50 FEATURES
The industry and standards
For many decades, the South African Bureau of Standards( SABS) has been the bastion of standards and has been recognised as such internationally.
By
Rory Macnamara
As a result of the separation of standards and testing from enforcement, it took 16 long years for the powers that be to realise that partial testing( which worked when the two functions had been combined) was an escape route for less-than-honest manufacturers, designers and installers.
We asked various professional bodies to respond to 9 questions in this regard. Thank you to the Institute of Plumbing South Africa( IOPSA), the South African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association( SAPPMA), the Joint Acceptance Scheme for Water Services Installation Components( JASWIC), and the Polymer Hot & Cold Technology Association( PHACT) for their responses. It is not surprising that no response was received from the Water Institute of Southern Africa( WISA) and the South African Local Government Association( SALGA), the latter being statutory and the one where their members— the municipalities— are very much at the centre of the enforcement problem!
In JASWIC being representative of local authorities water engineers, it is necessary for most of the questions to be posed to this committee. So the lion’ s share of the answers will be reported on at a later stage. JASWIC, however, is a voluntary body that is an ease of reference for those in the field. SABS has always been a requirement to appear on the JASWIC list, as is having a test certificate. As these are both affected by the SABS, JASWIC needs to drill down into how to handle the‘ new regime’.
We have been conditioned to refer to‘ SABS approved’— anything else is / was unacceptable. The theory that other country standards are applicable to South Africa is, for good reason, fundamentally flawed. Why would each country have their own standards if one can fit all? When the SABS / NRCS( National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications) change happened some 16 years ago, the South African National Standard( SANS) was established. Up to now, SANS has been conducting the testing, as no other test centre could handle some of the intricate testing.
So the reference now must be‘ SANS approved’. This has changed dramatically with the SABS mishandling the issue and causing much angst in many industries, not only plumbing.
So we have let industry speak for itself. Questions by Plumbing Africa are identified with the acronym PA, and answers are identifiable from the respective professional body acronyms as listed above.
PA: Briefly describe your body’ s involvement with standards IOPSA: We represent all industry players and, mostly importantly, the protection of the public. IOPSA’ s key objectives are to uplift industry standards and to ensure enforcement of these standards through the available mechanisms. SAPPMA: One of our key focus areas is long-term product quality, and as such, we are intimately involved with standards— both national standards and some of our own( additional) standards. We regularly sample products of members at random and have it tested according to the relevant national standards. We also get involved in the development or amendment of national standards with SANS. PHACT: Since its formation in 2004, PHACT has assisted the SABS in developing or adopting the correct standards for polymer hot and cold piping systems— and keeping them updated. We are represented on SABS technical committees to ensure that this is achieved. JASWIC: JASWIC is represented on the body that develops standards, as well as amends existing standards.
PA: Has the industry you represent had bad experiences with SABS testing and delays in issuing certificates of approval under SANS? IOPSA: We have had numerous meetings with manufacturers and conducted industry surveys. The quick answer is most definitely yes, with the biggest concerns being that the SABS permits expiry and it invoices for renewals but does not deliver testing or
February 2017 Volume 22 I Number 12 www. plumbingafrica. co. za