (for example, time and a half).

many employers struggle to work out what their obligations are Example - Payment for public holidays Bob is a plumber employed to work 40 hours per week. He is paid $25 per hour and $37.50 for overtime. In the weeks prior to Easter, he worked additional unrostered overtime.

Bob did not work on Good Friday, which would otherwise have been his working day. He is entitled to payment for the public holiday. However, because his hours and pay vary from day to day, week to week, it is not possible to calculate what he would have earned if he did work on Good Friday. His employer should therefore use the average daily pay calculation to determine the payment.

In summary

Determining the correct payments for annual holidays, public holidays, sick and bereavement leave is very complicated.

Many employers have struggled with the changes and have inadvertently failed to pay their employees correctly. Employers who are found in breach of the Act will be required to back pay all employees, including current and former employees, any arrears owing for the previous six years. For more serious cases, employers may be required to pay penalties for non-compliance of up to $20,000.

We recommend you speak to your payroll provider to determine what method of payment you are using to pay your employees and obtain legal advice to ensure you are complying with your obligations under the Holidays Act. ■ About the author: Olivia Grant is an Associate at Duncan Cotterill Lawyers in Wellington. Contact Olivia on 04 471 9433; olivia.grant@duncancotterill.com Disclaimer: the content of this article is general in nature and not intended as a substitute for specific professional advice on any matter and should not be relied upon for that purpose.

EXCLUSIVE MASTER PLUMBERS OFFER Get 25% off all Canon printers from our Canon shop Simply visit shop.canon.co.nz and use the promo code MP2016 Terms: Offer ends 01/04/2016. Recipient must be a registered Master Plumber to receive discounted price

February/March 2016

51

SMART BUSINESS

Business roadmap Follow this easy route for business owners to understand and improve profit and cashflow.

Profit starts here

How much you need to sell to cover costs and avoid losses

Inaccurate costs are often the biggest issue affecting profitability

The price you need to charge to cover costs and be profitable

Break even point

Costs

Cashflow starts here

Customer payments

Supplier payments

Pricing

Know these to calculate your break even and achieve a profit

An accurate error free budget is your guide to future profit

Negotiate best terms to ease cash flow

Speed up time to get jobs finished or goods out and invoice immediately

Jobs/stock

Taxes

Create a process and policy to speed up payments owed to you

Loans

Factor in GST/ taxes & loans payments into your cashflow

Running expenses

Budget

Owners money

Factor in time owners may need to inject funds

Cashflow forecast

Manage cashflow daily if needed.

Good advice and systems needed

Better profit is achievable by knowing your exact break even—then find ways to manage costs and build sales and cashflow. Better cashflow should follow the sequence on the right. Small percentage improvement in each can make a big difference to the bottom line.

This roadmap was created by CFO On-Call. For more ideas on this subject, download their free Ebook: 11 Steps to Business Numbers Made Easy. www.cfooncall.co.nz

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February/March 2016

SMART BUSINESS

On trial

90-day trial periods need to be agreed to in writing to have any effect, as HR consultant Lisa Duston explains.

YOUR NEW EMPLOYEE has started working with you. However, two months down the track you realise that this employee isn’t the right fit for your business! Luckily you have your individual employment agreement to fall back on in these cases. But do you?

Employers are able to make offers of employment to employees that include a trial period of up to 90 days. Trial periods need to be agreed to in writing as part of the individual employment agreement. You need to ensure your agreements clearly outline this in order for you to dismiss an employee within this timeframe.

Please note that if an employee is dismissed within the 90 days, they cannot raise a personal grievance on the grounds of unjustified dismissal. However, they can raise a personal grievance on other grounds, such as harassment or discrimination. Always ensure you follow a thorough process and act in good faith!

Good faith

Establishing and maintaining good faith relationships is the basis of the employment relations structure in

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New Zealand, for both collective and individual arrangements.

Good faith generally involves using practical common sense and treating others in the way you would like to be treated. This means dealing with each other honestly, openly and with mutual respect.

Company policies

It’s good practice for a business to have a policy that outlines what the business expects from its employees. This policy accompanies the employee’s individual

employment agreement and is usually called Code of Conduct or Company Rules/Handbook. The company policy ensures all parties know what’s expected of them, which can assist with issues down the track. The policy would be reviewed and signed by a new employee prior to commencing with your business.

Along with company policies, your business may benefit from other policies.

Some examples for a small to medium business would be health & safety, annual leave and holidays and drug & alcohol.

Employers should have good processes for dealing with issues, and employees need to be aware of these from day one. Is it time to review your business’s current polices and procedures? ■ About the author: HR Consultant Lisa Duston is here to support your business, ensuring you and your team have the tools to get it right. Lisa can assist with your recruitment needs, from placing ads through to supplying you with a shortlist of potential well-screened applicants ready for interviewing. Master Plumbers’ members can access HR support from Lisa Duston at specially reduced rates. Call Lisa on 03 388 4066 or 021 245 1704 during normal business hours. Or email lisa.duston@masterlink.co.nz

The cost to advertise is $40+GST for MPGD members; $75+GST for non-members.

Just send your text (up to 100 words) to advertising@masterplumbers.org.nz

CPD points for free wastewater training

Registered Plumber/s Needed Urgently!

Personalised plates for sale

Earn 6 free CPD points online and learn about the design and installation of Advanced Enviro-Septic (AES) wastewater treatment systems. AES is a passive, aerobic ‘back to the future’ system which has been in use in the US for over 25 years. It requires no power, is easy to install and gives you and your clients peace of mind with a 20 year warranty and high quality treatment. Registered drainlayers who complete the online training course can install AES systems. Register at www. environmenttechnology.co.nz/aescertification-process Ph 03 970 7979 or visit www.et.nz for more information.

