Pursuant to sections 28 and 30 of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 ("the Act"), the following notice is given.
N o t i c e
1. Title-This notice may be cited as the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (Plumbing Registration and Licensing) Notice 2010.
2. Commencement-This notice comes into force on 1 April 2010.
3. Plumbing registration and licensing-Pursuant to sections 28 and 30 of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006, the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board ("the board") designates the classes of plumbing registration and prescribes matters relating to plumbing registration and licensing as set out in the Schedule of this notice.
Schedule
Plumbing classes of registration, authorised work for each class of registration, minimum standards for registration, and terms and conditions of licensing under the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006
Part A-Certifying Plumbers
1. Authorised work
A certifying plumber, who holds a current certifying plumbing practising licence issued by the board:
(a) may carry out sanitary plumbing (as defined in the Act); and
(b) must be responsible for any supervision, testing and verification of the plumbing undertaken by:
(i) licensed plumbers;
(ii) holders of provisional licences ("provisional licensees");
(iii) trainee plumbers who hold limited certificates to undertake plumbing ("trainee plumbers"); and
(iv) persons carrying out plumbing pursuant to section 19 of the Act ("exempt persons")
2. Minimum standards for registration
(1) To be registered as a certifying plumber a person must have:
(a) held a licence as a licensed plumber (or as a registered plumber under the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 1976 ("the 1976 Act")) for a continuous period of not less than two years under the supervision of a certifying plumber (or a craftsman plumber under the 1976 Act); and
(b) passed the three-hour certifying plumber examination (reference 9195) set by the board; and
(c) passed the three-hour certifying common examination (reference 9194) set by the board.
(2) The certifying plumber examination and the certifying common examination, referred to above, will be set by the board so that to pass the examinations the applicant must demonstrate the following competencies:
(a) Advanced knowledge of design and verification processes, accepted workmanship practice, plumbing techniques and the technologies employed to meet compliance requirements, including the testing of installations and materials.
(b) Advanced knowledge of trade calculations and sciences relevant to plumbing and their application in verification processes and design of plumbing and sanitary plumbing systems.
(c) Advanced knowledge of the selection of materials, their properties and application used in the design and specification of plumbing and sanitary plumbing systems.
(d) Advanced knowledge of the design of heating and ventilation systems using water, air and gas.
(e) Advanced knowledge of plumbing and sanitary plumbing systems and components including cladding and rainwater handling systems.
(f) Ability to access legislation, standards and codes of practice relating to plumbing and sanitary plumbing to meet compliance requirements.
(g) Advanced knowledge of energy efficiency, conservation and environmentally-considerate processes relevant to plumbing and sanitary plumbing.
(h) Advanced knowledge of building construction and how it is affected by installation of plumbing and sanitary plumbing services and appliances.
(i) Advanced knowledge of the integration of other building sectors in the construction industry.
(j) Advanced knowledge of business operations in so far as they relate to health and safety to members of the public, to the prevention of damage and property and to ensuring the competency of persons undertaking plumbing.
3. Terms and conditions of licence
(1) Certifying plumbers must hold a current certifying plumber practising licence to undertake sanitary plumbing work, as follows:
(a) To be eligible to obtain a licence, certifying plumbers must, in the year ending 31 March 2012, and each year thereafter, obtain a minimum of 12 continual professional development ("CPD") points. A minimum of 8 CPD points must be technical plumbing points and a maximum of 4 may be non-technical.
(b) In the year ending 31 March 2012, and each year thereafter, those certifying plumbers who wish also to apply for a licence as a gasfitter or drainlayer, and are required to attain CPD points in order to uplift the additional licence, must obtain a minimum of 20 CPD points, with a minimum of 8 technical points for plumbing and 8 technical points for the additional licence type.
(c) In the year ending 31 March 2012, and each year thereafter, those certifying plumbers who wish also to apply for licences as a gasfitter and drainlayer, and are required to attain CPD points in order to uplift the additional
two licences, must obtain a minimum of 24 CPD points, with a minimum of 8 technical points for each of the three licence types.
(2) CPD points can only be obtained by completing programmes of learning that are accredited by the board prior to the course being undertaken. CPD points will not be allocated for courses that have not been accredited by the board except in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Registrar of the board. Carry over of excess points from a previous year may be allowed at the discretion of the board.
