ASSOCIATIONS
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Why is it important to issue
a non-compliance notice?
By Erene Oberholtzer, PIRB Communications Officer
Calling all plumbers: Here’s what you need to know about non-
compliance notices.
As the name implies, a non-compliance notice
gives notice of any non-compliance issues. In
the plumbing industry, this notice is required
as part of the work to notify the homeowner
(consumer) of any issues of plumbing non-
compliance. This must ultimately be done
in writing.
Notifications of non-compliance is a requirement of
both the Consumer Protection Act and the mandatory
standards. Furthermore, the ultimate purpose of the
non-compliance notice is twofold: firstly, so as to
protect the consumer of any and or potential dangers
and performance issue that are or may arise from the
existing installation, and secondly, so as to protect
the you the plumber in terms of any future liability of
the homeowner of any pre-existing items of non-
compliance. It is therefore critical that the licensed
plumber is aware of the standards to notify accordingly.
"The notice must be clear and
understandable and detailed in such
a way that the consumer is made aware of
the risks about the items that are
non-compliant."
All items of the plumbing works that do not comply with
the plumbing installation must be written on the non-
compliance notice. Further to this, the notice must be
clear and understandable and detailed in such a way that
the consumer is made aware of the risks about the items
that are non-compliant.
At the end of the day, the homeowner is responsible for
fixing and or carrying the cost of the non-compliance. A
plumber’s responsibility is to draw attention to the pre-
existing non-compliance and the risk associated with it. If
the homeowner wishes for you to quote on the rectifying
of the non-compliance and make use of your services,
you are free to do so. You are not precluded from doing
this in any way. We do however caution you that the
notification and quoting should be done before any work
been undertaken as this will most likely lead to a dispute
if done after.
What will happen if I do not issue a non-compliance?
Not issuing the notice means you are falling foul of
the regulations and further you will be issued with a
rectification notice by the PIRB. Secondly, in the case of
any future liability, you may be held jointly and liable for
claims resulting from the installation.
Erene Oberholtzer, PIRB Communications Officer.
March 2020 Volume 26 I Number 01
Can I issue a non-compliance on a new installation or new
work undertaken by myself? In the case of newly built
installation undertaken by yourself, there should never be
any non-compliance, and therefore no non-compliance
notice should have to be issued. In the case where you
are working on a pre-existing installation, the actual work
undertaken by yourself must be compliant and as part of
meeting that compliance requirement, you must notify the
homeowner in writing of any non-compliance. PA
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