MPGD CONFERENCE 2015 – READ THE FULL REPORT – See page 29 APRIL/MAY 2015
With 8-page MasterLink pullout!
Hazardous substances Changes are coming
Clawback victory
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF
More surety for contractors
SENSE OF ADVENTURE The running plumber
TOMORROW’S TOILETS A global challenge
3D PRINTING The way of the future?
Raymor stands for simple, classic design that provides excellent function, fine engineering and great value for money. Specifically crafted for the New Zealand home, there is a product to fit most kiwi bathrooms, from the ‘do-up’ to a new build.
Tapware
Basins Vanities
Accessories
Towel Warmers Laundry Tubs
www.raymor.co.nz
EDITORIAL
Volume 67, Number 2 MAGAZINE TEAM MANAGER Greg Wallace EDITOR Beverly Sellers 03 543 2008 beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz DESIGN Sally Travis Design www.sallytravisdesign.co.nz PRINT Service Printers 258 Taranaki Street Wellington 6141 SUBSCRIPTIONS cschuster@masterplumbers.org.nz MAILING LIST For enquiries, or to update your details: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz Non-Master Plumbers’ members with contact detail changes should notify the PGD Board, giving their registration number licensing@pgdb.co.nz TO ADVERTISE Contact Catherine Schuster 027 839 8398 cschuster@masterplumbers.org.nz
NZ Plumber is the official magazine of Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ Inc. Contact details for the MPGD Board, Society staff and Regional Associations are available at www.masterplumbers.org.nz/contact ©NZ Plumber 2013. Registered as a Newspaper, GPO, Wellington, ISSN 0111-4379. NZ Plumber is subject to copyright in its entirety. The contents may not be reproduced in any form, either in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved in material accepted for publication, unless initially specified otherwise. All letters and other material forwarded to the magazine will be assumed intended for publication unless clearly labelled ‘Not for Publication’. Views expressed in articles in NZ Plumber magazine are not necessarily those of Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ Inc, or of the Editor. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information included in this publication, the publisher and the Editor take no responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences of reliance on this information. Publication of advertising material implies no endorsement of either a product or service.
Every day different Diversity is what draws many people to a career in plumbing, gasfitting or drainlaying. WATCHING A NEIGHBOUR’S water tank being lowered by helicopter onto our rural block the other day reminded me how diverse the plumber’s daily work can be–something new to tackle every day. It’s not a desk job, stuck at a computer. It’s out on the road, going different places and working on a broad variety of different projects with people from all walks of life. It’s hands-on, working indoors and out, and calls for good problemsolving skills. No wonder that there’s a strong sense of pride and loyalty in the industry–and a common feeling of wanting to give something back. The New Zealand Plumbing Awards in March recognised everyone from the career starters to the long servers for their commitment to the trades, with awards for apprentice achievement, dedication to training, business excellence and outstanding industry service and support. Read about all the winners in our Conference special, starting on p29. As usual, there is plenty of change that will affect your business. The review of the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act is underway (see p42), tradespeople have been asked for their initial feedback on the PGD Board’s fees and levy review (p44), and changes to workplace health and safety are expected later in the year–more about those on p59 in part two of our series on health and safety reform. This will also affect the way hazardous substances are managed, and we take a look at what’s happening in that arena in our feature article on p13. New rules around employment relations may also have an impact on your workplace–turn to p18 for more. This issue, we also travel back in time to one plumber’s wartime apprenticeship (p69) and forward to the future of 3D printing (p66)–enjoy the ride!
Beverly Sellers Editor, NZ Plumber, beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz
Above: The Ed Beverly Sellers (second from left) heading off to The New Zealand Plumbing Awards with Master Plumbers and MasterLink staff (from left) Christine Robertson, Catherine Schuster and Kate Jenkins.
OVER TO YOU The best email, letter or tip published on this page wins a $20 Hunting & Fishing voucher! Do you have a picture, story or news to share? Or feedback on any of the articles you’ve read in NZ Plumber? Email the Ed: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz. Or give me a call on 03 543 2008. DRIVERS NOT JOCKEYS! This isn’t exactly a letter, but this edition’s prize voucher goes to Ian Goodman of Goodman Plumbing in Winton for pointing out to me at Conference that we had mistakenly called the harness racing driver a ‘jockey’ in our article in last edition on the Waikato Association’s night at the races. My apologies Ian—we’ll try not to get those mixed up again! April/May 2015
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Inside this issue
APRIL/MAY 2015
CONFERENCE 2015 29-35 The full round-up from the 2015 MPGD Annual Conference and Trade Show
MPGD NEWS 7 CEO Greg Wallace reports back from Conference 2015; new residential contract templates for members; a Best in Brand winner and new prize; plus new Business Partners
IN FOCUS 13 Know your HSNO
REAL LIVES 20 Into the unknown The plumber who loves to run 39 Warrant of fitness A Q&A with a BWoF Auditor
NUTS & BOLTS 22 A sticky issue? Gasfitter concerns about LPG control valves 24 HWC valve insulation Meeting G12 code requirements
Changes are expected later this year
26 Technical points Regular technical news snippets
16 Clawback victory What a recent Supreme Court decision means for contractors
27 Leak detection Look, listen and sniff…
18 Employment relations How recent changes may affect your business
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HEATING PROJECT 36 The heat’s on Specialist heating system for a Queenstown house
SUPPLY LINES 41 Showering praise Methven’s new Aurajet ™ shower technology
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Do it online
Mico’s TradeDoor app makes job management easy
INDUSTRY TALK 42 Reviewing the PGD Act Where it’s at 42 Three out of six ain’t bad Shooting and fishing challenge 43 Plumbing career prospects 2015 employment opportunities 44 PGDB fees & levy review An update on progress 44 Navman Wireless and Teletrac merger Two GPS giants come together
CONTENTS
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44 Recent convictions Unauthorised plumbing work 45 Clear winner Award for a transparent tap 45 People Who’s doing what
AROUND THE ASSOCIATIONS 46 Hydrology study
56 Biz brief Business news in brief
NEXT GENERATION 72 Maintaining motivation
SAFETY FIRST
Tips from Skills
59 H&S reform What you need to know: Part 2
SUSTAINABLE FUTURES 62 Reinventing the toilet A pioneering global challenge
The Southland Association on study retreat
TECH SAVVY 64 Managing workflow
SMART BUSINESS 50 Rental car dos and don’ts
How a digital system can help
Tips for the trip 52 From the IR: business vehicles Three ways to claim expenses 54 Eyes on the prize Why your business needs KPIs
INNOVATION 66 3D revolution
PRODUCTS & SERVICES 74 Hot water heat pumps, plumbers’ tool belt offer, new gas fire and thermoplastic hose
AND FINALLY 77 Offcuts Plumbing odds and ends in the news 78 Dodgy plumbing Last, but not least…
Is 3D printing the way of the future?
TIMES PAST 69 Wartime apprentice First in a new series
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WATER LEAK DETECTION
NEWS
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• Independent of electrical interference • Variable hammer-frequencies for optimal results
CORRELUX P-2 The advanced ground microphone • For precise pipe damage detection • Environmental/interference noise reduction
• Frequency analysis • Optional: tracer gas sensor can be connected • High sound quality (fully digital)
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HL-50 Kit
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MPGD NEWS
Bigger, bolder, better
Attendees at this year’s Annual Conference recorded a relaxed and positive vibe.
TO MEMBERS, DELEGATES and partners – thanks for attending. Special mention must be made to the Bay of Plenty Association for hosting a terrific event and to the Master Plumbers’ staff, led by Joe Grayland, who helped organise it. There was a distinctly upbeat atmosphere and we’ve had wonderful feedback from the Associations on the culture change at Master Plumbers in recent times. As motivational business speaker Justine Troy pointed out in her talk, get the culture right and the rest will follow. Our culture is one of collaboration –working together for a common goal– and this resonated across all Conference attendees. We enjoyed three evenings of entertainment, with the Mico Welcome Night Dinner, the Dux & Marley ‘Pirates and Lasses’ Fun Night and The New Zealand Plumbing Awards 2015, sponsored by Plumbing World. My congratulations to all the awards winners, and particularly to Sam and Lee Tyson
NEW: Residential contract templates
at Climate in New Plymouth, deserving recipients of the 2015 Master Plumber of the Year Award. The Annual Conference is only made possible through the support of our Business Partners, and it’s great to note that our partners recorded a higher level of interaction and engagement at this year’s event–and that many of the plumbers attending told me they had learned something new! I’m pleased to announce that Allproof Industries have become the first of our Business Partners to apply for the use of our Quality Assured brand on their products. I am encouraged by the commitment of our Business Partners to this new initiative, which we will be providing more detail about over the next few months. This was my first Annual General Meeting as CEO, and I was pleased to see all four remits carried. This means we will be working hard to roll out a comprehensive marketing strategy and programme, which we believe will be of benefit to all members. Although unable to vote at this year’s AGM, the new Volcanic Plateau
New consumer protection measures for residential building contracts came into force on 1 January as a result of the Building Amendment Act 2013. Master Plumbers is here to help members with: • Short form contract template, including disclosure statement and checklist, that incorporates the new requirements • Best practice guidance. Both are freely available for members’ use in the log-in at www.masterplumbers.org.nz
Association was represented at the meeting, and I would like to officially welcome this new affiliated Association of Master Plumbers, with Jon Lewis as President of a great team. It will be part of Jon’s new role to host the 2016 MPGD Annual Conference. It’s staggering to be thinking about next year’s conference with this year’s event only just behind us, but we have chosen the Rotorua location to enable the Conference to be even bigger, bolder and better. Some of you will be aware that there have also been changes in the Auckland region. I’m really excited to announce a new structure with a strong executive team to represent members in the region. They are all part of our national platform, which is what makes us stand out from the crowd.
Greg Wallace, CEO Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ
SPECIAL: Two-year membership deal
Apply for Master Plumbers’ membership now and take advantage of our special two-year deal! You pay just $595+GST for the first year of membership. Normal rates apply from the second year, based on 2015 full membership fees. All applicants to Master Plumbers go through our Quality Assurance programme before joining. Interested? Contact Catherine Schuster: • 027 839 8398 • cschuster@masterplumbers.org.nz Full details at www.masterplumbers.org.nz/become-a-member
Follow us on Facebook! Yes, Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ is now on Facebook! Go to www.facebook.com/masterplumbersnz and ‘like’ the page to get all our latest news and events info.
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MPGD NEWS NEWS
Trans-Tasman approach Master Plumbers recently responded to the New Zealand Productivity Commission’s request for submissions around its 2014 Review of the Mutual Recognition Agreement and the TransTasman Mutual Recognition Agreement. The intent of these agreements is to streamline the movement of labour throughout Australia and NZ. In our feedback, we noted that the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying trades in Australia and NZ share common history and knowledge, as well as many similar trade practices. We see an opportunity to develop a shared body of knowledge that could be used as the basis of a mutual recognition of trade skills and knowledge. This could be developed further through shared Standards for both Australia and NZ, while acknowledging any exceptions due to local practices and conditions. We believe the registration process for tradespeople trained and licensed in either NZ or Australia moving between the two should be efficient, fair and transparent. However, we also noted the significant differences that exist between gasfitting practices in Australia and here in NZ. Given that gasfitting presents more danger than plumbing or drainlaying to the public and the practitioner, we would like to see gasfitting as a restricted trade – with a more rigorous practical exam before Australian trained gasfitters can gain registration here. We would also like to see the idea of a Trans-Tasman Apprentice Training Programme being explored that would make it possible for apprentices to move between Australia and New Zealand and have their time already served in training recognised towards completion of their apprenticeship.