A very exciting opportunity has come up to join our growing Auckland team. Come and work for a team that not only rewards staff but recognises hard work

PLUM R PLUMR1 PLUMR2 PLUMR3 WEPLUM Fantastic advertising and attention-getting plates and scope to expand the set if required. Easy process to change ownership.

Selling as set. New cost exceeds $4,500 but will consider offers.

Call Jonathan on 022 047 9757

We are after someone who is:• Able to work by themselves or part of a team • Great customer service skills • Service & Maintenance plumbing experience.

We:• Offer great pay rates based on skills and attributes • Variety of work each day

• Training; develop and grow our people • Embrace Technology • Breakfasts & Dinners • Fishing Trips • Work together to make everyone’s life better - fulfill your dreams and ambitions.

• Care about Health & Safety Call Sarah on 027 335 3253.

February/March 2016

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SMART BUSINESS

Great idea!

Seeking good ideas from staff and putting them into action pays dividends, as OfficeMax’s GIDI programme has proved.

IT HAS BEEN said that it is easier to improve a hundred things by 1% than one thing by 100%. Since many of the best ideas on how to improve a business often come from the people who are doing the jobs, establishing a business culture that encourages staff to put forward improvement ideas is a great way to make your business more profitable and a more engaging place to work.

OfficeMax, one of NZ’s largest business consumables providers and a Master Plumbers Business Partner, implemented a staff suggestion programme in mid-2010 that has resulted in well over 200 ideas— many of which have been implemented and helped further improve customer satisfaction, workplace productivity and reduced costs. The programme reflects the company’s values where everyone’s ideas are encouraged to help the business ‘work smarter, not harder’.

SUGGESTIONS BOX OfficeMax’s Auckland and Christchurch distribution centres’ suggestion programme is called GIDI (Good Idea, Do It). As these centres collectively employ over 150 staff, it was necessary to use a formal process that uses a paper form to enable staff members to submit areas for improvement as well as proposed solutions.

The GIDI form categorises opportunities into the areas of: • improved customer satisfaction • improved productivity • workplace safety • cost reduction.

All GIDIs are reviewed on a monthly basis as part of the leadership team’s meetings and feedback is provided to each idea originator shortly after.

Improvement opportunities are prioritised in terms of ease of implementation and benefit to the business. Ideas can be implemented immediately as a ‘Do it’ or temporarily ‘Parked’ if deemed worth doing in the future but need other process changes to be implemented first. In some cases, an idea may not be do-able or financially viable.

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PAT ON THE BACK Every staff member who submits a GIDI receives a ‘Pat on the Back’ certificate and chocolate bar at their team meetings.

The leadership team also selects one GIDI each month based on its overall improvement to the business and the person who submitted that GIDI receives a $50 Prezzy Card. The monthly winners are reviewed at year end and the idea resulting in the greatest overall improvement to the business receives a $500 Prezzy Card.

As with any programme, you can track and measure as much as you like. Above all, keep reminding everyone of the positive impact that their ideas have. When the GIDI programme was started in 2010, there was a surge of ideas which trickled off in the ensuing months. Each time GIDI is discussed in team meetings, it results in a spike in the number of ideas.

COST SAVINGS Since its introduction, GIDI has resulted in thousands of dollars in improved productivity and cost reductions as well

as happier customers and staff, which is difficult to put a value on.

There isn’t a perfect staff suggestion/ idea programme. If you are considering implementing one in your business, go to Google and search ‘suggestion box’. You will find hundreds of websites and articles that can help you develop a programme that fits the size, culture and goals of your business.

OfficeMax has become an even better business by fostering a culture that encourages improvement ideas. OfficeMax’s most important learnings through this process have been to review every idea with an open mind, provide prompt feedback and recognition to the people who have taken the time, and to keep the programme fresh and top of mind for all staff. Ideas don’t have to be submitted via a GIDI form; it’s just one way to provide the team with a channel to share their ideas. ■ If your business is interested in learning more about OfficeMax’s GIDI programme, or how to take advantage of the additional OfficeMax discounts available to Master Plumbers’ members, email OfficeMax at: plumbers@officemax.co.nz

SMART BUSINESS

From the IR: No worries Tax tips from the IR to reduce your end of financial year stress.

AS A BUSINESS or individual do you struggle to file tax returns by the due date and find you leave the whole process to the last minute? By making a few simple changes in the way you manage your accounts, you can avoid this stressful experience altogether.

1. Manage your accounts monthly Don’t wait till the end of the year to go over 12 months of accounts all at once; review and update them on a monthly basis.

Managing your account monthly means you won’t have the pressure of a deadline so you can take your time, which in turn will ensure greater accuracy.

2. Utilise technology Try Inland Revenue’s myIR secure online services to file your returns. This allows you to complete returns quicker with the use of partially prefilled forms.

You will cut down on your paper filing and no longer have the time delay of posting them. Also, myIR is a lot safer to use than sending returns by post.

Sign up for myIR at ird.govt.nz

3. Draw up a financial year-end plan If managing your year-end accounts requires complicated processes such as stock takes and the updating of an asset register, plan ahead to project manage the process.

You could sit down with your accountant or book-keeper to draw up a list of required tasks for filing your annual return. Then go into detail to identify complicated tasks and plan for them with adequate timelines. Even set yourself goal dates so tasks are completed in advance of deadlines.

4. Employ a professional Many small businesses delegate accounting duties to a professional accountant or book-keeper. If you’re at all struggling with managing your accounts, you may want to do the same.

Just make sure you don’t completely wash your hands of accounting by just handing it over to your accountant to sort out, because you’re ultimately responsible for your tax affairs. You must always have recent financial knowledge of your business’s performance to make effective decisions.

