SA Affordable Housing July - August 2019 // Issue: 77 | Page 38

PLUMBING JUNCTION
Uplifting standards
of plumbing in SA
By IOPSA
T
he Institute of Plumbing South Africa (IOPSA) was established in 1989 to
address standards and create a voice for the plumber regarding training
and industry related matters. For IOPSA representing all who trade within
the plumbing sector such as plumbers, plumbing merchants, manufacturers
and training providers has proved highly successful.
Over the past 30 years IOPSA has created a brand that has cemented its
place as the ‘voice of industry’. This is seen by recognition by local
government, the insurance sector, the Department of Higher Education, the
South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) and many other leading bodies.
IOPSA has truly met and exceeded the mandate given by its founding member
of 1989 with its achievements executed by dedicated volunteers in every province.
With regional representation, IOPSA assists both plumbers and consumers
on technical requests or assists with training and dispute resolution. The key
focus is that should a consumer engage with an IOPSA member, there is
accountability and recourse for the consumer in the event of a dispute; IOPSA
will conduct a site visit and provide a detailed report to assist both parties in
finding a resolution. It is important to know that IOPSA does not get involved
with monetary issues, we cannot stipulate prices as the industry is not
regulated in this way.
IOPSA has reached many milestones over the past 30 years including
hosting the World Plumbing Council National Conference twice, our
involvement with World Skills and gaining support from both German and
Swiss funders to assist with training and solar projects.
One key point arising from the previous energy crisis is that Eskom asked
IOPSA how many plumbers there are in South Africa. Without a database of
qualified plumbers available, IOPSA with the department of trade and industry
and representation from the National Regulator of Compulsory Standards
(NRCS), conducted a fact-finding delegation to Melbourne, Australia, to
evaluate how the monitoring and registration of plumbers is conducted by its
Plumbing Industry Commission.
As a result, IOPSA established the Plumbing Industry Registration Board
(PIRB) that has created a significant impact within the South African plumbing
industry. IOPSA conducts weekly training for plumbers through webinars and
industry regional meetings, as well as delivers workshops and practical training.
IOPSA is not mandatory for every plumbing company to join, the criteria for
membership is simply to ensure that the member is compliant and has all
necessary insurances in place to obtain membership. Accountability is key to
ensuring that the consumer is supported in the event of any dispute.
IOPSA, over the past few years, asserts that training is a key component in
terms of uplifting standards and identifies accredited training providers across
the country to ensure a high quality of training is achieved for the industry.
The IOPSA national office, based in Gauteng, has grown to include support
to members and consumers with a national training officer and national
technical manager. It also has a fully structured auditing department that
conducts audits on behalf of the PIRB where Certificates of Compliance (CoC)
are issued for work carried out by a licensed plumber, all of which complement
our motto of ‘uplifting standards’.
IOPSA continues to lead by example in giving a voice to plumbers and
ensuring that necessary training is delivered. IOPSA, on a weekly basis, also
supplies training to local building inspectors to keep them abreast of changes
within the plumbing industry.
With representation at the SABS and through establishing manufacturer
and insurance forums, IOPSA is key in ensuring that the voice of the industry is
consistently heard going forward.
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JULY - AUGUST 2019
www.saaffordablehousing.co.za