Pursuant to sections 28 and 30 of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 (“Act”) and having complied with section 33 of the Act, the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board (“Board”) issues the following notice to amend the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board (Gasfitting Registration and Licensing) Notice 2016, published in the New Zealand Gazette, 27 October 2016, Issue No. 97, Notice No. 2016-gs6012.

1. Title

This notice is the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board (Gasfitting Registration and Licensing) Gasfitting Competencies Amendment Notice 2024.

2. Commencement

This notice comes into force on 29 July 2024.

3. Principal Notice

This notice amends the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board (Gasfitting Registration and Licensing) Notice 2016 (“principal notice”).

4. Purpose

This notice replaces the certifying gasfitter competencies and tradesman gasfitter competencies in the principal notice.

5. Principal Notice Amended

(1) Paragraphs 6(2) and 6(3) of the principal notice are revoked and the following paragraphs are substituted:

“(2) The examination a person must pass to register as a certifying gasfitter is examination 9196 (“Examination 9196”) set by the Board.

(3) Examination 9196 will test an applicant’s knowledge, experience and practical understanding in the following competencies as they relate to the design, management of the installation of, identification, and verification/certification of gasfitting systems:

(a) Trade calculations and trade science including, but not limited to,—

(i) application of formulae

(ii) combustion and ventilation

(iii) estimation, measurement, and calculation

(iv) condensate

(v) corrosion

(vi) flame characteristics

(vii) flueing

(viii) flue-sizing principles

(ix) gas properties

(x) gas rating

(xi) hydraulic principles as they relate to gas-fired water heaters

(xii) input/output efficiency calculations

(xiii) laws of physics

(xiv) pipe sizing

(xv) thermal expansion.

(b) Selection of products and materials including, but not limited to,—

(i) their applications, properties, and uses

(ii) their compatibility, testing, limitations, and commissioning procedures

(iii) alternative products or materials, approval regimes, and protection of products or materials.

(c) Tools and equipment.

(d) Jointing methods.

(e) Designs, drawings, and specifications including, but not limited to,—

(i) as-built plans

(ii) compliance documentation

(iii) materials lists

(iv) plans, schematics, design calculations, and specifications.

(f) Gas installations, including but not limited to,—

(i) domestic appliances

(ii) commercial appliances

(iii) gas supply pipework, service lines, meters, and regulator systems

(iv) industrial appliances

(v) non-propulsive gasfitting in ships, boats, caravans and vehicles

(vi) pressure and flow controls

(vii) safety devices.

(g) Integrity of structures including, but not limited to,—

(i) coordination with other building services

(ii) fire protection

(iii) preservation of structural integrity

(iv) prevention of damage to property including weather tightness.

(h) Efficient use of natural resources (sustainability practices) including, but not limited to,—

(i) best environmental practice

(ii) energy efficiency

(iii) waste minimisation.

(i) Compliance documentation including, but not limited to,—

(i) Acts

(ii) regulations

(iii) acceptable solutions and verification methods

(iv) alternative solutions

(v) standards

(vi) codes of practice

(vii) guidance

(viii) manufacturers’ instructions

(ix) the hierarchy and relationship between the forms of documentation

(x) certification of gasfitting work.

(j) Health and safety including, not limited to,—

(i) personal and public safety

(ii) site safety

(iii) environmental considerations relating to personal safety

(iv) environmental impacts

(v) preparation of safety plans.

(k) Gasfitting as a regulated occupation, including but not limited to,—

(i) limitations on who can do or assist in doing gasfitting

(ii) requirements around carrying out gasfitting

(iii) responsibilities that apply to registered gasfitters

(iv) understanding the regulatory environment

(v) supervising people doing gasfitting

(vi) certification of gasfitting work.”

(2) Paragraphs 11(2) and 11(3) of the principal notice are revoked and the following paragraphs are substituted:

“(2) The examination a person must pass to register as a tradesman gasfitter is examination 9193 (“Examination 9193”) set by the Board.