Have you relicensed? We remind all members that you and your staff should by now have received your authorisation from the PGD Board for the 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 licensing year. It is illegal for anyone to do plumbing, gasfitting or drainlaying without the PGDB’s authorisation. For your apprentices, the PGD Board will process Limited Certificate applications within five working days, but please note that the apprentice’s nominated supervisor(s) must hold a current licence for this period before the application can be processed. Go online to relicense at www.pgdb.co.nz/ licensing
Best in brand
Our Best in Brand competition recognises great Master Plumbers’ branding on our members’ vehicles. This issue, Allan Craig of Craig Plumbing in Auckland wins the latest prize of a superb HTC One M8 mobile phone, courtesy of Spark. Allan has two utes with identical signwriting and Master Plumbers’ branding. Congratulations, Allan!
Your turn…
Does your fleet have great Master Plumbers’ branding? Just send in a photo to be in to win a shower radio prize, thanks to Plumbing World. Email it to cschuster@masterplumbers.org.nz by Friday 15 May 2015
NEW MEMBERS This edition, we welcome new MPGD members: • Gas & Plumbing Specialists Ltd in Tauranga • LA Hughes Plumbing & Gas Ltd in Auckland • PG Plumbing and Gasfitting Ltd in Auckland • TTT Plumbing & Drainlaying Ltd in Warkworth
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Want to join?
Discover the business benefits of becoming an MPGD member by contacting Catherine Schuster on 027 839 8398; email cschuster@masterplumbers.org.nz Membership application forms are available at www.masterplumbers.org.nz TWO-YEAR SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP DEAL NOW AVAILABLE!
MPGD NEWS
Introducing three new Business Partners: Central Heating New Zealand, Parex and Bath-rooms from Smail & Co. Plus, Business Partner Aber Holdings has news of new Paloma heating products in its range.
Partnering with Parex
Plumbing and kitchen appliance specialist Parex Industries has recently renewed its Business Partnership with Master Plumbers. Parex Industries is synonymous with world leading brands such as InSinkErator, Stiebel Eltron, EcoSpring and Triton. This New Zealand owned and operated company has been involved with the New Zealand plumbing industry for many years and strives to offer and constantly improve its sales, marketing and customer service offers to the market.
The company is proud to once again be a Business Partner of the Master Plumbers and looks forward to contributing and helping in industry initiatives and also providing plumbers with access to the latest product technology and CPD training. Parex Industries have launched a free online product training website called the Parex Academy. Courses are being updated constantly, but the EcoSpring and InSinkErator Food Waste Disposer CPD courses are live and plumbers can earn 12 CPD points for each online. See http://www.parex-academy.co.nz/
Above: Stiebel Eltron point of use water heater. Left: The InSinkErator disposer family.
Contact Parex on 0800 200 510; email info@parex.co.nz; www.parex.co.nz
Into a new space
MPGD Business Partner Aber adds new Paloma heating products to its range. Hamilton-based family firm Aber has a long, proud history in the New Zealand plumbing and gas industry. For more than three decades it has been bringing quality, high-performance products from top local and international manufacturers to the New Zealand market. Among the many stars in Aber’s product stable is world-leading, Japanese gas appliance manufacturer Paloma. Established in 1911, Paloma’s residential and commercial products have more than 100 years’ proven innovation and excellence behind them, and operate in a variety of applications around the world. Aber has distributed and serviced Paloma products in New Zealand since 2001. Gas water heaters According to Aber Managing Director Gregg Brown, Paloma’s continuous flow gas hot water heaters’ constant innovation in technology, quality
componentry and the superior materials used in manufacture, were well received in the market by the plumbing and gasfitting network. Quick, easy installation, flexibility for manifolding units for greater hot water volumes to motels or sports clubs, and products for commercial and residential applications simply cemented Paloma’s appeal. Various flue configurations and the ability to free up valuable space by locating appliances outside or inside in the ceiling are added bonuses. Gas space heaters From there, introducing Paloma power flued gas space heaters is a natural step for Aber. “We are really proud to bring another outstanding Paloma product to the New Zealand market,” says Gregg. “New Zealanders want quick, comfortable winter heating, energy and cost efficiency,
Above: Paloma Space Heater.
value for money and confidence. Paloma space heaters deliver on all counts. “Paloma’s quality, energy efficiency and SMART technology are second to none. All products are manufactured to meet New Zealand safety standards, tested before leaving the factory and have Aber service and technical expertise behind them. This is an exciting product and we’re excited to bring it to you.”
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MPGD NEWS
Central heating product and support
Products, support, training and design – it’s all available from new MPGD Business Partner Central Heating New Zealand. Hydronic central heating systems are part of the plumbing and associated trades in most countries, but not New Zealand. Those NZ plumbers who have embraced hydronic central heating can testify how easy it is once you know what you’re doing and how it can improve your bottom line. Central Heating New Zealand is the leading product supply specialist in residential and commercial warm water central heating. Since 2001, its innovation and excellence in the hydronic heating industry has resulted in a reputation for outstanding service, knowledge and support. The company has supplied over 2,000,000m of underfloor pipe, 30,000 radiators and trained over 500 people, supported by 36 experts with one passion: Central Heating. Whether you’re an experienced installer wanting the highest quality products, or someone newer to the
scene looking for answers, they can help. Their in-house heating engineers can provide design and quote services for domestic and commercial installations, with full system specification, heat-loss calculations, radiator pipe schematics or underfloor loop and manifold layouts. Central Heating New Zealand is committed to upskilling the industry with courses that enable you to design, specify and sell systems, and hands-on installation and commissioning courses. The company stocks a range of quality European products from industry leaders like Baxi, DeLonghi, Firebird and Multitubo. Because of excellent relationships with their product suppliers, they can offer an array of products on special order and indent availability. No matter how exacting your customer, whether it’s a particular designer radiator or a high-output biomass boiler, they can cover a variety of options to suit your needs. Talk to Central Heating New Zealand
Above: Many Central Heating New Zealand courses are CPD approved.
today and find out how they can support your business. Contact Central Heating New Zealand on 0800 357 1233; info@centralheating.co.nz; www.centralheating.co.nz
Bathroom solutions
With three brands offering cabinetry and front-of-wall fittings, new MPGD Business Partner Bath-rooms has a wide array of design and technical solutions for NZ plumbers. Bath-rooms is a collection of brands– Michel César, VCBC, and Burlington bathrooms. The collection is made and distributed by Smail & Co, a New Zealand family-owned company with a large plant in Christchurch and warehouse facilities in Auckland. “The brands offer a huge variety of both design and technical solutions,” says Marketing Manager Annabel Smail. “As well as manufacturing cabinets, we have been importing and distributing front-of-wall fittings to the industry for more than 50 years.”
Michel César This design solution offers a huge range of cabinets. Cabinetry can be customcoloured (including car paint colours) or given timber veneers. Complementary sanitaryware and accessories from top European brands are imported to suit the designs.
VCBC The one-stop-shop brand. Readily stocked vanities, wide array of toilets (with Geberit valves, in-wall cisterns for 90mm cavities), shower systems (low-profile trays, sliding door systems, panels and doors for tile shower systems), tapware and baths (freestanding and built in).
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Burlington The traditional range, including basins, tapware, toilets and accessories–all at an excellent price. The Christchurch team has developed a training course to gain 6 CPD points. The course is managed by in-house technical representative Mark Grantham. For more information please contact Smail & Co. Contact 09 309 9109 or 03 343 0969; email info@smail.co.nz; www.michelcesar.co.nz; www.vcbc.co.nz
Platinum Partners Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ thanks the following Platinum Partners for their support:
Gold Partners Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ thanks the following Gold Partners for their support:
Silver Partners Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ thanks the following Silver Partners for their support:
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IN FOCUS
Know your HSNO
Hazardous substances are part of everyday life for thousands of NZ businesses. Changes scheduled to take effect later on this year will make it easier to manage them safely, as WorkSafe Sector Engagement Manager Bryce Fleury explains.
THE NEW HEALTH and Safety at Work Act, expected to come into force in the third quarter of this year, will bring some changes to hazardous substance management. Managing hazardous substances can be a complicated business. The requirements around them are spread across 15 sets of Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO) regulations and approximately 9,000 HSNO approvals. Moreover, businesses using hazardous substances also have to comply with the Health and Safety in Employment Act (HSE), which could be better integrated with the HSNO Act. It’s probably little wonder that in a 2012 Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) survey of 400 businesses, 75 percent of them weren’t complying with all eight key HSNO controls. It’s clear that we need to make it easier for everyone to do the right thing and manage these substances safely.
EPA AND WORKSAFE ROLES Approximately 150,000 businesses throughout NZ use hazardous substances. These include pesticides, petrol, solvents, industrial chemicals, gases, agrichemicals, cleaning agents and even cosmetics, among others. Under HSNO, the EPA approves new hazardous substances for manufacture or import, puts rules in place to prevent or manage their adverse effects (called ‘controls’), promotes awareness of the adverse effects of such substances and oversees other agencies who enforce the HSNO >
WorkSafe will be responsible for regulation of these substances in the workplace
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IN FOCUS
rules (like WorkSafe, the Ministry of Health, and Territorial Local Authorities). WorkSafe’s current role under HSNO is to enforce the hazardous substances rules in the workplace. In 2012, the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety recommended that the hazardous substances system be simplified by transferring workplace regulations from the HSNO Act to new Health and Safety legislation. After the Health and Safety at Work Act passes through Parliament later this year, WorkSafe will be involved in setting and enforcing hazardous substances regulations in workplaces and set controls for workplace use and human health and safety. We will also write workplace standards and guidance and manage the test certification regime. The EPA will still be responsible for the assessment, approval and classification of new hazardous substances. The EPA will also set and enforce hazardous substance rules at the top of the supply chain, ensuring that importers and manufacturers of such substances have HSNO approval and comply with all controls. WorkSafe will be responsible for regulation of these substances in the workplace itself. This means that workplaces that import or manufacture hazardous substances will be regulated by both WorkSafe and the EPA.
WORK IN PROGRESS Before we can write new regulations and guidance, the legislation will need to pass through Parliament (it’s not final till then), and that should happen sometime mid-2015. This means that right now, we can’t answer every question in detail. But what we do know is that the new system will make it easier for everyone to know what to do in the workplace. And, in the lead-up to the new legislation, we’ve already taken some initial steps that will make it easier for businesses to comply. All of the information, guidance, forms and codes of practice have been brought together and moved to WorkSafe’s website. This means that there is now one central place to find the information you need to manage your hazardous substances. And, wherever we can, we’re working to improve this information and make it as easy as possible to find and use it. We’re also working closely with key industry stakeholders from a number of sectors to make sure that new workplace guidance and regulations are clear, accurate, simple to use – and all housed in one place. Last September, WorkSafe was also delegated a number of the EPA’s functions, including: • Issuing test certifier approvals, renewals and extensions • Overseeing the test certification regime • Issuing controlled substance licences • Issuing approvals for plant and equipment used in workplace • Development of guidance material and other information resources. When the new law comes into effect, WorkSafe will be the only place most workplaces will need to go for advice, support and information on managing hazardous substances in the workplace. However, workplaces that import or manufacture 14
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hazardous substances will still need the EPA to assess, approve and classify any new hazardous substances.