(3) At all times when undertaking sanitary plumbing work, certifying plumbers must be able to produce, on demand, a current certifying plumber licence card issued by the board.
(4) Where testing and verification is necessary to meet the requirements of the regulations under this Act, or the Building Act 2004, the certifying plumber is responsible for the testing and verification of the sanitary plumbing work carried out by licensed plumbers, provisional licensed plumbers, limited certificate trainee plumbers and persons exempt pursuant to section 19 of the Act, working under their supervision. Where work is undertaken by exempt persons pursuant to section 19 of the Act, the certifying plumber must test and verify the work.
(5) A certifying plumber must ensure that plumbing undertaken by persons under the supervision of that certifying plumber (which may include licensed plumbers, provisional licensees, trainee plumbers and exempt persons):
(a) is performed competently;
(b) is the subject of appropriate safety measures; and
(c) complies with the requirements of the relevant regulations, including those regulations made pursuant to the Building Act 2004.
(6) A certifying plumber must ensure that all persons under supervision:
(a) are competent to perform the tasks they undertake;
(b) are adequately supervised or overseen (as applicable);
(c) comply with the relevant regulations, including the regulations made pursuant to the Building Act 2004; and
(d) with respect to an exempt person and a trainee plumber, can produce on demand a current identification card issued by the board.
(7) A certifying plumber must ensure that, during the first year of holding a limited certificate, a trainee plumber is at all times working in the presence of the supervising certifying plumber or a licensed plumber who is supervised by the same certifying plumber.
(8) A certifying plumber must ensure that, during the first two years of working under an exemption pursuant to section 19 of the Act, the exempt person is at all times working in the presence of the certifying plumber supervising them or a licensed plumber who is supervised by the same certifying plumber or a person authorised pursuant to section 18 of the Act.
(9) A certifying plumber must notify the board of the name, address and telephone number of every exempt person under supervision prior to the exempt person first carrying out any plumbing work under the certifying plumber’s supervision and on or before 1 April each year.
(10) A certifying plumber must pay a fee, as prescribed by the board, in respect of notified exempt persons under supervision.
(11) A certifying plumber who ceases to supervise a person previously supervised by that certifying plumber must notify the board of this fact in writing. Until such notification is received, the certifying plumber remains responsible for any plumbing work undertaken by that supervised person.
4. Licence period
The licence period is from 1 April to 31 March of the following year, provided that:
(a) a licence is issued for a maximum period of one licensing year;
(b) a licence issued after 1 April and before 31 March will expire at the end of that licence period, being 31 March.
5. Application forms
The board must provide the following forms:
(a) Application for registration as a certifying plumber;
(b) Application for licence as a certifying plumber.
Part B-Licensed Plumbers
6. Authorised work
A licensed plumber, who holds a current licensed plumber practising licence issued by the board, may carry out sanitary plumbing work under the supervision of a certifying plumber.
7. Minimum standards for registration
(1) To become a licensed plumber a person must have:
(a) obtained the National Certificate in plumbing and passed the board’s three-hour examination (reference 9192); or
(b) held a limited certificate in plumbing for a continuous period of five years and have passed the board’s three-hour examination (reference 9192); or
(c) held a limited certificate in plumbing under the 1976 Act for a continuous period of not less than three years, immediately followed by a two year period as a person exempt pursuant to section 19 of the Act, and have passed the board’s three-hour examination (reference 9192); or
(d) being a gasfitter (certifying or licensed and holding a current practising certificate), passed the National Certificate third stage block course in plumbing, and the board’s three-hour examination (reference 9192); or
(e) complied with all of the following:
(i) hold an overseas qualification that is accepted by the board as equivalent to a New Zealand National Certificate in plumbing under paragraph (a) above. To meet this requirement the applicant must both:
A. provide to the board documentary evidence of the applicant’s qualifications and assessment of those qualifications; and
B. attend an interview with the board to verify documentation and validate experiential and technical proficiency; and
(ii) passed the board’s three-hour examination (reference 9192); and
(iii) passed the board’s Practical Test of Workmanship using the National Competency assessment tasks and criteria.
