TERENE THARAGAN ’ S NEW POSITION
Having Our Say
BUILDING SUB-COUNCIL WELCOMES FIRST HVAC REPRESENTATIVE
By David Arthur
The HVAC industry has gained more control over decisions that directly affect it with the appointment of Terene Tharagan to the Building Sub-Council ( BSC ) of the Alberta Safety Codes Council ( SCC ). His new position will enhance the sub-council ’ s coverage of all aspects of the building trades .
Alberta ’ s safety codes system depends on a strong partnership between Alberta Municipal Affairs and the SCC . The goal is to ensure the system is effective , accountable , comprehensive and sustainable , and to maintain public confidence in it . The SCC administers the codes through a permit-inspection system carried out by safety codes officers , and offers advice and recommendations to the Minister regarding codes and standards .
The SCC has 10 sub-councils , but the HVAC industry ’ s new seat is on the BSC , as most of the related codes fall under the Alberta Building Code .
Tharagan , owner and president of Aspen Heating and Air Conditioning Ltd . in Calgary , represents the Sheet Metal Contractors Association of Alberta ( SMCAA ) on the sub-council . Formerly , plumbers and gas fitters on the sub-council made the decisions affecting the HVAC industry . “ The industry was being under-served and the public safety was possibly being compromised ,” he said . The sub-council seeks the SMCAA ’ s input through him while the association seeks changes , clarifications and new codes ( in the form of STANDATA ) that best serve the HVAC industry .
Tharagan explained that the gas fitters and plumbers “ were , in our view , making uninformed decisions for an industry in which they did not have adequate training or knowledge . That shortfall is now being fixed by the representation from the industry by a person like me .” He said only sheet metal journeymen have the training and experience to understand the breadth and depth of the HVAC industry , as other trades do not cover important things such as air quality and air movement .
Prior to owning Aspen Heating , Tharagan worked for 16 years with Canadian Pacific and Canadian National railways in various marketing , finance and strategy roles . His background is in mechanical engineering and he spent about a decade working in that field in his native India . He also holds an MBA from McGill University . Tharagan ’ s decision to make use of his engineering qualifications led to his purchase of Aspen Heating .
“ I thought , why don ’ t I go back to my roots ? And that ’ s when I decided
to buy ( Aspen ),” said Tharagan , who was nominated for BSC membership in May 2016 . His term runs until January 2019 .
“ Any construction activity in Alberta has to follow safety activities based on the Safety Codes Act . So the council administers and monitors all safety-related aspects of construction . Monitoring the safety practices . Monitoring the application of safety in the trades . And they also manage the permitting and inspection system ,” said Tharagan .
He views his biggest challenge as impressing upon the SMCAA that it needs to take advantage of its new representation .
“ I will be a liaison between the association and the Safety Codes Council so as to represent the best interest of the association and the public . At the end of the day , the Safety Codes Council ’ s mandate is to protect the people . So my role will be to help the association take advantage of the representation that they have on the Building Sub- Council ,” he said . •
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