WHY THE CHANGES? So, why do we need a better regime for managing hazardous substances? As I noted before, we know that a majority of businesses aren’t complying with the HSNO regulations – often because it’s difficult to know what to do and how to do it. But the fact of the matter is, hazardous substances can cause serious harm when they are not safely used, and exposure to them is a contributing factor in NZ’s appalling workplace statistics. Nobody goes to work expecting to get hurt, sick or killed. But in New Zealand, far too many people do. On average, 75 people per year die on the job, one in 10 is harmed and 600900 die from work-related diseases—all coming at a cost to our economy of $3.5 billion per year. And that doesn’t take into account the social and psychological costs on the friends, family, loved ones and co-workers of those people hurt or killed on the job.
there is now one central place to find the information you need The new legislation makes it very clear that the question to ask is not, “Do I have a responsibility for workplace health and safety?” but “What is my responsibility for workplace health and safety?” And, yes, there will be significant penalties for those who fail in their duties, including fines, jail time, or both. WorkSafe will certainly enforce these penalties if and when we have to, but we never want to have to. Our goal is to make every NZ workplace safer for everyone, every day. Making it easier for everyone to manage hazardous substances is a great place to start. ■
HSNO resources • •
•
For more information, please visit the ‘Hazardous Substances’ page at www.worksafe.govt.nz You can sign up for updates on Hazardous Substances (as well as a number of other topics) at www.business.govt.nz/worksafe/about/subscribe If you have questions, feel free to ring WorkSafe on 0800 030 040 or email info@worksafe.govt.nz
CPD points
Reading this article could count towards your self-directed learning CPD points. See www.pgdb.co.nz/trade/cpd for details.
400 400 365 365 110 110
V C
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15 15
600 600 156 156
121 121 56 56
75 75 825 825 755 755 430 430 350 350
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IN FOCUS
Clawback victory A recent Supreme Court decision to reverse an earlier Court of Appeal ruling on liquidators’ abilities to claw back money is being hailed as a ‘victory for common sense’.
IN MID 2013, the Court of Appeal ruled that liquidators could ‘claw back’ payments that had been made to contractors and subcontractors by insolvent companies. In a practice known under the Companies Act as ‘voidable transactions’, the company could claim back payments made up to two years before its collapse. The intention of voidable transactions was to prevent queue-jumping among creditors but Specialist Trade Contractors’ Federation president Graham Burke said that, under the Court of Appeal ruling, the balance was stacked heavily in favour of liquidators and preferred creditors, such as the IRD. “The Court of Appeal decision meant that any service supplied and paid for afterwards was a voidable transaction,” he said. “That left businesses in a state of limbo–having been paid for a contract they had completed but with a risk that money could be clawed back for up to two years. “That uncertainty made it difficult for small businesses to invest and grow.” The ruling affected all New Zealand businesses that provided goods and services on account, but particularly the construction sector due to the number of insolvencies in this sector. Three construction companies–Allied Concrete, Fences & Kerbs and Hiway 16
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Stabiliizers New Zealand–appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which heard the case in March 2014. They received financial backing from STCF and its members, including Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ. “Master Plumbers is here to advocate for plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers throughout New Zealand, and this case highlights the importance of being a member,” said CEO Greg Wallace. Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ), which represents members of the civil contracting industry, also helped fund the appeal. After an 11-month wait, the Supreme Court ruled in their favour on 18 February. “It’s been a long fight but the Supreme Court decision has finally drawn a line under the issue,” said Graham Burke this February. “It’s a victory for common sense.” “Voidable transactions are intended to ensure all creditors of insolvent companies are treated equally,” added CCNZ executive officer Malcolm Abernethy. “They are intended to recover payments that have been made that are essentially out of the ordinary. This decision gives contractors some surety that payments received will not be clawed back under the voidable transactions provision of the Companies Act.” Karen Overend, a construction
specialist with law firm Duncan Cotterill, says that this ruling will make it easier for many tradespeople to keep their money in the insolvency of a head contractor. “The earlier ruling meant that that a tradesperson could only hold onto its money where it was paid in advance for the work–very rare in the construction industry. The Supreme Court decision has the result that it will not matter whether the work was performed before or after receiving the payment, provided that the tradesperson acted in good faith in receiving the payment, did actually perform the work, and had no reason to suspect that the company was insolvent when receiving the money.” However, Karen Overend adds that there is a downside to this ruling–the decision will mean that there will be less to go around in an insolvency for those who haven’t yet been paid. “This makes it even more important that tradespeople seek advice as to how they can protect themselves against nonpayment, including using remedies under the Construction Contracts Act and the Personal Property Securities Act”, she says. ■ Disclaimer: the content of this article is general in nature and not intended as a substitute for specific professional advice on any matter and should not be relied upon for that purpose.
IN FOCUS
Employment relations Changes to the Employment Relations Act came into effect on 4 March. Duncan Cotterill Lawyers explain their impact on this industry.
ALL INDUSTRIES WILL be affected in one way or another by the amendments, and the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry is no exception. Employers should take the time to review and modify employment agreements and policy documents which may be affected by the amendments to the Act. The Government has said the amendments are about increasing flexibility and choice and decreasing compliance costs for small to medium-sized businesses in particular. However, the amendments have been strongly objected to by opposition parties and unions. The two main areas of objection are around collective bargaining and rest and meal breaks. Unions, such as the EPMU, which represents some employees in the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry, have said the change in the collective bargaining rules will weaken industry pay agreements, and the removal of meal and rest breaks will endanger health and safety. It is understandable that employment issues, such as pay and rest, are paramount and much has been written in the media about these two aspects of the amendments, but it is important for employers and employees to understand what the amendments do and do not say.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING The ‘30 day rule’ has been removed. Employers are no longer required to offer new employees the same terms and conditions of employment as contained in the collective agreement that would apply if the employee was a member of a union. However, employers must still provide new employees with a copy of any applicable collective agreement which covers the work and the proposed individual employment agreement. Employees can still join a union at any time. The duty of good faith no longer requires parties to collective bargaining to conclude a collective agreement during bargaining. However, the parties must still deal with each other in good faith, which means being responsive and communicative and not undermining or doing anything likely to undermine bargaining. A collective may remain in place for up to 12 months after expiry if agreement cannot be reached. In addition there are protections in relation to ending bargaining by deadlock on one issue, such as pay–being that the parties can seek a declaration from the Employment Relations Authority about whether bargaining has concluded. The Authority cannot make a determination that bargaining has concluded unless it is satisfied certain criteria have been met, such as whether the parties have tried to resolve the difficulties through mediation.
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IN FOCUS
Employers may opt out of bargaining for a multi-employer collective agreement. All strikes or lockouts have to be notified in advance. The notice must specify prescribed information and a copy must be provided to the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment so that parties can be offered mediation to help settle the dispute early. Employers are able to make deductions from the wages/ salaries of employees who are partially on strike. However, there are specific rules around what a partial strike is and how deductions can be made. If a partial strike is lawful on health and safety grounds, the employer cannot make pay deductions.
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CONTINUITY OF EMPLOYMENT–VULNERABLE EMPLOYEES •
REST AND MEAL BREAKS Employers now have more flexibility with regard to rest and meal breaks. Notwithstanding this, employees still have a right to rest and meal breaks. An employer can only restrict rest and meal breaks where the restrictions are reasonable, necessary (considering the employee’s work) and agreed to by the employer and employee. This is a high threshold to meet. In the absence of agreement, the employer may specify reasonable times and duration for rest and meal breaks, taking into account the operational environment and resources of the employer’s business to enable continuity of production. If a rest or meal break cannot be reasonably given, then the employer must compensate the employee. Compensation can be time off or pay or another type of compensation, but it must be of a similar value as the break. The rest and meal break amendments do not affect the application of health and safety laws. Therefore employers must also ensure that any restrictions on the timing or duration of breaks or compensation instead of breaks do not undermine health and safety. A summary of the other key amendments follows:
FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS • • •
All employees have the right to request flexible working arrangements (not just those with caring responsibility) There is no stand down period. In other words, a new employee can make a request for flexibility Employees are no longer limited to one request per annum and employers must now respond within one month of the request in writing (previously three months). If the request is refused, an employer must explain why.
GOOD FAITH–INFORMATION DISCLOSURE •
•
The amendment clarifies what information employees are entitled to during restructures, disciplinary investigations or other situations where their continued employment is at risk There is no longer an obligation to provide information that is information: - About another identifiable individual - That is evaluative or opinion material compiled for the purpose of making the decision
About the identity of the person who supplied the evaluative or opinion material - Subject to a statutory requirement to maintain confidentiality. An employer can provide access to redacted versions or summaries of documents in order to maintain confidentiality.
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There is a requirement to provide an incoming employer (purchaser) or sub-contractor (taking over an existing contract) with detailed information about employees who have elected to transfer employment. There is a mechanism for apportioning liability for servicerelated entitlements between employers (ie, employee sick leave, annual leave entitlements etc) where the parties are unable to agree or where there is a dispute. New employers are protected from any unjustified increase in employment costs or changes to terms of employment prior to restructure–in essence, an outgoing employer implied warranty There are certain exemptions for small to medium size organisations as the incoming employer (ie, an organisation employing fewer than 20 employees). Where an organisation is exempt it will: - Not be required to employ a vendor’s staff or meet their entitlements on transfer - Not be required to include an employee protection provision in employment agreements for incoming vulnerable employees. When determining an employer’s eligibility for exemption, employees employed by a parent or subsidiary company will be counted toward the total number of staff employed (the associated person rule). The associated person rule is to avoid large organisations setting up a small to medium size organisation to gain benefits of exemption when selling or contracting out parts of their business that employs vulnerable workers.
As with any new legislation, the amendments will be the subject of interpretation by the Courts. Until then, employers would be wise to seek legal advice when any of these situations arise. ■ Disclaimer: the content of this article is general in nature and not intended as a substitute for specific professional advice on any matter and should not be relied upon for that purpose. About the authors: Scott Wilson is a Partner and Summer Pringle a Senior Solicitor at Duncan Cotterill Lawyers in Christchurch. Contact scott.wilson@duncancotterill. com; 03 372 6511; 021 960 244; or summer.pringle@duncancotterill.com; 03 372 6464. www.duncancotterill.com
CPD points
Reading this article could count towards your self-directed learning CPD points. See www.pgdb.co.nz/trade/cpd for details.
April/May 2015
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REAL LIVES
Into the unknown
Adventure, challenge and sheer enjoyment is what drives plumber Jup Brown to run marathons all around the world. We join him on his latest fundraiser across America. WANAKA PLUMBER JUP Brown isn’t doing a lot of plumbing these days–his time is taken up with running between 40-55km a day across the USA to raise money for children’s fitness charity The 100 Mile Club. This 42-year-old plumber hasn’t just dropped his wrench and shovel and hit the road–Jup has become a seasoned ultra marathon campaigner after spending 67 days running the length of New Zealand in 2011 to raise funds for the Stroke Foundation and 97 days in 2012 to run the length of Japan to raise funds for tsunami disaster relief. The same year, he also ran a 222km marathon in India. “I’ve travelled the world over the past two decades, exploring new places and meeting incredible people,” he says on his blog. “I love to challenge myself, to see what I’m capable of accomplishing.” Above: Jup and Pat hit their stride. Below: Jup and Pat in Arizona in February with Jup’s running buggy.
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Above: Chilly days in Texas in early March. Right: Hitting the 1000 mile mark on day 39.
