EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
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view , Klopstra said that it was important to ensure that the bathroom was laid out correctly within the building area so that it would not be disruptive in terms of noise . “ Using the correct materials , such as thicker pipes , also help dampen the sound .”
Chris Coetzee from OHSS Consulting presented on the importance of occupational health and safety compliance in the plumbing industry . He explained that plumbers often miss out on great business opportunities because they do not meet the occupational health and safety requirements . “ The Occupational Health and Safety Act says you must provide and have a system of works ,” he said . The system of works consists of documents , policies , signs , and a first aid box , among others . “ These are things as owners of companies that you need to know in accordance with normal basic occupational health and safety law ,” Coetzee added . During his presentation , he also mentioned the importance of maintaining the system of works throughout the company .
Coetzee highlighted the fact that plumbing company owners are liable for anything that happens to their employees while working on site . He mentioned that it was important for plumbing company owners to inform and educate their employees on their responsibilities in terms of occupational health and safety .
The Building and Construction Industry Medical Aid Fund ( BCIMA ) gave a presentation that discussed the importance of having affordable medical aid cover and the different cover options that are available to those in the plumbing industry .
IOPSA vice-president and Gauteng chairman , Ryder Rollinson , followed with some feedback on behalf of the institution ’ s Gauteng committee . He started by expressing gratitude towards the Gauteng committee for their involvement and efforts in IOPSA . “ Ladies and gentlemen , these people that you see here all give up their time freely for the good cause of the Institute of Plumbing .” He then went on to discuss the remaining IOPSA events for 2017 and commented on various initiatives in which the institute is involved . He concluded with a roundup of the institution ’ s membership across the country and the continued commitment towards improving the plumbing industry .
IOPSA ’ s national technical manager , Mark de Wet , was the penultimate speaker and he gave feedback on behalf of the technical committee . New requirements of SANS 151 and SANS 10254 — and the effect they have on geyser installations — were briefly discussed . Steve Brown , IOPSA ’ s operations manager , concluded the evening ’ s presentations with comments on challenges faced by the institution and how they are working through these . Brown stressed the significance of plumbers adhering to the industry ’ s regulations and standards . “ If we want to be professionals , we need to have that continuous professional development ,” Brown said . He also discussed the ongoing issue of plumbers losing business to unqualified and unregistered plumbers .
According to Brown , it is essential for colleges to provide adequate training to student plumbers ; however , some colleges unfortunately do not have the required materials and capacity to do so successfully . Overall , Brown mentioned that the industry still has many challenges to overcome ; yet , it is moving in a positive direction . “ We certainly are going forward in terms of training . We really want to hear from you guys how we can do better ,” Brown concluded . PA
An informative presentation by BCIMA .
www . plumbingafrica . co . za October 2017 Volume 23 I Number 8