(3) Examination 9193 will test an applicant’s knowledge, experience and practical understanding in the following competencies as they relate to the installation, identification, testing, commissioning, fault-finding, and maintenance of gasfitting systems:

(a) Trade calculations and trade sciences including, but not limited to,—

(i) application of formulae

(ii) condensate

(iii) combustion and ventilation

(iv) corrosion

(v) estimation, measurement, and calculation

(vi) flammability limits

(vii) flame characteristics

(viii) fluing

(ix) gas properties

(x) gas rating

(xi) hydraulic principles as they relate to gas fired water heaters

(xii) input/output efficiency calculations

(xiii) laws of physics

(xiv) pipe sizing.

(b) Uses and limitations of products and materials including, but not limited to,—

(i) aluminium

(ii) asbestos

(iii) black steel

(iv) brass/bronze

(v) cast iron

(vi) copper and copper alloys

(vii) cross-linked polyethylene (X-PE)

(viii) fire resistant materials

(ix) galvanised steel

(x) mild steel

(xi) polyamide

(xii) polyethylene (PE)

(xiii) polypropylene (PP)

(xiv) polyvinylchloride (PVC)

(xv) stainless steel.

(c) Tools and equipment.

(d) Jointing methods.

(e) Drawings and specifications, including but not limited to—

(i) as-built plans

(ii) materials lists

(iii) plans, schematics, and specifications

(iv) patterns.

(f) Gas installations including, but not limited to,—

(i) appliances

(ii) equipment

(iii) fluing

(iv) gas reticulation

(v) pipe sizing and pipework

(vi) seismic considerations

(vii) ventilation.

(g) Handling of fuel gases including, but not limited to,—

(i) characteristics

(ii) composition

(iii) liquid petroleum gas (LPG), butane, propane, general product

(iv) manufactured gas

(v) natural gas

(vi) safe storage

(vii) safe handling

(viii) types of gases

(ix) uses.

(h) Space and water heating including, but are not limited to,—

(i) direct and indirect heating and ventilation

(ii) gas boosted systems

(iii) hydronic systems

(iv) warm air systems.

(i) Electrical and electronics work relating to gas installations.

(j) Integrity of structures including, but not limited to, —

(i) coordination with other building services

(ii) fire protection

(iii) preservation of structural integrity

(iv) prevention of damage to property including weather tightness.

(k) Efficient use of natural resources (sustainability practices) including, but not limited to,—

(i) best environmental practice

(ii) energy efficiency

(iii) waste minimisation.

(l) Compliance documentation including, but not limited to,—

(i) Acts

(ii) regulations

(iii) acceptable solutions and verification methods

(iv) alternative solutions

(v) standards

(vi) codes of practice

(vii) guidance

(viii) manufacturers’ instructions

(ix) the hierarchy and relationship between the forms of documentation

(x) certification of gasfitting work.

(m) Health and safety including, but not limited to,—

(i) personal and public safety

(ii) site safety

(iii) electrical safety

(iv) environmental considerations relating to personal safety

(v) environmental impacts.

(n) Gasfitting as a regulation occupation including, but not limited to,—

(i) limitations on who can do or assist in doing gasfitting

(ii) requirements and limitations around carrying out gasfitting

(iii) responsibilities that apply to registered gasfitters

(iv) understanding the regulatory environment.”

Issued at Wellington this 1st day of July 2024.

ALEYNA MARY HALL, Registrar, Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board.

Explanatory Note

This note is for explanatory purposes only.

This notice changes the competencies in the principal notice that a person must have in order to register as a certifying or tradesman gasfitter.

In prescribing the matters set out in this notice the Board has:

• been guided by the principles in section 32 of the Act
• consulted in accordance with section 33(1) of the Act
• sought the approval of the Minister in accordance with section 34(1) of the Act.

This notice is administered by the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board.