The five-month trans-America run started on Huntington Beach in California in mid January as part of the Race Across The USA. Jup left the formal race after a couple of weeks, and now a small group of Jup, fellow runner Pat Sweeney and their support crew are making their own way across the continent in their own event called ‘Run with us America’. Along the way, they’re meeting kids and visiting schools to get them involved. It’s the people that Jup meets that make the journey fun, he says, and he encourages others to bike, walk or run alongside, or just to say hello from the side of the road. He also loves heading off into the unknown for fresh challenges every day. By the middle of February, they had reached the New Mexico border and had ticked off their second US state. He did manage a couple of hours off running to celebrate his birthday at the UFO Museum in Roswell. “Now that we are in Alien area don’t be alarmed if you don’t hear from us for a couple of days,” he wrote on day 32. The Californian beaches seemed a long way away when Jup caught up with the big freeze going on in USA’s mid-west and East Coast at the beginning of March. Even in Texas, there was no escape from the cold. “The wind was cold… with the TV telling us it was 0 degree windchill and 15°F and sure enough it was freezing. This snow plow must have passed us 15 times trying to clear the snow.” The group will run through a total of 13 states on their journey, which will end in Boston after going via Washington DC and New York–and Jup is carrying a small bottle of Pacific Ocean water to tip into the Atlantic in due course. It is by no means all long flat roads–on day 27 they topped out at 9311 feet into a cold head wind. By 1 April, Jup and Pat had arrived in Memphis, Tennessee, just passing the 2,000 mile mark! At the end of most days, this self-confessed pie eater admits to thinking he must be crazy taking on a 5,600km challenge. But he gets up the next day, has his muesli and off he goes again. ■ Donations to Jup’s run for the 100 Mile Club can be made at http://www.imathlete.com/donate/JupBrown?z=1422765216552 Follow Jup on his blog: http://jupbrown.wordpress.com or on Facebook—Jup Brown.
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NUTS & BOLTS
The Gas Ring
A sticky issue?
A number of gasfitters have expressed concerns around oily residue found on residential LPG control valves and in condensate drains. NZ Plumber looks into the matter. IN ONE CASE, a gasfitter was called to a property where the gas continuous flow hot water system was cutting out intermittently. He found oily residue on the gas control valve, which he replaced, and in the condensate drain, which he cleaned out. Five months later, he was called back to the same problem, and the customer was unwilling to pay for a new valve. The gas supplier was contacted and asked if material builds up throughout the distribution system over time from various sources, and how often 45kg cylinders are regularly emptied, inverted and drained or cleaned. The supplier confirmed that inverting and draining cylinders is only carried out if the cylinder is being sent for testing or maintenance, but that full electronic cylinder management is in place, which shows that cylinders are fully drained during use. This relies, however, on both cylinders having their valves open, allowing them to function correctly with the autochange regulators, as designed. “Gasfitters are the meat in the sandwich when it comes to where the responsibility should lie,” says Colleen Upton, General Manager at Hutt Gas and Plumbing Systems Ltd. “If a gasfitter does the work they can’t claim it as a warranty, and the LPG supplier flatly refuses to accept that it is their gas. So who pays? In this example, the customer clearly doesn’t want to pay, and–while sympathetic to their plight–why should the gasfitter, who has neither made the appliance, nor supplied the LPG to fire it up?” We approached Rinnai New Zealand Managing Director Ray Ferner for comment, and received the following response: “This is not a new issue and the LPG Association (LPGA) has coordinated some previous activity to alleviate the problem. It is most often found in continuous flow water heaters, possibly due to the high gas draw and also simply the high number of these appliances in the market. There have also been instances of contaminants in heaters, regulators and other equipment. “Analysis of the material in some gas valves a few years ago pointed to phthalates being extracted from the regulator pigtails and possibly gas supply hoses. These are chemicals in the rubber tubing that keep it pliable and soft. Some hoses had high concentrations and the LPG was dissolving the phthalates and carrying it into appliances. To remedy this, the standard for pigtails was revised and a limit of 2 percent extractable was imposed. All hoses supplied in New Zealand should now meet AS/NZS 1869:2012 Hose and hose assemblies for LP Gas, natural gas and town gas. 22
April/May 2015
“The LPGA also published a Code of Practice for LPG, which all 45kg installations in New Zealand should follow. The important parts include: • compliant pigtails to AS/NZS 1869 • the fitment of a drip leg after the regulator • the draining of this drip leg on a regular basis. “There has recently been some suggestion that there are also other contaminants in the LPG. The only way to properly assess this is to obtain samples of any material found in the gas valves and have it tested. The LPGA are willing to do this to ensure we fully understand any issues so they can be resolved. “Rinnai is very interested in working with the LPGA to find a permanent solution to this problem. Our experience internationally is that this problem does not exist offshore and therefore something in the New Zealand environment is causing the issue. Rinnai service centres are working with customers to resolve any problems. They will also seek to collect samples and other data such as location and use patterns so we can understand the complete picture.” When we approached Rheem, they said they had only recently been made aware of the oily residue problem. “We will be assisting the LPG industry to quantify and find the root cause of the problem,” said General Manager Steve Bullock. In Master Plumbers’ view, gasfitters should not be bearing the cost of replacement. “If this is not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty and it’s too hard to prove the quality of the LPG supply, then where do our gasfitting members go from here?” asks CEO Greg Wallace. NZ Plumber also contacted the office of the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner, Judi Jones, for comment. The EGCC is an independent service for resolving complaints about electricity and gas companies. The Commissioner said jurisdiction to consider complaints about LPG cylinders (over 15kg) had been added to the EGCC Scheme on 1 October 2014. She said the office had not received complaints about this issue. However, she noted that it was “early days for the Scheme’s LPG jurisdiction, and most customers would not yet be aware they could contact her office to make a complaint.” Anecdotal evidence suggests there are plenty of instances of this issue, says Colleen Upton. “It’s just that in most cases the gasfitter is called in, changes the valve, bills the customer and the customer pays.” As NZ Plumber was going to print, LPG Association Executive Director Peter Gilbert contacted us with the following comment:
NUTS & BOLTS
“We have been making some progress with identifying the cause of the problems recently being experienced on Rinnai LPG continuous flow hot water heaters. “Working with Rinnai, the Association arranged sampling of an oily liquid taken from affected valves. The six samples were submitted for testing at Flinders Cook in Auckland, which provides chemical analysis services. “The result from all samples was that they were phthalates. These are chemicals commonly used to impart flexibility to rubber. If the LPG passes through material containing phthalates, such as rubber pigtails or other rubber hoses, it will strip these phthalates out of the rubber. “These results are consistent with testing carried out in Auckland in 2010 when similar problems were experienced. They are also consistent with tests carried out in 2002 when problems were experienced with changeover regulators failing. “There is also some confusion around the terms condensate and residue. Condensate can be found in very small amounts in LPG and the quantity of condensate is controlled by the LPG specification. Other contaminants/residue, such as phthalates are not a product of LPG supply. “In the meantime, the Association would like to restate the advice it gave in 2002 and again in 2011, and that is only use pigtails with less than two percent extractables. In 2012, AS/ NZS 1869—the LPG and gas hose Standard—was updated and the testing for extractables was changed, as it was decided earlier
testing methods were not achieving the desired outcome. “The LPG Association and the LPG suppliers are committed to working together with Industry to identify what is causing these problems and then working on a solution.” ■ Find LPG Association Codes of Practice at http://www.lpga.co.nz/ aboutUsPractice.php
Taking action •
•
If any gasfitters have examples of contaminants found in drip legs or appliances, send it, in a suitable container, to the LPG Association, PO Box 1776, Wellington, Attention: Peter Gilbert. This will be analysed to learn what the material is and to develop a resolution. Master Plumbers would like to know how often gasfitters are changing these gas control valves out for appliances on LPG, to assess the size of the problem. Please email the Ed: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz if you have encountered this issue, giving details of the appliance and the supplier.
CPD points
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April/May 2015
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NUTS & BOLTS
HWC valve insulation Tempering valves do not require insulation if a vertical heat trap is installed, as David Crichton of Apex Valves explains. INSULATION OF VALVING close to hot water storage cylinders has become a much talked about topic in recent months. There is a lot of confusion and misinformation circulating on the subject, which is best settled with the facts. There are great differences between plumbing practices here in New Zealand and over in Australia. One of the biggest differences being that almost all hot water cylinders in New Zealand are installed indoors. This greatly affects the amount of insulation required. Plumbing in New Zealand is governed by clause G12 of the Building Code. This short document is the one that most inspectors are familiar with. It is true that AS/NZS 3500.1 Section 2, Section 3 and Appendix C, and AS/NZS3500.4 is also a suitable verification method, but this is a very complicated and lengthy set of documents to follow. If you install to AS/NZS 3500, which is ‘a suitable verification method’ for G12, then insulation is required. Be aware–the whole system must then comply to AS/NZS 3500, which is onerous. G12 requires that hot water distribution pipes shall be thermally insulated between the storage water heater and one or more of the following points: a) For horizontal pipe, to not less than 2m. b) To the end of the first continuous 2m of horizontal pipe, if the pipe has not followed a downward direction. c) To the first pipe drop of at least 250mm, ie, heat trap. The insulation shall extend at least 150mm past the top of the heat trap. Also, the un-tempered kitchen sink distribution pipe from the water heater to the outlet should be insulated.
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Above: A typical G12 compliant mains pressure installation. * RV and EV drains may be combined provided discharge is via a minimum air break of 25mm. Drain must have a minimum size of 20mm diameter and be one size larger than the largest relief valve outlet. ** 1.0m minimum copper pipe length from cylinder to tempering valve and a 250mm heat trap to the tempering valve (as per G12).
There is no need to insulate a tempering valve, cold water expansion valve or a limiting valve, providing the valve train is installed sensibly. Apex Valves has always promoted installing the tempering valve in a heat trap because it increases the longevity of the valve. ■ For more information, contact David Crichton on 09 828 3123; email davidc@apexvalves.co.nz About the author: David Crichton BSc is the Research & Development Manager at Apex Valves Ltd, the leading New Zealand plumbing and rural valve manufacturer. David has decades of experience in the water industry having worked for valve manufacturers in the UK. When he emigrated to New Zealand, he worked for Englefield and later Kohler. He currently sits on the Australian Standards committee responsible for Standards writing for hot water valving.
The Truth about Insulation Meeting all G12 Code Requirements
Insulation and heat trap installation
If a vertical heat trap is installed as shown, the only valve that needs insulating is the TPR valve! Note: * R.V and E.V drains may be combined provided discharge is via a minimum airbreak of 25 mm. Drain must have a minimum size of 20mm diameter and be one size larger than the largest relief valve outlet. ** 1.0m minimum copper pipe length from cylinder to Tempering Valve and a 250 mm heat trap to the Tempering Valve. (As per G12) David Crichton BSc. is the Research & Development manager at Apex Valves Limited, the leading New Zealand plumbing and rural valve manufacturer. He has decades of experience in the water industry having worked for valve manufacturers in The U.K. When he emigrated to New Zealand, he worked for Englefield Bathroomware and later Kohler. He currently sits on the Australian Standards committee responsible for standards writing for hot water valving.