Biz Brief

5. Still feeling stressed?

You can get free advice from an Inland Revenue Community Compliance Officer if you need assistance. They offer tax education and advice to new businesses and small organisations, and seminars on personal tax and entitlements. They work from most Inland Revenue offices and travel regularly to other areas. If you need to speak with someone face-to-face you can call 0800 775 247 to make an appointment. ■ You’ll also find some useful tools like fact sheets, cashbook and wage summary templates by visiting ird.govt.nz/tool-forbusiness

This issue’s business news in brief.

Getting paid on time

Scamming increase

Getting paid on time can make a big difference in a small business. If someone doesn’t pay their invoice, you’re left financing the cost of the job until it’s paid—which can be costly if you’ve paid for materials or workers. The new finance section at www.business.govt.nz offers helpful tips on invoicing, and how to avoid being left out of pocket. Go to Business Finance 101 under the Tax & Finance section to find out more.

In the last few months, there has been a significant rise in the number of reported scam incidents. New Zealanders, including businesses, reported 492 scams online at the orb reporting site in November—up from 289 in November 2014.

And the reported losses totalled $1,309,095—a large increase from $510,944 lost in November 2014. NetSafe, an independent non-profit organisation that promotes safe online use, says website defacement, denial of service attacks, and compromised accounts were all reported in December 2015.

Above: This illustration of a sample invoice can be found on the IR website.

February/March 2016

55

TIMES PAST

High spirits

In this episode of Wartime Apprentice, Ernie MacManus recalls buying a truck, hitting the spirits and wiping lead joints.

OUR DAYS ON the government housing scheme were enjoyable but not without incident. With some of my hardearned wages, I bought my first car at Rodney Farry’s auctions.

It was a little Singer soft top tourer, which cost 40 pounts ($80).

Proudly I drove it away and headed home to show it off, but it refused to go up the slightest of hills. I parked it and was lucky to sell it to a mechanic for the same price.

I then bought at 1924 Willys-Knight light truck with a side valve motor that he checked out for me. It was a bit rough but it was a lot of fun and it ran well. One day, heading for work I drove to the top of Riselaw Road and started down the other side, when the 23 inch front wheel came off the split rim and careered down the steep hill towards a crowd waiting at the bus stop.

Luckily it hit the curb, then a fence and fell over, so I parked the truck, threw the wheel in the back and walked on as though nothing had happened, to return at lunchtime when the crowd had gone.

RUM AND RASPBERRIES On a miserably cold winter’s day, all us boys were doing roof flashings and we all had bad colds, when someone suggested a couple of rum and raspberries as a cure. A quick trip down to the Green Island hotel was the result and after a round it was back up the short cut in the Willys. Archie dropped his fag and I bent down to pick it up with the result the truck ended up in the ditch.

We pushed it out but the tie rod arm was bent and the only way to turn a corner was to get out and kick the front wheels around. The boys helped to turn it around and walked back to the job while I headed home but it took me a long time, as there were a lot of corners and five miles of hills to negotiate. I had struck my head on the steering wheel and, as soon as I got home, I went to sleep, much to my mother’s consternation, as she believed I had concussion. My brothers knew better and

how to wipe the lead joints the old way

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February/March 2016

talked her out of getting the doctor.

I woke to remember it was football practice night and off I went, but it was not a good practice as I spent half the time among the wrong teams.

The coach was showing the correct way to tackle and I hit him with a flying tackle right behind the knees and he landed head first in the muddiest patch on the ground.

He was not pleased and suggested where I could go in no uncertain terms. It was the last time I touched spirits for years.

Just about everyone at work seemed to know about our little escapade and I expected a reprimand from head office. Then the truck driver arrived and said he had instructions to collect me and my tool kit. “Where am I going?” I said. “You are in big trouble,” he replied, and that was all he said until he dropped me off at a new house and said with a laugh, “Jim needs a hand.”

LEAD BENDS This was worse than I thought—back with the over-educated idiot son of the boss. What a punishment. Jim was delighted to see me. He had a cast iron soil drain to suspend under the house, which had a basement below road level, plus two toilets to couple with lead bends, a cast gully trap and a terminal vent, which really was a job for two men.

All went well and after a couple of days the cast iron soil main was installed. The fun started when it came to fitting the 100mm lead bends. Because I would soon be sitting my practical plumber’s exam, Jim believed it was up to him to show me how to wipe the lead joints the old way, as required during the exam. He took no notice of my objections and spent a considerable time building a framework to hold the material rigid.

Off to town to the store he went and returned with a large quantity of expensive wiping metal, which was melted in a cast iron moulding pot. Without testing the temperature of the molten metal, he proceeded to ladle it onto the first joint, only to burn a large hole in the lead soil pipe. Unperturbed, off he goes back to the store for another large lead bend and some more wiping metal.

While he was away, I melted down the waste metal and poured it into sticks again, and proceeded to wipe the joints on both bends in the accepted way by using a blow lamp, and repairing the hole Jim had made by fitting a wooden mandell in the pipe while wiping the joint.

The task was finished and I was fitting the bend in the final position when the Boss, Jim’s father, arrived. “Where is Jim and

TIMES PAST why does he need all the extra material?” he asked. Luckily, Jim arrived at that moment and told his father what he was attempting to do for my benefit. I thought his father was going to have a fit. “That is what night school is for and he is doing damned well without your moronic help,” he informed Jim. As it was knock off time, I quietly made myself scarce with the pair of them still at discord with each other.

Next morning I arrived back to find Jim’s handiwork removed, and the truck waiting to return me to the government housing project—and that was the last time I ever worked with Jim. I did meet him some years later when he had a heating business in Invercargill, but he slowly went broke. Later still, I met him again when he appeared to have found his niche as a health inspector.

OUT OF TOWN My feelings were it was about time for a change and I asked the Boss if it was possible to work on one of the several out-of-town contracts. On the following Monday, it was off to Invercargill in the truck with a load of gear to work on the new boiler room at the Catholic Basilica. There I met Percy who was in charge of the Southland area, assembling the flow and return headers, which we worked on until lunchtime, when I was taken to a boarding house and booked in.