(2) To pass the board’s examination (reference 9192) the applicant must demonstrate the following competencies:
(a) Knowledge of accepted plumbing trade practice, workmanship, and health and safety;
(b) knowledge of trade calculations and sciences relevant to plumbing;
(c) knowledge of materials and their physical properties and application used in the trade;
(d) ability to draw and interpret drawings and specifications including quantifying materials for plumbing and sanitary plumbing;
(e) principles of heating and ventilation using water, air and gas;
(f) practical knowledge of all aspects of plumbing and sanitary plumbing;
(g) ability to access legislation, standards and codes of practice relating to plumbing and sanitary plumbing;
(h) knowledge of ethical considerations for the delivery of plumbing services;
(i) knowledge of energy efficiency, conservation and environmentally considerate processes relevant to plumbing; and
(j) knowledge of the installation and maintenance of rainwater handling, and cladding systems, and flashings including lead products.
8. Terms and conditions of licence
(1) Licensed plumbers must hold a current licensed plumber practising licence to undertake sanitary plumbing work, as follows:
(a) To be eligible to obtain a licence, licensed plumbers must, in the year ending 31 March 2012, and each year thereafter, obtain a minimum of 12 continual professional development ("CPD") points. A minimum of 8 CPD points must be technical plumbing points and a maximum of 4 may be non-technical.
(b) In the year ending 31 March 2012, and each year thereafter, those licensed plumbers who wish also to apply for a licence as a gasfitter or drainlayer, and are required to attain CPD points in order to uplift the additional licence, must obtain a minimum of 20 CPD points, with a minimum of 8 technical points for plumbing and
8 technical points for the additional licence type.
(c) In the year ending 31 March 2012, and each year thereafter, those licensed plumbers who wish also to apply for licences as a gasfitter and drainlayer, and are required to attain CPD points in order to uplift the additional
two licences, must obtain a minimum of 24 CPD points, with a minimum of 8 technical points for each of the three licence types.
(2) CPD points can only be obtained by completing programmes of learning that are accredited by the board prior to the course being undertaken. CPD points will not be allocated for courses that have not been accredited by the board except in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Registrar of the board. Carry over of excess points from a previous year may be allowed at the discretion of the board.
(3) At all times when undertaking plumbing work, licensed plumbers must be able to produce, on demand, a current certifying plumber licence card issued by the board.
(4) A licensed plumber may test plumbing work under the supervision of a certifying plumber.
(5) A licensed plumber must work at all times under the supervision of a certifying plumber, without having to be in the presence of that person.
(6) A licensed plumber does not have the authority to test and verify that the sanitary plumbing work complies with the requirements of regulations under this Act or under the Building Act 2004.
(7) A licensed plumber is authorised to oversee limited certificate trainee plumbers and exempt persons, but such persons must be supervised by the same certifying plumber.
(8) A licensed plumber must ensure that when overseeing a trainee plumber in the first year of a trainee plumber holding a limited certificate, the trainee plumber works in the presence of that licensed plumber who is supervised by the same certifying plumber. However, at all times the certifying plumber is the person responsible for supervision.
(9) A licensed plumber must ensure that when overseeing an exempt person in the first two years of working under an exemption issued pursuant to section 19 of the Act, the exempt person works at all times in the presence of that licensed plumber who is supervised by the same certifying plumber or a person authorised pursuant to section 18 of the Act.
9. Licence period
The licence period is from 1 April to 31 March of the following year, provided that:
(a) a licence is issued for a maximum of one year;
(b) a licence issued after 1 April and before 31 March will expire at the end of that licence period year (being
31 March).
10. Application forms
The board must provide the following forms:
(a) Application for registration as a licensed plumber.
(b) Application for a licence as a licensed plumber.
11. Glossary of terms
(1) Where the term "supervision" is used it refers to "supervision" as defined in section 4 of the Act.
(2) Where the terms "test" or "testing" are used they refer to tests required to comply with the regulations under the Building Act 2004 and the Gas Act 1992.
(3) Where the terms "oversight" or "oversee" are used they refer to the definition specified by the board.
12. Transitional provision
Courses completed before 1 April 2010 may be allocated CPD points at the discretion of the Registrar of the board.
Dated at Wellington this 24th day of March 2010.
KERN U’REN, Registrar, Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board.
*This notice, published in the New Zealand Gazette, 25 March 2010, No. 32, page 937, is being republished in full as it was not tabled in Parliament within the appropriate time limit.