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Technical points NUTS & BOLTS
Our regular technical news snippets for plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers. NEW VIDEOS FOR GASFITTERS Look out for Master Plumbers’ member company EG Glennie & Co in a new series of You Tube videos for gasfitters, entitled The Gas Regulations and You. Developed by WorkSafe New Zealand (Energy Safety), PGDB and Standards New Zealand, the videos are designed to help gasfitters and other practitioners understand the gas regulations, including amendments that have come into effect since 2013. The first two videos in the series look at the key changes to the gas regulations and what they mean in practice. The third is an overview of 2014 amendments. Find them at: • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebm-j32Vfqc • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4dI0NWabMY • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtzkCYLki6U
REVISION TO CANTERBURY INDUSTRIAL GUIDANCE A revision has been made to section 3.2.5 of MBIE’s guidance document Assessment, repair and rebuild of earthquake-affected industrial buildings in Canterbury. The revision relates to geotechnical considerations when carrying out engineering assessments of industrial buildings. Find it at www.dbh.govt.nz
CANTERBURY RESIDENTIAL GUIDANCE ONLINE TOOL Getting to grips with the Residential Guidance is a new online tool from MBIE. It’s designed to support the technical guidance document on repairing and rebuilding houses affected by the Canterbury quakes, which is clarified and updated on an ongoing basis. View it at www.dbh.govt.nz/canterbury-guide/m10/index.html
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NZ ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE MAP The 2015 version of the New Zealand Energy Infrastructure Map is now available. The map depicts key components of the country’s gas production and transmission infrastructure and electricity generation, transmission and distribution networks. The 2015 edition sees 20 operating or planned power stations identified and added to the map for the first time. Four power stations were commissioned over the past year. Order at http://www.freemanmedia. co.nz/product/new-zealand-energy-infrastructure-map
BUILDING CODE SYSTEM WEB PORTAL A web-based portal providing one-stop access to the Building Code, Standards, guidance, determinations and other building and construction information has been proposed. MBIE, in partnership with BRANZ and Standards New Zealand, has completed workshops with end-users to get feedback, and says the input received was “insightful and above expectations”, according to the March 2015 edition of MBIE’s Codewords. The aim of having a single web portal, which would also be responsive to smart devices, is to help practitioners access and comply with the Building Code system more easily. The portal would also give assurance that the source, authority, applicability and validity of the information was clear. Plus, it would enable MBIE to send users notifications whenever changes were made to information. Other MBIE initiatives aimed at boosting productivity in the sector include: • replacing the Building and Housing portion of the MBIE website (www.dbh.govt.nz) with a new website: www. building.govt.nz • MBIE’s consideration of funding a core set of cited building Standards on a long-term basis. Consultation is planned later this year on the possible Standards.
Leak detection
NUTS & BOLTS
Look, listen, sniff… that’s the key to water leak detection using modern technology, says LORD Civil. THERE ARE TRADITIONAL methods for locating water leaks and these are proven solutions under the right circumstances. However, modern technology offers us better options for finding water leaks within a range of environments, delivering greater certainty, accuracy and effectiveness. We take a look at the three methods here.
ACOUSTIC LEAK DETECTION With a damaged pipe, water streams out of the leak, producing two types of noise: 1. The water flowing out of the pipe causes it to vibrate. • With the help of a contact electronic microphone, you can hear these leak vibrations even at remote locations where contact with the pipe is possible (valve, hydrant, connection to a building etc). 2. The water issuing at the leak location creates sounds that are transmitted through the ground to the surface. • With the help of a ground microphone, you can pick up these sounds, and modern equipment graphically displays the volume and the frequency spectrum, allowing you to home in on the location. • It is also possible to inject compressed air into lines to accentuate leak noise. The frequency of the generated noise is an important consideration as differing pipe materials emit noise at different frequency ranges—typically PVC pipes in the 70 Hz to 850 Hz range and cast iron pipes in the 500 Hz to 1500 Hz range. More basic equipment will require you to pick a high and low range, whilst more advanced units will apply electronic filters to screen out unwanted noise and also graphically display the results.
TRACER GAS The use of tracer gas for locating leaks in water pipes with electronic gas detection equipment has been tried and tested for several years. It is a very accurate method. To find a leak, the pipe to be investigated is filled with tracer gas (forming gas – 5 percent hydrogen and 95 percent nitrogen) through a suitable point of entry. This gas escapes from the leak and, owing to the fact that the gas has a low specific density and molecular structure, tracer gas has the particular characteristic of quickly penetrating all materials (concrete, tiles, tarmac etc) and rising vertically–and, with the right sniffing equipment, is precisely located at the surface.
LINE LOCATION With water leak detection equipment, this is achieved acoustically and the listening equipment is used to detect the impulse noises produced by a pipe pecker, also known as an impulse generator. Sound pulses transmit vibrations along the pipe. A pipe pecker is connected externally to a pipe and a
Top: Using a hand-held leak locator. Above: Illustrating how a leak locator works.
frequency of tapping selected that is chosen to reflect the pipe material, distance and ground conditions. In summary, off the shelf there are multi-role water leak detectors featuring both acoustic and gas detection capability within the same unit or able to be added for a nominal cost. Higher specified units feature electronic processing to improve accuracy by applying noise filters to remove background noise and also protecting the user. Graphical interfaces are an added bonus as they allow the user to see the leak referenced to the measurements being undertaken. ■ About the author: LORD Civil is a specialist civil engineering equipment supply and consulting company with a range of products for builders, plumbers and drainlayers. These include the Seba range of water leak locators and detectors. LORD Civil can access any Seba solutions, from acoustic detection, standalone hydrogen sniffers and combined units to network-wide monitoring systems. Call 0800 485 990; www.lordcivil.com
CPD points
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April/May 2015
27
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Terrific Tauranga
With the trade exhibition, evening entertainment, daytime activities and first-class speakers, the 2015 MPGD Conference was action-packed from start to finish.
WARM SUNSHINE GREETED guests at the 114th Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ Annual Conference in Tauranga. The registration desk was busy on Wednesday afternoon, as delegates, members and their partners collected their information packs, complete with Skills satchel, enamel mug from Rheem and handy Master Plumbers/MasterLink USB stick. After a quick wash and brush up, it was time for the Mico Welcome Night Dinner–a night of fine food, good company and memorable music from violinist entertainer Elena. Thursday morning saw the Master Plumbers AGM at Trinity Wharf Tauranga, attended by the MPGD Board, CEO and Regional Association delegates. See over the page for a report from the meeting. This was followed by the first of many morning and afternoon teas and lunches held in the open exhibition space at the hotel venue. More about the exhibitors, sponsors and expo action on page 35. Visitors to the speaker sessions on Thursday afternoon were entertained by fishing and hunting tales from Geoff Thomas of Rheem Outdoors with Geoff. Next up was Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith, who began by championing CEO Greg Wallace and Chair John Leen as “strong and effective advocates” of this industry. The Minister spoke of his drive to remove unnecessary bureaucracy for SMEs to help foster business growth, and of changes coming for retentions, with a trust obligation to be in place from 1 April 2016. He noted that legislative reform for this industry was the intention of the current review of the PGD Act. The Reboot had seen a good boost to apprentice numbers in our
trades, but further investment was needed to cope with the large pipeline of construction work over the next few years, he said. Other speakers during the day included rowing champion Rob Hamill on how anything is possible with passion and belief, and plumbing designer Peter Downey of Hydraulic Services Consultants on 2D to 3D design and the BIM trend. The day wrapped up with a hearty evening’s entertainment at the Dux and Marley ‘Pirates and Lasses’ Fun Night Dinner at the Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club. Friday morning speakers included WorkSafe Chief Executive Gordon MacDonald on workplace health and safety reform and Chris L’Ecluse of Navman Wireless on how this reform affects the mobile workforce. Business development speaker Justine Troy who, with husband Geoff Ross, wowed the world with the 42 Below vodka brand, inspired the audience to act with honesty, bravery and belief in themselves and their goals. Know your vision, said Justine, tell your stories, and be sure to have mentors, mates and muses. Leisurely afternoon options of fishing, clay shooting and golf were followed up by the sparkling New Zealand Plumbing Awards at the Mills Reef Winery on the Friday night–see page 32 for the winners. With a trip to Hobbiton, Dalton’s Plantation and The Mount for partners, there was something for everyone to enjoy–and the general feedback was of a happy, relaxed and informative event. If you couldn’t make it along this time, get ready for Rotorua in 2016! >
Left: The waterfront Conference venue. Centre: The partners at Hobbiton! Right: Pirates and lasses with ‘best dressed’ skeletal prize winner Robin Houghton, right.
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AGM–meeting of minds
Regional Associations represented at the MPGD Annual General Meeting showed positive support for future initiatives. “OUR CEO GREG Wallace is doing a fantastic job with a small team,” said Chairman John Leen in his welcome to the MPGD Annual General Meeting. “Greg is very committed to the plumbing industry and to making a difference.”
Marketing strategy Initiatives introduced since Greg joined Master Plumbers in July 2014 include a new one-man-band membership category and a two-year new membership deal of just $595 for the first year. At the AGM, further initiatives were given unanimous support by the Regional Association delegates. These included a new apprentice membership category and a comprehensive marketing strategy, which is to be funded by amending the portion of membership fees paid to regional Associations from 25 percent to no less than 15 percent. “One key objective is to improve our marketing of the Master Plumbers’ brand for all members’ businesses,” said Greg Wallace. “We have committed to a robust marketing strategy for 2015, which will include digital platforms to be as cost effective as possible for the marketing dollar.”
Partner support As outgoing National President Bruce Trenwith noted, Greg’s years of experience on the merchant and supplier side of the industry have given him a good understanding of this aspect of the organisation, which has resulted in a growth in industry support and sponsorship. During the second half of 2014, 13 additional Business Partners teamed with Master Plumbers, reflecting the strength of the brand across the industry. MPGD Business Partners had also provided tremendous support to NZ Plumber magazine, said Chairman John Leen–not only in their commitment to advertising but in their support of industry relevant topics. Master Plumbers would be looking to add an online version of the magazine during 2015. Partnership categories were to change in 2015 to better reflect the different levels of support. Major Business Partners would become Platinum Partners, with two new Gold and Silver levels replacing the current Business Partner category.
Representing members During 2014, Master Plumbers continued to meet members’ needs through services such as representation, advocacy, upskilling and the Quality Assurance programme. “We are the industry voice and we continue to represent members’ needs to Government and the regulator,” said Greg. “We are developing a stronger relationship with the Ministry of Business, Innovation 30
April/May 2015
Above: The AGM was held during Conference at the Trinity Wharf Tauranga venue.
and Employment (MBIE), and had a very constructive meeting with the Building and Housing Minister in October.” Master Plumbers is lobbying for changes to the current CPD regime, and would also be presenting a submission to MBIE on the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act review, with suggestions for improvements to its workability.
Health and safety focus A major focus for the year ahead will be health and safety, with WorkSafe New Zealand making changes to the legislation. “Master Plumbers is taking a lead in offering comprehensive training and in ensuring that our own subsidiaries are leading the way,” noted Greg, adding that it was essential for members to have robust health and safety systems in their businesses. MasterLink had engaged a health and safety consultant during 2014 to bring the company’s policies up to ACC accreditation standard and prepare it for the new legislation. As at 31 December 2014, 127 apprentices were employed by MasterLink, with 73 nationwide hosts. “Keeping our apprentices employed was a challenge at times because of the economic climate but pleasingly, due to the efforts of the Regional Managers supported by the internal MasterLink staff, we still maintained a strong level of apprentices,” said MasterLink Chairman Mark Whitehead. Apprentice numbers were highest in Auckland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty and Canterbury. Two newly created Regional Manager roles for Auckland and the central North Island would allow for a greater focus on growing numbers, whilst still being able to provide high-quality pastoral care to apprentices and their hosts. “I would encourage all our membership to consider MasterLink as their preferred apprentice training supplier,” added Mark.