After lunch, Percy left me to weld up the headers, which were made out of 150dia galvanised pipe. All afternoon I gas welded the sockets and flanges for the valves in the unventilated boiler room. At knock-off time, I was on the point of collapse from the fumes, and I staggered to the boarding house where I went straight to bed with continuing hot and cold flushes. The lady was so concerned, she rang Percy, who soon arrived with several bottles of milk, which was the accepted antidote for galvanised poisoning—and they worked.

After a week it was off to Gore to work on the new hospital and nurses’ home blocks, and little did I think that it would become my hometown. The builders had the contracts for the new hospital and nursing home plus the new 900-pupil Gore high school. To provide accommodation for their men, they bought a large old house, which they converted into a cookhouse, with a recreation room for the men and private rooms for the cooks.

In addition, a 43-room temporary accommodation was built for the men. A heating system was essential, so Percy gave me

I had struck my head on the steering wheel a hand to fit the coal-fired boiler and said the rest was up to me and headed back to Invercargill. The wooden building was L-shaped, with the boiler room in the centre at a lower level.

The 50mm flow and return pipes were run to give a simple gravity flow heating system to the back wall of each room. I was provided with a brand-new threading machine and completed the boiler pipework and fitted the supply expansion tank.

Then, with the help of a builder’s labourer, I commenced to install the 50mm radiation pipework. This is where I had a run-in with Bert, the foreman carpenter, whose speciality was to show who was boss, even trying his domineering tactics over the subcontractors. His nickname was Bull as he could be heard roaring from some distance away.

I asked him to cut the holes through the several walls of the units to give a 1 in 100 rise to the further end, which meant they had to be perfectly in line to be able to feed the tubes through. The man assigned to cut the holes was too slow and holding me up, so I got him to cut an oblong slot in the wall linings and had half the piping installed by the time Bert returned.

Well, what a performance. How was he going to neatly patch the holes, Bert ranted. I let him carry on in this fashion for some time, before taking him to the first unit, where I had got his man to bore two holes in a neatly dressed board, split it down the middle and fit it round the pipes to make a perfect finish. Bert calmed down immediately and I worked on many jobs with him in future, but we always got on well and had respect for each other from then on.

The system was finished, the heat was on and I was just cleaning up when Percy arrived back on the Monday morning.

I overheard Bert telling him what a great job I had done and smiled when Percy whispered, “Not so loud. He might get a swelled head as he is only halfway through his time.” ■ The still shot of lead wiping shown on the previous page is from a You Tube video, filmed in Christchurch. See it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5fyhqwLS3o

February/March 2016

57

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Blokes on bikes

REAL LIVES

Plumber Greg Jones was part of the team heading to Bluff on postie bikes recently—all for a good cause.

GREG JONES USED to go to Camp Bentzon as a boy. Set on Kawau Island in the Mahurangi region of Auckland, the camp gives youngsters from all around the country challenges to help them develop into confident and valuable members of society.

The Camp Bentzon Trust still runs the camp today, offering outdoor activities like swimming, fishing, kayaking and roped courses. Around 6,000 people benefit from what’s on offer each year, including school groups, clubs and families. However, its wharf—the only access to the youth adventure camp—is in less-than-perfect repair and that’s where the postie bike ride comes into the story.

Greg, who is a board member of the camp, had the idea to gather some fellow businessmen for a Postie Bike Challenge, riding the wee 105cc Honda CT110s from Auckland to Bluff in aid of the wharf rebuild, which is expected to cost $200,000 all up. He had always thought it would be a great idea to ride the South Island on a motorbike, and several other mates clearly agreed.

As the postie bikes have a weight limit of 105kg, the guys had to get training in preparation for the trip. “Some had to shed a bit because wearing all the right gear adds up,” says Greg, who runs Laser Plumbing Warkworth.

The full team of 15 Mahurangi/ Matakana businessmen, including

Above: A break at the Cardrona Hotel.

Above: Greg and the team get set for the challenge.

electricians, builders and maintenance workers, set off from Warkworth in early November, and rode 1,800km to their destination. It took them 10 days in all, travelling via the Tongariro National Park, Bulls, Wellington, Nelson, Westport, Franz Josef, Haast, Queenstown and Invercargill.

Each rider paid for his own accommodation and bike, with some riding on L-plates. Several support vehicles joined them, carrying a couple of barbeques and helping provide the food. Happily, two of the riders were mechanics.

“The bikes went well and the main challenge was being wet and cold when the weather was bad,” says Greg. “We had

lovely receptions almost everywhere we stayed, and lots of tooting vehicles on the journey.”

The group has set up a Give a Little page for donations, and has raised $25,000 so far. “Thanks to the many people who donated along the way and to our sponsors Hayfever Contractor, Rhodes for Roads, NZ Bio Security, Ideal Electrical, Laser Plumbing Warkworth, Brambles Café in Matakana and Transfield,” says Greg.

The group will be doing another fundraising trip in 2017—the more people the merrier! ■ If you’d like to donate to the cause, go to givealittle.co.nz/org/pbc

Above: The team reaches Westport.

February/March 2016

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TECH SAVVY

Customer feedback Online reviews and ratings can hype or hurt your business. Mike Major has six steps to help you manage your online reputation.

YOU’RE BUSY. OF course you are; you have a business to run.

In fact that’s true anywhere, as I’ve learned from working with business owners in 11 different countries over the last 14 years.

They share many other characteristics, too… Everyone wants to get more customers and make more sales. Most are also bewildered by the speed at which marketing is changing and struggle to find the time to keep up.

As one business owner said to me recently, keeping up with changes in online marketing should be an Olympic sport.

For example, it has always been important to have satisfied customers, but suddenly it’s becoming vital for business success because the huge growth in online reviews is rapidly changing the marketing landscape.

