16 DESIGN : DEAR PLUMBERS
Quality Assurance
By
D . S ( Vollie ) Brink Pr . Eng . MSAICE , MPMISA
TThe engineer / technologist / technician must register as professional after completion of an engineering degree or a technological degree or a diploma and plus minus four years ’ design and practical experience .
Vollie Brink is one of the industry ’ s longest-serving wet services engineers . He continues to serve on SABS committees and has been involved in the Green Building Council ’ s Green Star rating system . Brink continues to consult for various organisations while enjoying a wellearned retirement .
During these four years , the candidate must follow a training programme called the ‘ 11 Outcomes ’.
This is a comprehensive , intensive , programme of training which thoroughly prepares the young ( or old ) engineers for registration as a professional engineer , technologist , or technician .
This professional engineering person will have gone through this course under other professional engineers as mentors and training to ensure this person has enough knowledge and practical experience to carry out complex design and to manage projects .
The education and training of the plumber cannot be compared with the education and training of the engineer , but the education and training of the plumber is critically important as it is required for the practical part of the project and development , and this requires education and training on a more practical level and level of competence .
The engineer cannot do the work of the plumber and therefore needs a plumber as a ‘ partner ’, and so too the plumber with the engineer .
We need engineers and we need plumbers , and we need them both as a ‘ team ’. We need their level of competence , which comes from their education , training , and experience , and they must work together and ‘ sit around the table to negotiate issues or develop new standards or change standards which will affect design or installation , and when there are negotiations with the authorities .
The engineer and the plumber must respect the value of each other and the contributions by each other and the potential of working together . The engineer is primarily responsible for design , and in the case of municipal water and sanitation services and the water services of buildings , the plumber plays a key role in the construction and installation and development .
www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline August 2021 Volume 27 I Number 6