All NZ Plumbing Awards photography by Craig Brown Photographer
2015-16 MPGD Board
Kava Cup winner
The 2015-16 MPGD Board comprises the following members: • Chairman: John Leen • Deputy Chairman: Dave Strong • President: Martin De Gouw • Vice-President: Craig Foley • Board Directors: John DeBernardo, Rod Miller, Bruce Trenwith, Mark Whitehead
The Kava Cup is presented to a Master Plumbers’ Regional Association whose members have volunteered their trade services to a community project. The weighty, wooden Fijiian kava cup was originally presented to MPGD by the Southland Association to encourage some friendly interAssociation rivalry. This year, the Southland Association was itself the recipient for designing, constructing and installing a drinking fountain with the help of Methven on the heritage trail in Winton. The Kava Cup was presented to Southland Association President Ian Goodman at The New Zealand Plumbing Awards. After much ribbing from MC Greg Ward on the great difficulties of the installation, Greg pronounced that it took “two hours to install and five hours to drink its health”.
Above: The MPGD Board, from left: Craig Foley, John De Bernardo, Martin De Gouw, outgoing President Bruce Trenwith, Dave Strong, John Leen and Mark Whitehead. Rod Miller has also joined the 2015-16 Board.
Above: John Leen presents Ian Goodman with the Kava Cup. Left: The exceedingly tricky drinking fountain installation.
Above: After two terms as National President, Bruce Trenwith presented the chains of office to Martin De Gouw for 2015-16.
Without whom… Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ would like to thank all the Business Partners and exhibitors who supported the 2015 Annual Conference. A huge thank you goes to Plumbing World as the Principal Conference Supporter and New Zealand Plumbing Awards Sponsor. Thanks, too, to Mico for the fabulous Mico Welcome Night Dinner on the opening night and to Dux and Marley for the entertaining Pirates & Lasses Fun Night Dinner on the Thursday evening. We’d also like to thank the following sponsors:
• •
The Skills Organisation for the conference satchels Spark Business for the well-received MPGD conference app • Mobil for the golf, shooting and fishing Leisure Afternoon activities • Foreno and MM Kembla for sponsoring motivational speakers Rob Hamill and Justine Troy • Rheem NZ for the enamel mugs for all attendees • Navman Wireless for sponsoring speaker Chris L’Ecluse • Apex Valves for the Exhibitors Happy Hour drinks. The Annual Conference is only possible with the support of MPGD’s Business Partners and trade show exhibitors.
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New Zealand Plumbing Awards 2015 THE NEW ZEALAND
Held at the superb Mills Reef Winery, the 2015 New Zealand Plumbing Awards Gala Dinner was a night to remember. MASTER PLUMBER OF THE YEAR 2015 And the winner is: Climate, New Plymouth This award recognises a MPGD member business that can clearly demonstrate its business acumen and drive for success. The winner receives the Master Plumber of the Year trophy and $2,000 towards their business marketing plan or promotion of the business. Industry newcomers Sam and Lee Tyson bought a New Plymouth HVAC business in 2010, naming it Climate. Sam joined Master Plumbers as a source of support, and has since become President of the Taranaki Association. She also represents Master Plumbers on the Building Interest Group, and is a board director at the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce. As a woman running a heating and plumbing business, Sam brings an outside perspective to the industry, both locally and nationally. In 2014, Sam and Lee purchased two further local plumbing and heating businesses, growing the team from nine to 19,
PLUMBER, GASFITTER OR DRAINLAYER OF THE YEAR 2015 And the winner is: Hamish Murphy, Plumbing Works, Tauranga This award recognises excellence in the trade and leadership skills of an individual Certifying tradesperson. Hamish Murphy has nine years’ experience in the industry and has just become a Certifying Plumber. He is now working towards his Above: Hamish Murphy (centre) receives his Gasfitting Certification. award from John Leen and Rob Kidd. On starting in the industry, Hamish won a scholarship, identifying him as a future leader. He has since risen to any challenge and has been prepared to champion any new project given to him. He has a great rapport with fellow staff members and builds strong relationships on site with other contractors and the client. Hamish is meticulous in his approach to understanding the project, and is proactive in communicating issues with management and subcontractors. He has also worked to put in place Quality Assurance and on-site health and safety systems. 32
April/May 2015
Above: Sam and Lee Tyson receive the greenstone trophy from Bruce Trenwith (left) and Plumbing World General Manager Rob Kidd.
with 12 vans on the road. Climate’s core value is ‘We Care’: the team care about their clients, their workmanship, doing what’s right, their industry, their community, their environment, themselves and each other.
OUTSTANDING PROJECTS AWARD 2015 And the winner is: Plumbing Works, Tauranga Project: Health and Science Block at Wairariki Institute of Technology This award recognises a member company’s work on construction projects, showcasing the high standards and quality workmanship of member businesses. The winning project called for a state-ofthe-art health and science block that Above: Hamish Murphy of Plumbing Works receiving the award from Plumbing World uses solar panels for energy efficiency and a National Sales and Operations Manager Simon Lavery. non-potable system for flushing water. The biggest challenge was running the pipework in exposed ceiling spots, which involved working closely with all subcontractors. Plumbing Works worked with Hawkins, Fusio and Solarzone to achieve a project to be proud of. The block was opened by Prime Minister John Key in January.
OUTSTANDING SERVICES TO THE INDUSTRY 2015
THE PRESIDENT’S AWARD 2015
And the winner is: Tony Mannington, Tony Mannington Plumbing, Hamilton
And the winner is: Murray Ellis
This award goes to an individual who has made a significant difference to the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry, from which MPGD members have benefited. Tony joined the Waikato Master Plumbers Association Above: Michael Foote of the Waikato Association receiving the award from Executive in 1974 and Plumbing World Marketing Manager Sarah has been President Vining on behalf of Tony Mannington. twice. In 2001, Tony received the inaugural Master Plumber of the Year Award and was awarded Life Membership in 2014. He has also been a tutor at Wintec and has been involved in the Skills Olympics. Tony’s service to the industry covers many years, and many people have benefited from his trade knowledge and skills.
This award recognises a non-member who has volunteered their support to MPGD or the wider industry. Certifying Plumber Murray Ellis has been involved within the backflow industry in New Zealand, Australia and the US for over Above: John Leen and Bruce Trenwith present Murray Ellis (centre) with his award. 50 years, developing backflow testing and survey courses to NZQA standard and delivering them through the NZ Water & Environment Training Academy. Through his advocacy for the plumbing industry with water suppliers, councils, Water New Zealand, backflow equipment suppliers, Government and engineering unions, Murray has raised the profile of plumbers within the New Zealand backflow industry.
INDUSTRY SUPPORTER OF THE YEAR 2015
TRAINING LEADER OF THE YEAR 2015
And the winner is: Jennifer Price, Caroma
And the winner is: Martin De Gouw, Clyne and Bennie Plumbing, Christchurch
This award recognises a company or individual outside of MPGD membership, who has made an outstanding contribution to the plumbing, gasfitting and/or drainlaying industry over the last 12 months. Jennifer Above: Jennifer Price (centre) receiving her award from Sarah Vining. Price has been in the plumbing industry for many years, becoming Marketing Manager at Caroma in 2009. In 2014, she took on the role of Architectural Specifications Manager, working with architects, interior designers, commercial plumbers, hydraulic engineers and other specifiers. Earlier this year, she was promoted to Project Sales Manager, responsible for commercial projects sales nationally, supported by a commercial sales team.
This award is presented by The Skills Organisation to recognise industry leadership in training the industry’s future workforce. Forward thinking businesses recognise the importance of investing in employee Above: Martin De Gouw (centre) receiving his training. While running award from Sarah Vining. a large Christchurch company, Martin also finds time to run study nights for apprentices wanting to achieve registration, taking a friendly, student-focussed approach. Martin is always willing to share his trade knowledge with others and has also run upskilling courses.
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2015 And the winner is: Rinnai New Zealand Evolve 950 Gas Fire This award recognises the significant contribution to product development in the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industry of a company or individual in the past year. Rinnai’s Evolve 950 is a gas fire that delivers everything on the consumer’s wish list. By gathering insights from all users—customers, home builders, retailers and installers—Rinnai identified the ultimate list of attributes for a gas fire. This guided the design process and led to pioneering innovations. Right: John Leen and Sarah Vining with (from left) Rinnai New Zealand’s Managing Director Ray Ferner, General Manager Sales and Marketing Mark McCutcheon and National Sales Manager Gavin Brown. April/May 2015
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GRAEME VICTOR SMITH CONTRIBUTION TO THE INDUSTRY AWARD And the winner is: Graeme Smith The Graeme Victor Smith Award was presented this year for the first time by Dux, in honour of Graeme Smith, who left the company after 35 years in December 2014 due to the increasingly debilitating effects Above: Graeme Smith (second from left) of motor neurone with, from left, Martin De Gouw, Dux General disease. The inaugural Manager Jeff la Haye and John Leen. trophy, which recognises an individual or business’s contribution to the industry, and their commitment to Master Plumbers, the industry, running a successful business and developing tomorrow’s plumbers, went to its namesake, Graeme Smith. For a profile of Graeme, see the December 2014/January 2015 edition of NZ Plumber.
JAMES DOUGLAS MEDALLION 2015 The finalists are: • • •
Drainlaying: Jaron Jensen, Southland Farming Services Plumbing: Ben Shoesmith, BT Plumbing & Gas Gasfitting: Christopher Baylis, Houghton’s Plumbing, Heating & Gas And the James Douglas Medallion winner is: Christopher Baylis The James Douglas Medallion recognises the previous year’s outstanding apprentice in plumbing, gasfitting or drainlaying. Each of the three finalists receives $500 from The Skills Organisation. The overall winner receives the James Douglas Medallion, a further $500, and a Career Development Scholarship to the value of $2,500 from The Skills Organisation. “This award honours an individual’s hard work, commitment and determination to achieve industry success,” said Skills Chief Executive Garry Fissenden. “Apprentices from all over New Zealand entered and I have been incredibly impressed at the high calibre of entrants. Our winner of the James Douglas Medallion stands out as a personable young man whose cheeky side shines through in dealing with his workmates. With his excellent marks and can-do attitude, we look forward to seeing him develop as a positive contributor to the industry.” Top: Gasfitting finalist Christopher Baylis (centre) receives the overall James Douglas Medallion from The Skills Organisation Chief Executive Garry Fissenden (right). Centre: Plumbing finalist Ben Shoesmith (centre). Bottom: Drainlaying finalist Jaron Jensen (centre). 34
April/May 2015
PLUMBING WORLD SCHOLARSHIPS 2015 And the winners are: •
•
•
•
•
Liam Driver at host company Adams Plumbing in Dunedin Andrew Ranger at host company Laser Plumbing Te Puke Jackson Ruakere at host company Vince Basile Plumbing Co in Palmerston North Isaac Wairau at host company Barnes Plumbing and Gas in Te Anau Tom Williams at host company CF Reece Plumbing in Hamilton.
Above: Back row, from left: Liam Driver, Jackson Ruakere and Andrew Ranger. Front row, from left: Tom Williams and Isaac Wairau.
Plumbing World Scholarships were awarded to five MasterLink apprentices for making excellent progress in their apprenticeships. All five were present to receive their $1,000 voucher from Plumbing World, and we will provide more coverage on the individual winners in future editions of NZ Plumber.