You risk losing control of your reputation, as prospective customers look to the experience of previous buyers. It’s not just business owners who are busy. These days, everybody is busy and, to save time, the line of least resistance for a potential buyer is to search for customer reviews.

Social proof

They’re looking for ‘social proof ’: a psychological phenomenon, sometimes called herd behaviour, where people look to others for clues about the best action to take.

That’s just a fancy way of saying that potential customers trust the opinions of previous customers. On its own, that’s nothing new. Smart business owners have always used testimonials. They understand that nothing beats an endorsement from a happy customer.

The difference is that you no longer have the power to edit their comments. You can’t choose which opinions to promote and which to ignore, especially if the feedback isn’t flattering.

We’ve all had that one customer who never seems satisfied—but now they can do enormous damage to your business, simply by sharing their opinion online.

These days, when potential clients, customers or patients are looking for a local business they look online. They ‘google’ it, or they might go to one of the many other review and directory sites.

In fact, the widely recognised BrightLocal study shows that 95 percent of new customers use a search engine to find a local service. And 90 percent of them say online reviews influence their purchases.

the huge growth in online reviews is rapidly changing the marketing landscape

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February/March 2016

New evidence

However, the most powerful evidence for the growing importance of online reviews appeared only recently, when Google made significant changes to the layout of their online search results.

Until early August 2015, searching for a local business brought up a ‘seven-pack’ of possible suppliers, with their contact details.

(How long is it since you searched for your business?)

Now there’s just a ‘snack-pack’ of three companies. Clicking on a business or clicking ‘More’ brings up a Google map with a longer list of possible suppliers. However, every listing now has an additional feature.

Any idea what it might be? The answer: Customer reviews.

These changes echo expert opinion that “many companies need to dramatically shift their marketing strategies to account for the rising power exerted on future customers by the opinions of existing customers” – according to a February 2014 article in the Harvard Business Review.

Your online reputation

How do you manage your online reviews and ratings? Here are six simple steps: 1. Assess your systems and customer service practices Obvious as it may seem, the first step is to make sure every customer is happy and has no reason to complain.

responding to reviews is a great way to build goodwill 2. Encourage reviews Unfortunately, you can’t remove bad reviews. Instead, you can dilute their effect with positive reviews—so encourage customer feedback. The BrightLocal study shows you need at least 10 recent online reviews.

3. Filter positive and negative feedback Use software such as Review Investigator (see reviewinvestigator. co.nz), which sends negative feedback to you, first, so you can deal with any issues before the customer leaves a review.

4. Stay alert to what’s being said about you In the digital era, one of the worst things that can happen is for someone to post an online review and you’re not aware of it. Set up a Google Alert to notify you when your business is mentioned anywhere online.

5. Respond to all reviews Responding to reviews is a great way to build goodwill. Your reply to a good review can reinforce a positive customer experience, while answering a bad review shows you care about customer concerns.

6. Build your online reputation BEFORE marketing your business If you invest in marketing without managing your online reviews, you may just end up sending your prospects to read negative reviews about you. It’s better to put a system in place to manage and respond to feedback and only then promote your business. That way, when prospects hear of you and search for reviews, you know what they’ll find.

Revise your marketing strategy

I’ve been surprised to find that, although Kiwis are quick to adapt to technology, businesses are generally slow to adopt new marketing practices—especially online. Review management is an example.

Search for a plumber in any US city (eg, ‘plumber Houston’) and you’ll find they almost all have strong ratings. In New Zealand, it’s the exception. Now is the time to incorporate review management into your marketing strategy, as the Harvard article suggests.

Why wait until you’re forced into damage control? Remember: at best, a bad review left unanswered will cause damage to your reputation. At worst, it’ll break your business. ■ About the author: Mike Major is an expat Kiwi, working with business owners in the US and 11 other countries. Read more articles at mikemajoronline.com, where you’ll also find a free guide on How to Respond to Online Reviews.

INNOVATE

Innovators awarded

New Zealand has a long history of innovation, upheld recently by two water-related product winners. Matthew Lowe reports.

ONE OF THEM involves getting us cleaner and the other deals with what lies within our mucky water, but both hi-tech developments in New Zealand have been hailed as the way of the future.

Methven has scooped awards worldwide for a halo-shaped shower head that aims to get more water on your body, while Terax has won plaudits for a system that makes better use of biosolids left over from wastewater treatment.

Both companies see these prize-winning ideas as the start of better things to come with work already underway for the next advance in their respective fields.

SPRAY FORCE The technology in Methven’s new Aurajet Aio shower range delivers up to 20 per cent more total spray force and twice the amount of water on the skin than a

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Above and below left: Methven’s Aurajet Aio range aims to deliver a more invigorating shower.

conventional shower, without using any extra water.

Methven Marketing Manager Marek Koliandr describes the range as its most advanced shower experience yet.

“Aurajet utilises nozzles hidden within the circular form to generate individual jets of water that collide against precisely angled surfaces within the showerhead, creating a fan of dense droplets,” he says. “With each hidden surface set at a different angle, we have been able to produce a wide, even shower spray with no gaps and enhanced droplet density.”

Methven’s Auckland-based design and

development team started work on the project over three-and-a-half years ago and it involved research in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.

The company enjoyed double success at the 2015 New Zealand Innovators Awards, with Aurajet winning the Innovation in Design and Engineering and the Export Innovator of the Year categories.

Marek says the firm’s design and development team is now working on future products. “There has been great consumer and customer feedback on the Aurajet Aio range and this provides a rich source of ideas for where to next.”

INNOVATE

WASTE CONVERSION Another winner at the annual Innovators Awards was Terax, which triumphed in the Innovation in Sustainability and Cleantech category for its waste conversion technology.

The company treats bio-waste as a recyclable source and its methods reduce wastewater, eliminate organic solids, sterilise them and recover useful components such as nitrogen and carbon for recycling.

