NEWS
5
New industry labelling
scheme answers sectoral
requirements
The next big change for the plumbing industry is making
its way to address some of the challenges of product
compliance.
By Benjamin Brits
Following on from the October issue of Plumbing
Africa where we introduced the new and exciting
changes in the plumbing industry, we further
unpack the new labelling scheme and its benefits.
Named the South African Watermark (SAW), the
scheme is the result of a two-year development
process by the Institute of Plumbing South Africa
(IOPSA), under the participation and leadership of
the industry.
SAW was initiated as a response to industry’s needs
and requests for assistance in identifying compliant
products according to the South African National
Standards (SANS). IOPSA has driven the creation of the
scheme on behalf of industry and strongly supports its
intended role and objectives.
The scheme has been established as a not-for-profit
organisation with its objective purely to be a value-
added service to the industry, thereby increasing the
level of quality and safety in the plumbing sector for the
ultimate benefit of the end user. The team comprises
industry members with decades of substantial
knowledge of the sector, supported by international
experts, and is headed by executive director,
Herman Strauss.
HOW EVERYTHING WORKS
With the many different product references and claims
in the market, it becomes extremely difficult to know
what products to choose, and to know their compliance
status. The base of SAW’s model is a register with
a vast array of products that comply with SANS
standards. This register will be publicly accessible
through all electronic platforms.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
"The requirements of
SAW’s processes afford
the confidence that each
product that is listed will
consistently meet quality
and standards."
So, whether you are a plumber, architect, specifier, or
building your own home, SAW’s online platform or app
offers the flexibility of being able to search through the
register for listed products per application or to verify
a product’s compliance at the store, prior to purchase,
by scanning the product’s barcode. SAW’s register is
a voluntary list and may therefore not list all compliant
products, but the usefulness of the register across
multiple sectors is invaluable.
Although manufacturers and suppliers voluntarily join
SAW, to date there has been an overwhelming support
from the industry. Strauss is happy to report that many
companies have been excited to list their products
on the register. In fact, there is already a long list of
companies that are queuing to be listed. Compliance
with SANS remains the essential foundation element.
Another major benefit of the register is the detail to
be made available to users because at the moment, a
product is either certified as compliant or not. It is not
possible to see the product or to understand more about
it. Through SAW, there will be access to an extensive
database of images, diagrams, and details about each
product through the online search functionality.
November 2018 Volume 24 I Number 9