PAGE TAG
At the Trade Show An exhibition quiz had participants checking out the stands to answer questions and be in to win a prize. With all Conference morning teas and lunches held in the exhibition hall, there was plenty of time for participants to browse the stands, chat with suppliers and manufacturers, and view the products and services. There were 27 sponsor and exhibitor stands in all, displaying a wide range of products, from shower drains and plumbing control valves to toilet suites, gas boilers, drain inspection gear and water leak detectors. Service offerings included insurance, accounting software, fleet tracking solutions and apprentice training information. The MPGD Conference app included an exhibitors’ competition, tasking attendees to answer questions relevant to each trade stand. Those who preferred could fill in the competition on paper! Once they had collected nine stamps, they headed for the Master Plumbers’ stand for the 10th and the chance to win a $250 Liquorland voucher. The winner was Anthony Christenhusz, with Englefield also winning a prize voucher for being the most visited stand. There was plenty of action at the free expo, with exhibitor presentations and live filming for the promotional DVDs that The Skills Organisation are developing in conjunction with Master Plumbers and MasterLink. A number of spot prizes were also up for grabs, with lucky winners taking home everything from a radio-controlled helicopter to a toilet suite. Congratulations, too, to Steve Dearing of Steve Dearing Plumbing in Tauranga for winning the Air New Zealand Great Mystery Break for two! Steve won the draw open to all who registered for Conference by 24 December. After the speaker session on Thursday, Conference attendees made their way to the exhibition hall for a Happy Hour with the Exhibitors, sponsored by Apex Valves. The trade expo came to a close on Friday afternoon, as Conference participants headed off to enjoy the Mobil leisure afternoon activities.
Above: MasterLink South Island Manager Roger Herd is interviewed for the trade promotional DVD. Below: At the LORD Civil, Methven and Buteline stands.
A-Z of sponsors and exhibitors • • • • • • • • • •
Allproof Industries Apex Valves Buteline NZ Caroma Industries Central Heating New Zealand Dux Industries Englefield Foreno Tapware NZ Hydroflow Distributors Kohler NZ
• • • • • • • • • •
Konnect Lord Civil MM Kembla NZ Marley Master Plumbers & MasterLink Methven Mico Plumbing & Bathrooms Mike Henry Insurance Brokers Mobil Oil NZ MYOB
• • • • • • • •
Navman Wireless Plumbing World Rheem NZ Rinnai Spark Business Spratt Financial Services System Control Engineering NZ The Skills Organisation
April/May 2015
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PLUMBING PROJECT
The heat’s on
A specialist heating system in a Dalefield house meets the particular challenges of the Queenstown climate, as Ross Miller discovers.
WHEN YOU BUILD at the base of The Remarkables with a million dollar panorama of snow-capped mountains, double glazing makes sense, but smart home heating solutions are a must. Queenstown is known for its summer and winter weather extremes, which present challenges for residential designers. This 800sq m house incorporates a Viessmann heating system that utilises both underfloor heating and central heating. Heating, cooling and climate control specialists Red Dwarf supplied and installed the Vitoladens 330-T boiler to power the system. Director Rob Potts says the condensing boiler has ouputs between 35.4 to 53.7kW, with the capacity of a 63kW diesel boiler. It handles the heated water for the underfloor heating, the domestic hot water supply, space heating and even the outdoor swimming pool. The condensing boiler uses the flue heat that is normally expelled to increase the efficiency of the boiler to 98 percent –
Above: Pouring the concrete screed on the underfloor heating pipework.
PLUMBING PROJECT
about 12 percent more than a standard boiler. For a boiler to utilise the condensing mode it must use the latent heat of water vapour in the flue gas. This occurs when the flow heating water temperature need is below 57°C (dew point).
WHATEVER THE WEATHER
Left: A schematic of the basic heating system. Top, from left: high temperature heating and low temperature circuits. Bottom, from left: domestic hot water cylinder, heating buffer tank and diesel boiler with second DHW tank beneath.
A feature of the system is the weather compensation facility. An outdoor sensor integrated with the heating system means the heating water temperature automatically rises or lowers depending on the outside ambient temperature. Weather compensation technology works well with condensing boilers because 80 percent of the time the boiler will be working in condensing mode due to lower flow and return temperatures in the heating system. This ensures that the heating system performs to its maximum efficiency and, more importantly, provides personal comfort within the home. To achieve a high level of efficiency, the floor heating component has been installed according to the European screed method, consisting of a structural floor, on top of which is an insulation base of R1.9, and a thermal barrier installed around all internal and exterior walls. Pipework is laid and secured to the insulation base and a concrete screed of 45mm poured on top. Although it costs more to use this screed method than to install heating in the structural floor, this cost is easily recovered in two to three years, due to the efficiency of the system.
a feature of the system is the weather compensation facility
Above: In the plant room.
Above: Cutaway of the boiler.
Red Dwarf bases all its system design and practices on European standards, as New Zealand does not currently have its own standards in this field. However, this ties in well with the German Viessmann product, and the staff are specifically trained in this area. John Gavin Construction won no fewer than five regional awards for this new house build at the 2014 Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards. These included the Southern Region Supreme Award for House of the Year. The judging panel noted the particular challenges posed by a difficult site and “testing climatic factors”. ■
April/May 2015
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REAL LIVES
Warrant of fitness Stan Bossom, Building Warrant of Fitness Auditor at Hutt City Council, talks about his role to NZ Plumber. Q: WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE ENTAIL? A: I carry out regular on-site audits of the buildings in our
region that contain ‘specified systems’. There are 16 categories of specified systems, all of which ensure that the building is safe for use. These include automatic backflow preventers and automatic systems for fire suppression, such as sprinkler systems. The type of systems needed depends on what the building is used for and the level of risk. Buildings containing specified systems require a compliance schedule, which lists the specified systems in the building and the inspection, maintenance and reporting requirements. It’s my responsibility to make sure the compliance schedule requirements are being met, as well as to provide technical guidance to internal staff and customers–including designers, developers and contractors. I work with a Building Warrant of Fitness Officer, who deals with the processing of the Building Warrant of Fitness renewals and day to day enquiries.
Q: WHY DO THESE BUILDINGS NEED AUDITING? A: Specified systems used in buildings are fundamental to safety, so they need to be regularly inspected to check that they are being maintained. Each year, the building owner or representative must sign and display a Building Warrant of Fitness to confirm that the compliance schedule requirements have been met for the previous 12 months. It’s my job to inform building owners and tenants of their responsibilities and to keep accurate records. In general, building
>
it’s my responsibility to make sure the compliance schedule requirements are being met
Above: Stan Bossom. April/May 2015
39
owners are aware of their responsibilities, but some need educating. If they don’t get it right and something bad happens, they could be held liable. It can also affect their insurance.
Q: HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT THE AUDITS? A: We select building premises by area, than advise the building owner that we’re intending to carry out a site visit with them or their representative. During these visits, I check whether the specified systems match the existing compliance schedule. This can be modified if necessary with an audit report.
Q: WHAT ABOUT NEW BUILDINGS? A: If specified systems are being installed in a new building, the
building consent triggers the need for a compliance schedule. I work closely with building officers during the final inspection to make sure all the necessary specified systems are installed and the compliance schedule has been issued before final sign off.
Q: WHAT’S YOUR BACKGROUND? A: I have experience in many aspects of building and have
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specified systems cannot be altered or added without a building consent
Backflow Surveyor and have completed BRANZ certification in domestic fire sprinkler design and installation. I also have good health and safety knowledge through my time as an advanced intensive care paramedic and through working for the Wellington Free Ambulance Service and the Taranaki Ambulance Service. Working with the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter are career highlights for me. I have a Certificate in Construction Site Safety from Unitec, Level 2 First Aid and have worked as an open market trainer for Site Safe. I was also a volunteer firefighter for 12 years, working my way up to volunteer District Chief Fire Officer.
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE AROUND SPECIFIED SYSTEMS FOR PLUMBERS, GASFITTERS AND DRAINLAYERS? A: Specified systems cannot be altered or added without a
building consent, and any plumbing-related work must be carried out by an authorised tradesperson. If tradespeople, IQPs or building owners come across something that doesn’t look right, we’re the point of contact. We have a warrant to enter and can investigate. ■
SUPPLY LINES
In full flow
Methven has been proudly serving New Zealand plumbers for over 125 years. AT METHVEN, we’re all about making water amazing. It’s what we deliver every day, and have done since 1886 when George Methven first started as a producer of brass and iron hardware in Dunedin. Today, Methven is renowned for world-leading technology, beautiful design, and award-winning showers, taps and valves. It all stems from our knowledge of water. Our unique history as an island nation has taught us to take care of nature’s most precious resource. Over the years we have learned how to harness its power to cleanse, calm, refresh and invigorate. And it’s this expertise–combined with our passion for design and innovation–that fuels our ongoing mission to create amazing water experiences.
Designed and engineered in New Zealand
Methven has a long history of innovation in New Zealand, providing products that are easy to install, backed by comprehensive warranties and customer service, and delivering homeowners a superior experience. Methven Fastflow® technology delivers unrivalled performance on unequal pressure installations. It has been used and trusted by New Zealand plumbers for over 20 years. Using precision engineered jets, Fastflow® ingeniously uses high pressure cold water velocity to draw the low pressure hot water through at an increased rate. This provides maximum water flow at the optimum temperature. Methven Satinjet™ uses unique twin-jet technology to create optimum water droplet size and pressure, with over 300,000 droplets per second providing greater warmth and coverage. The result is an immersive, full-body experience. The savings are exceptional too. In fact, a Satinjet shower can save you up to 50 percent on your hot water energy costs and up to 55 percent on the cost of the water used in your shower1. Good for your customers, and the environment.
Above: The new Methven Aurajet™ Aio Shower.
The Nefa range of safety and control valves offers a complete solution for the protection and regulation of domestic water supply in both mains and low pressure installations. All Nefa valves use DR brass bodies for strength and durability. Install Nefa with peace of mind, knowing that Nefa valves are backed by a comprehensive warranty from Methven and that they meet New Zealand standards and comply with the requirements of the New Zealand Building Code.
Setting industry leading standards
Methven continue to lead the industry with the launch of a pioneering shower technology–Aurajet™, in the new Aio collection. It’s our most advanced, most invigorating shower experience ever and backed by a lifetime warranty. Invisible nozzles generate individual jets of water that collide against precisely angled surfaces hidden within the contours of the unique halo-shaped showerhead. The result is a stunning fan of luxuriously dense droplets that delivers a highly efficient shower with 20 percent more spray force and twice the amount of water contact on your skin2. Experience it for yourself at methven.com/aurajet. A range of beautiful Aio tapware will complement the new Aurajet™ shower range. Methven sets new standards in tapware by utilising Eco Brass®. This revolutionary, high-quality, highstrength, corrosion resistant material is lead and heavy metal free, preserving water quality for both consumption and bathing. To see the full range of Methven products visit methven.com Or contact us on 0800 804 222; customercare@nz.methven.com ■ 1. Water flow pressure varies in different locations. Areas with low pressure will produce lower flow rates. The savings percentage indicated applies only to a shower flowing at 9 litres per minute. 2. Compared to a Methven Conventional Shower. Flow rate of both products at 9L per minute and tested as per AS 3662-2013 Appendix H.
Above: Aio tapware in Eco Brass® complements the Aurajet™ Aio shower range.
Platinum Partner
April/May 2015
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INDUSTRY TALK
Reviewing the PGD Act The Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 2006 came into full effect on 1 March 2010. Under Section 187, the Act must be reviewed after three years have gone by since its commencement to consider whether any amendments are necessary. That review is now underway, with the Ministry of Business, Innovation
and Employment (MBIE) carrying out a confidential, online survey of plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers in February. MBIE has also contacted other industry stakeholders, including Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ, to get their thoughts on how the Act is operating. Once it has analysed all responses,
MBIE will provide a report to Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith, who must present a copy to the House of Representatives as soon as practicable. We will keep you posted on progress in NZ Plumber.