The process involves two stages: hybrid anaerobic fermentation and hydrothermal oxidation. By using biological and chemical approaches when treating waste, it leads to substantial solids destruction and chemical recovery.

Rob Lei, Terax Business Development Manager, says the award is a “nice endorsement for a lot of people who have worked hard for a long time”.

About 10 years ago, staff at Crown Research Institute Scion were exploring ways to better manage waste products from paper mills. Then, in 2008, Rotorua

Above: Rob (right) receives the Innovation in Sustainability Award from Jason Judkins, CEO of award category sponsor Yealands.

Lakes Council was trying to find a way to deal with wastewater and sewage.

“That was the turning point that pushed the R&D programme from wood processing and paper mills into municipal waste streams,” Rob says. “At that stage we did land-based work on municipal sewage sludge and demonstrated what was possible.”

In 2012, funding was given to make

Above: Terax technology involves two stages and is a hybrid of anaerobic fermentation and hydrothermal oxidation.

a $12 million pilot plant for Rotorua.

Scion and the council set up Terax to commercialise the technology the following year and the first commercial plant is due to be built this year.

“Terax is building momentum in terms of taking the technology beyond Rotorua to other towns and countries. We’ve had conversations in Australia and further afield,” Rob says. “The sewage sludge sector is huge but the research programme that’s been going on for the past three years is now translating that technology to municipal solid waste organic fractions.

“What we do is certainly high-tech but the reality is you look around the world and waste treatment is getting more hitech and will be turning increasingly into resource recovery.

“How far we have got so far does not feel like anywhere near the finish line but it has really been satisfying validating a clean, sustainable technology in a highly competitive field in Rotorua and NZ.” ■ Entries for the 2016 Innovators Awards open in June. Find out more at www.innovators.org.nz

February/March 2016

63

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NEXT GENERATION

Plumbing gem James Shuker changed careers in his late thirties—and has proved a top performer.

A FORMER JEWELLERY manufacturer, James Shuker has proved to be worth his weight in gold as a MasterLink plumbing and gasfitting apprentice. James, or Jimmy as he’s better known, won the Top Stage 3 Apprentice at SIT’s awards ceremony last December. MasterLink South Island Regional Manager Roger Herd was there to present Jimmy with this Southland Master Plumbers Association award on the night.

Now 41 and married with two young boys, Jimmy began his working life by completing an 8,000-hour apprenticeship through Michael Hill Jewellers in Whangarei, but a combination of family life changes and recession led him to switch to plumbing in 2012. “I’d always had an interest in water and gas and thought I could make a career out of it,” he says.

“McIvor Plumbers and Gasfitters in Wanaka offered me an apprenticeship through the MasterLink programme, and it seemed a good way to benefit from the support of the company and MasterLink to gain my Plumbing and Gasfitting qualification.”

A family owned company that’s been around since 2000, McIvor’s is also the approved service agent for Contact Rockgas, among others.

Jimmy loves the daily variety of the job and particularly enjoys specialised work with the gas reticulation network in Wanaka and the surrounding areas. Now fully qualified, he is preparing to sit his registration exams.

Left: Jimmy also won a 2014 Plumbing World Scholarship.

Above: Jimmy (right) receiving his MasterLink apprentice completion certificate from Roger Herd.

it seemed a good way to benefit from the support Jimmy’s MasterLink host employer, Stu McIvor, was delighted by his apprentice’s success at the SIT awards. “This is great recognition of all the hard work and attention that Jimmy has put into his studies over the course of his apprenticeship,” he says. “He is a great asset and team player and I believe he is very deserving of this award. Thanks to Roger and the MasterLink team for their continued support.”

Jimmy was also the recipient of a Top Stage 2 award from SIT and, in 2014, picked up a Plumbing World Scholarship for showing great promise in the early stages of his apprenticeship. ■

February/March 2016

65

Hire a Masterlink apprentice today!

Masterlink removes the risks of taking on an apprentice. Here’s how: Masterlink recruits the best – all candidates are screened and tested before being matched with your business.

Masterlink is the employer – leave the recruitment, employment agreements, PAYE and paperwork to us!

Masterlink manages the apprenticeship – we look after all block course arrangements, regular appraisals, additional training needs and mentoring – making your job hassle free.

Masterlink helps your cashflow – we pay your apprentice while they’re on block course, holiday and sick leave.

Apprentice training fees and block course travel are also covered. You only pay the hours they work for you.

Masterlink provides the tools – we give your apprentice a tool allowance and PPE gear (boots, overalls etc) for the duration of their apprenticeship.

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Masterlink has high quality candidates ready and waiting to sign up to an apprenticeship. Call us today!

Freephone: 0800 502 102 Visit www.masterlink.co.nz Email admin@masterlink.co.nz

NEXT GENERATION

Challenge your skills!

Encouraging your young apprentices and employees to take part in the WorldSkills NZ regionals is a great way to boost their confidence and skills.

IN PREPARATION FOR next year’s WorldSkills Nationals, regional competitions will be held at polytechs around the country in 2016.

If you have an apprentice or employee who was born after 1994, it’s well worth encouraging them to enter. Participation doesn’t just put their trade skills to the test; it also helps with other areas, such as work organisation and communication skills.

The competition involves an eighthour challenge to complete a project, competing against a group of other young people. All are given support and training beforehand, and an identical work area on the day, with the same materials, equipment, instructions and list of tools to bring.

The bigger picture

Winners from the regional competitions may be chosen to take part in the National event from 29 September-2 October at Wintec in Hamilton. From here, the New Zealand Tool Black team is selected for the International competition, which will be held in Abu Dhabi in 2017.

The bar is set high for the Internationals. Contestants need to know how to use specifications and drawings, and how to produce simple freehand sketches including isometric.

They’re also tested on their knowledge of estimating, selecting and costing equipment and materials.

For the hands-on stuff, there’s a test project to assess their ability to install plumbing and heating pipework brackets and clips, and prefabricate the pipework layouts into sub-assemblies. Competitors also need to understand how to connect and test completed pipework, and commission assemblies and appliances.

Knowledge of how to repair, maintain and replace appliances is expected, too.

Marks are given for the accuracy of the dimensions, pressure test, joint quality, bends and angles, plumb and level,

Above: Putting plumbing skills to the test.

material usage, health and safety—and completion of the project within the allocated time!

It’s not just about installation expertise, either. For example, marks are also given for a good understanding of: • •

use, maintenance, care and potential risks of equipment purpose and use of manufacturers’ specifications

• • • • •

work scheduling keeping a safe, tidy work space selecting appropriate tools and PPE customer service and care the purpose of documentation. ■

For more info and an online entry form to the 2016 WorldSkills NZ Regional Competitions, visit www.worldskills.org.nz

Coming to a tech near you!

Competition venue

Date

Coordinator

MIT, Auckland

11 June

Paul Hollings: paul.hollings@manukau.ac.nz

Wintec, Hamilton

21 May

Derek Pinkerton: derek.pinkerton@gallagher.com

WelTec, Wellington

28 May

Vaughan Crimmins: crimmo@netaccess.co.nz

CPIT, Christchurch

21/22 May

Dennis Taylor: dennis.taylor@cpit.ac.nz

SIT, Invercargill

as part of block courses

Glenys McKenzie: glenys@apprenticeships.net

February/March 2016

67

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Industrial chic

Power to the pump

New Dorf tapware mixes industrial styling with a bold splash of colour.

Aussie Pumps enjoys a powerful partnership with Honda.

One of the strongest emerging trends in design is the industrial aesthetic combined with an infusion of colour. Dorf Industrie is the epitome of this design trend in reality.

Dorf Industrie is available in a Basin Mixer and Tower Basin mixer. Each features a twin tap handle in a choice of red, black or white. Quality European internals, including ¼ turn ceramic discs, concealed aerators and Ultraflex PEC hoses for superior durability and flexibility combine to deliver a mixer that will not only create a stunning bathroom piece but one that will last the test of time.

To demonstrate the confidence Caroma have in the quality of the craftsmanship of all Dorf tapware, they have increased their residential warranty to 20 years.

Full warranty terms can be viewed at caroma.co.nz

Aussie Pumps, a leading supplier of high-pressure fire pumps and engine drive transfer pumps, has been awarded one of very few Honda Platinum partnerships—a clear indication of the unique relationship and mutual support that has stood the test of time over the last 20 years, says Aussie Pump’s Product Manager, Brad Farrugia.

Australian Pump offers a comprehensive range of Honda powered, petrol drive pumps from 1” through to 6”. The range starts with Aussie’s Ultralite Model QP1, powered by a 1hp lightweight 4 stroke Honda engine. These lightweight, high speed 1” pumps produce up to 40 metres head and flows to 120 litres per minute.

“Aussie Pumps owe a huge amount of its success as Australia’s foremost self-priming pump manufacturer/distributor to the support we get from Honda’s quality, engineering advice and aftermarket programme,” says Brad.

For more information, go to www.aussiepumps.com.au

Echo enhanced Methven’s New Echo Slide Shower has been relaunched.

Engineered according to Methven specifications, the new Echo Rail Shower combines high quality, good looks and convenience. It is sturdily constructed and is ultra-reliable even in heavy everyday use applications, making it a perfect solution for the trade as well as individual consumers.

The new Echo Rail Shower now comes with adjustable wall brackets, making the job of replacing and renovating an old rail shower easy. Hole spacing range from 420mm to 620mm.

Consumers can choose either the 1 function Rail Shower—designed for all pressure—or a 3 function Rail Shower, designed for mains pressure only. The 3 function spray setting includes normal, massage and a combination of both.

Additional benefits include: • Reliable, consistent performance • Superior quality ceramic cartridge to prevent leaking and dripping • Full Methven after-sales support and service including detailed technical and installation information • 5 year warranty Find out more at www.methven.com/nz 68

February/March 2016

Eyes on the road Teletrac Navman launches GPS tracking software with new driver behaviour and safety analytics.

Teletrac Navman DIRECTOR helps businesses improve fleet management efficiency by providing unparalleled data about their workforce’s driving habits. The powerful new platform is the result of collaboration between the engineering teams of Navman Wireless and its newly combined sister company Teletrac Inc. DIRECTOR’s new complete driver and vehicle behaviour solution, Safety Analytics, provides a view into fleet activity, showing driver and vehicle behaviours in real time, promoting better behaviour within company vehicle fleets.

Comprising a visual event viewer and driver scorecards, the software feature enables businesses to monitor and replay unsafe driving events on the road. The real-time scorecard function creates comprehensive reports, summarising unsafe road behaviour and giving side-by-side driver rankings.

Find out more at www.navmanwireless.com.au/solutions/director

RAUTITAN ONE

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Sleeve Tool Fitting

Water. Gas. Heating.

NEW in 2016!

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AND FINALLY

Offcuts

The latest media scraps of the plumbing kind.

Toilet roll trauma

In a recent opinion piece in the Otago Daily Times, Sasha Turner lamented the fact that her husband never replaces the toilet paper when the roll runs out. Even a shop-bought placard above the toilet, that reads “Replacing the toilet paper will not cause brain damage” has had no effect. A stubborn battle of wills led Sasha to leave toilet roll carcasses mounting up in the bathroom, until threat of a mention in her newspaper column got husband taking action. But the question must be asked, she says, as to why it is so hard for men to remove empty toilet rolls, despite the fact the toilet paper was invented by a man in the first place? Apparently, one Joseph C. Gayetty of New York first produced this important addition to the bathroom in 1857.

Oldest water cylinder?

In January, a reader sent the NZ Herald a photo of the test certificate on a water cylinder they had just had replaced. The photo appeared in the newspaper’s Sideswipe column, along with a few words from the reader. Apparently, the plumber who removed the cylinder said it was the oldest he had ever seen. As the apartment was built in 1981, the reader assumed it was 35 years old until they saw the test certificate… dated 9 November 1939. Now that’s what we call durability!

The perfect BBQ

Thanks to Master Plumbers Business Development Manager Catherine Schuster for sending through this photo, spotted on Facebook, of the ideal summer set up…

Kick-start the year Take on an apprentice

To find out more call 0508 SKILLS (0508 754 557) or visit skills.org.nz/TRADES

Pipework Pegasus

An offender at Christchurch Men’s Prison crafted a mythical Pegasus from scrap copper pipe while learning plumbing skills on site, then decided to auction the sculpture through TradeMe in December to raise funds for the Salvation Army and Prison Chaplaincy Service. The Christchurch Mail reported in December that the prisoner had used all his break time to make the sculpture as a way of demonstrating various welding skills.

Weighing around 100kg and with a wingspan of around 1.5m, the horse stands nearly 2m high. Within the first 24 hours of going on TradeMe the horse had more than $3,000 in bids.

Gonna make you a star

Whangaparaoa plumber Logan Dodds became an overnight internet sensation when his Summer Daze video of his Europe trip went viral last October, viewed more than 1.3 million times on Facebook according to an article late last year in the Rodney Times. The paper reports that the 24-year-old plumber has since filmed a follow-up video, Higher Place, documenting his twoweek adventure on the West Coast of America. He admits to finding the whole thing “pretty surreal”, according to the article, with live TV interviews, sponsorship opportunities and work with global brands. But he’s loving the ride!

Life’s too short

Possibly the best health & safety advert ever?

Firebird diesel boilers Quiet, high efficiency diesel boilers that deliver on any central heating demands • Lower running costs than a heat pump • Ideal for radiators, underfloor and DHW production • Can be installed indoors or outdoors • Residential & commercial options available

NZ’s most popular diesel boiler

Just not cricket?

Improvements to the toilets and plumbing are among the longoverdue upgrades about to begin at Wellington’s Basin Reserve cricket ground. According to the Dominion Post, Wellingtonians have come to love the venue’s shabbiness, but it just doesn’t cut the mustard as a world-class cricket venue. This will be the first repair phase of six over five years, with New Zealand Cricket apparently threatening to take big test matches elsewhere unless they see vast improvements.

P: 0800 357 1233 E: info@centralheating.co.nz w: www.centralheating.co.nz

The more stars the more water efficient

WATER RATING A joint government and industry program Licence No 0060

4.5

litres per full flush

3

litres per half flush

3.3 litres per average flush When tested in accordance with Standard AS/NZS 6400

For more information and to compare products, refer to:

www.waterrating.gov.au

TopTop View View 50 50 115115 400400 155155

Top View 50 115 400 155 Side View 660

Top View Top View Top View

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Std Vario Std Vario pan pan connector connector S-trap S-trap installation installation Minimum Minimum set out set out

375 375 375

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DODGY Plumbing

AND FINALLY

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

There’s no sign of dodgy work slowing down just yet.

We’ve got two full pages this edition!

Stuff I’ve seen “Stuff I’ve seen around the country—we all see things,” says Bruce, who sent in this dodgy collection. And the bamboo pole on the roof?

“Well that was to keep the flue straight on a Housing New Zealand property.”

Ain’t got time for that

Marc Firman of Laser Plumbing East Tamaki saw this installation on a new build while out on a run. “Funny how they tried to fit it one way then moved to another side and it still doesn’t comply at all. That’s what happens in a busy environment and no checking or compliance,” says Marc.

DIY can cost dear

Grayson Allen of Peak Plumbing & Gas sent in this photo, with a warning tale. “Another good reason not to let the homeowner take advice from a ‘plumber mate’ and then do the work himself. The local Council put a notice to rectify for any new purchaser. House is on the market, with potentially $20,000 worth of work to do to meet current standards.”

February/March 2016

73

AND FINALLY

Terminal case

Two photos of shonky terminal vent installations sent in by Chris Downey of Tuffnell Plumbing & Drainage. “Looks like the window was added later on and the plumber did not have any bends to offset around the window,” he says of the first. And the second? “Clearly this window was never meant to be opened, as the terminal vent sits right over the opening.”

Stormin’

“Here’s a good one for you. This is the drain for the storm water!!!!” Thanks to Scott Witty for sending this one in.

Lost and found

Another dodgy plumbing/ gasfitting installation sent in by Dale Lovell at Heron Plumbing.

“We got called to install a new kitchen next door to this one and noticed this when we arrived—no concrete plinth and the chains don’t hold much.

Didn’t leak but potentially could if they fell over.”

Dale also sent the photo to Nova Energy, whose name was on the bottles. “They came back straight away and said they would investigate. They also said they didn’t have an account at that address, so they were quite happy to find two missing bottles.”

Home handicraft

Russ Dixon of Houghtons Plumbing sent in this interesting take on plumbing.

“This was behind the linings of a bathroom.

It was live. Not sure how you would get to the valve to turn it off LOL.”

Please send the biggest size photos you have.

The bigger the file, the bigger we can show it on the page!

74

February/March 2016

Backflow bypass

“A double check valve with a bypass, which I removed prior to testing,” says Craig Tremeer of Complete Plumbing Services, who sent in this photo.

Lucky to be alive

“Open flued gas heater fitted in a bedroom—we were called in because the owner kept getting headaches,” says Rich Hutchinson of Turfrey.

“Case of carbon monoxide poisoning—lucky to be alive.

The heater has now been removed and an external unit installed. Note the hot water bottle: could have kept them warm in the coffin!”

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