Three out of six ain’t bad Bagging six game animals and fish in 48 hours proved harder than ever for the latest plumber to take on the Rheem Big Six Challenge. “Peter Illingworth from Auckland finished with three out of the six,” says organiser and host of TV show Rheem Outdoors with Geoff, Geoff Thomas. “I would be surprised if anybody ever manages to fill all six in the time available. It in no way reflects the experience or skills of the contestant,” he says, adding, “It is actually very difficult to get animals and fish to order–they don’t read the script!” Peter had a fantastic experience, spending two days buzzing around the mountains and rivers on the East Coast in a helicopter, out of Opotiki. “It is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he said. “I ticked one thing off my bucket list. I shot my first deer, and we’ve got venison in the freezer.”
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April/May 2015
Above: Peter Illingworth bagged his first stag on the latest Rheem Big Six Challenge, with the help of pilot Steve Woods (right). Below: Mike Owens from Rheem was on hand to help Peter take on the challenge.
Peter also caught kahawai and snapper while fishing off the rocks at Lottin Point, after flying around the coast in the chopper. Then he was whisked over to the mouth of the Motu River, where three jet boats were waiting to take the team up the river with some pig hunters. The hectic pace continued as the chopper then flew Peter and the crew into a remote tributary of the Motu in search of a trout. The scores in the challenge to date are: • 2014 Peter Illingworth 3/6 (kahawai, snapper, stag) • 2013 Murray Bond 4/6 (chamois, stag, trout, bluenose) • 2012 Tony Wright 4/6 (wild boar, bluenose, 2 trout) • 2011 Reece Hesketh 4/6 (stag, trout, hapuka, kingfish).
INDUSTRY TALK
Plumbing career prospects
Employment opportunities for those thinking of entering the plumbing industry in 2015 are now available through MBIE’s Occupation Outlook. Occupation Outlook was launched to help young people with their study and career choices. It has education, employment and income information on 50 occupations, chosen for their size, popularity and future growth potential. Plumbing is among the careers listed, with demand for plumbers expected to grow over the 2013-18 period, particularly in Christchurch and Auckland. Plumbers are currently on the Canterbury Skill Shortage List, with overseas tradespeople being sought to fill places. In other regions, employment growth is expected to remain stable. The number of online job vacancies for plumbers, on sites like Seek and Trade Me, grew by 36.6 percent from June 2013 to June 2014. This compares with an overall increase of 16.5 percent for all skilled vacancies. The estimated average income for plumbers in 2014 was $52,300, according to the Statistics New Zealand Income Survey and estimated from the hourly rate. Experienced, self-employed plumbers can earn between $80,000 and $100,000 a year or more, notes the report. Employment for all plumbers–including limited certificate holders – has held up over the recession, with the number of
registered plumbers averaging between 4,500 and 5,000. Though there will always be demand for plumbers, growth is forecast to weaken beyond 2018. The full report is available at www.mbie.govt.nz/occupationoutlook
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INDUSTRY TALK
PGDB fees & levy review
Every three years, the Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers Board (PGDB) reviews the fees and levy it charges tradespeople. In February, it kicked off the current review with an ‘options consultation’, seeking opinions and ideas from tradespeople on various matters, including: • Any changes to fees for people holding more than one licence • Any changes to fees for people moving from the Licensed to Certifying registration class • Any other changes to the way the fees and levy are set • Photo licence cards • Issuing two-yearly licences. Feedback closed on 22 April, and the PGDB is now reviewing the comments received. It will then prepare a fees and levy proposal and hold discussion meetings with tradespeople around New Zealand, particularly in the main population centres. A second consultation opportunity will start on 10 August.
The PGDB has made operating surpluses over the past few years, and says it will allocate any reserve funds that are surplus to requirements to the review, which will have the effect of subsidising the fees and/or the levy. Any changes made as a result of the review will be introduced for the licence year commencing 1 April 2016.
Navman Recent convictions Wireless Unauthorised work in Nelson and Auckland and Teletrac has led to more fines and convictions. merger •
This March, Navman Wireless and Teletrac Inc announced their merger to become one of the world’s largest global telematics organisations. The company will continue to operate under both brands, and fully support all current customers and platforms. “It became clear in our race to being the predominant global GPS fleet and asset tracking solution, that the leverage of combining Navman Wireless and Teletrac was in the clear best interest of both companies’ current and future customers,” says TJ Chung, who leads the joint company. Teletrac and Navman Wireless provide GPS-based fleet optimisation products and services, including real-time vehicle tracking and analytics that enable companies to monitor, measure and improve operational costs and efficiencies. The joint company’s technology currently tracks more than 500,000 vehicles owned by over 40,000 organisations on five continents. 44
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•
The residents of an Auckland house were left with the ‘shell of a bathroom and no money’ after Auckland man Daniel Stewart carried out unauthorised and defective sanitary plumbing work. He installed a shower mixer and connecting pipes, removed waste water pipes and a basin, and changed hot water cylinder pipework. He also removed gib board from the ceiling and walls and a wall between the bathroom and water closet, leaving this work unfinished. He was convicted and fined $1,750 in January. Nelson man Craig Ashton has been convicted and fined $4,000 for helping carry out gasfitting work without a licence. He and another person installed an LPG-powered fridge and extended pipework for a flue in a motorhome. His work was found to be defective by a registered gasfitter, who was called when the motorhome owner noticed a bad smell come from the fridge that made her feel ill and light-headed. The gasfitter notified WorkSafe NZ,
•
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who in turn notified the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board. An Auckland man has been convicted and fined $1,500 for providing information to a homeowner that was intended or may have caused them to think he was an authorised tradesperson. Wuming Luo misled the homeowner with information on his business card and quotation that created the impression that he was registered or licensed to undertake sanitary plumbing work. Darren Brown was convicted and fined $1,875 for replacing a tempering valve on a hot water cylinder, and installing a new bath, vanity and shower at an Inglewood home when not authorised at the time. Auckland man Jarron ‘Jazz’ Lopez has been convicted and fined $1,050 for doing plumbing work without authorisation, misrepresenting himself as a plumber, and falsely advertising himself as a trained plumber on Builderscrack.
INDUSTRY TALK
Clear winner
A transparent washbasin mixer has won designer brand Axor two awards. Axor’s first-ever transparent mixer was conceived in collaboration with designer Philippe Starck. “My father’s intuition that water could visibly be brought to the foreground through the vortex was the starting point in the development of Axor Starck V,” said head of Axor, Philippe Grohe on winning the Best Domestic Design award for the organic crystal glass mixer at the 2015 Wallpaper* magazine Design Awards in January. Above: Philippe Grohe (centre), receiving the Interior Innovation Award from the CEOs of the Cologne Trade Fair and German Design Council.
The same month, the mixer went on to win a German Design Council Best of Best award for Interior Innovation at international furniture trade fair imm
Above: The Axor Starck V spout is open, rotatable and detachable.
cologne. It was the only sanitary fixture among the 15 Best of Best winners. Axor is the designer brand of Hansgrohe SE.
People NEW LPGA BOARD MEMBER The LPG Association has appointed new Board member Victoria Jull from Shell New Zealand. Since last December, Victoria has been a Commercial Advisor at Shell, working between New Plymouth and Wellington. Prior to this, she has worked for Shell Todd Oil Services and Liquigas, and has held various positions in government organisations. She says she wants to bring a fresh perspective to the LPG Association and its executive committee. “A challenge for industry is lack of storage for LPG, so we have to work together to make product flow, and communication and collaboration is key to that,” she told Gasline in February. “The LPGA has a vital role to play in terms of promoting LPG and enhancing an already positive reputation.”
2015 PGD BOARD Peter Jackson was reelected in February as Chairperson of the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board. Also joining
him again this year are Graham Hardie as Deputy Chairperson and Craig O’Connell as Chairperson of the Audit and Risk Committee.
GM FOR FERGUS Fergus Software Ltd welcomes Mark Page to the team. After 27 years in Merchant Business, Mark has joined the team in the role of General Manager. Mark relocated from Australia in 2006 to help bring Reece Plumbing to NZ. “I am really excited to have joined the Fergus Team in New Zealand and remain connected to the industry I love (plumbing) and connect with one that I am learning more about (electrical). What I loved in my previous role, amongst other things, was the ability to work closely with customers and their businesses. Since joining Fergus and learning more about the system, I am extremely excited by what the programme has to offer. Having a job management programme that can completely assist a business from front end to the back takes solution providing and problem solving to the next level. In talking with customers in my first few
months, I have been refreshed to hear how much the implementation of Fergus into their business has assisted and changed the way they do things–for the better!”
NEW GM FOR CF REESE Award winning plumbing company CF Reese Plumbing has appointed Dave Morgan as new General Manager. Dave takes the helm from departing GM Blair Foote, who has taken up the position of General Manager of the Waikato Rugby Union. “We are very thrilled with the appointment of Dave as our GM–it’s with impeccable timing, coinciding with Dave returning from a nine-year stint running PSP Stonecraft in Auckland to be closer to his family who are Hamilton-based,” says company director Aaron Rink. Dave has a wealth of experience in the plumbing and construction sector, having previously managed three plumbing and electrical distribution wholesale branches for Mastertrade (now Mico Plumbing) up until 2005, before he left Hamilton to become the GM of PSP Stonecraft.
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AROUND ASSOCIATIONS
Advanced hydrology
This February, 32 intrepid participants undertook an Advanced Hydrology Study Retreat, arranged by the Southland Master Plumbers and Gasfitters Association. Research convenor Ray Galt files this report. THURSDAY 26 FEBRUARY, 7:30PM: NUTRITION AND HYDRATION The 2015 Hydrology Study started with all 32 participants meeting at the registration venue in Invercargill on Thursday evening. This was to ensure that all were aware of the study’s objectives and also the allocation of the three transportation leaders: Chris & Carla Fry from Te Anau and myself, from Invercargill. Many a story about expectations for the forthcoming studies was swapped while the participants undertook a pre-excursion session on nutrition and hydration.
FRIDAY 27 FEBRUARY, 6:45AM: BREAKFAST AND STUDY TUITION It was an early start on Friday for the first of the three vanloads leaving Invercargill, travelling west to the small town of Otautau to enjoy a breakfast courtesy of Rheem NZ. We were fortunate enough that Steve and Rowena Bullock (who almost had to divert to Dunedin due to delays in getting out of Auckland) were in attendance, along with John Bebbington. John passed on some of his considerable knowledge of previous studies done at Manakino, whilst Rowena elaborated on her recent overseas studies. Whilst travelling to the research area, participants in the three vans undertook study tuition of the Invercargill Water Tower, the historical library at Gropers Bush, tool procurement, along with geography and genealogy lessons. One of the vans also had an extremely close look into traffic management, which engendered considerable debate on the driving skills of
Above: Grub time, from left: Ray Galt, Roger Herd Graeme Millar, Greg Wallace and Dave McIvor. 46
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Above: Lunchtime for participants – thumbs up from Ali McIvor, seated left.
the domestic heavy transport industry. However, Carla’s skills in averting disaster were testament to the benefit of previous studies and experience.
FRIDAY 27 FEBRUARY, 8.30AM: JET BOAT AND HELICOPTER TO INITIAL STUDY AREA Once in the initial study area, Paul Roff provided maritime safety lessons prior to us all being ferried to the primary study area at Waitutu Lodge at the mouth of the Wairaurahiri River. Participants travelled by jet boat, courtesy of the Hump Ridge Jet organisation, and also by helicopter, piloted by Sam from Southern Lakes Helicopters, based out of Te Anau. Graeme Millar, Southland Master Plumber and experienced researcher, assisted by ferrying participants across Fiordland’s Lake Hauroko to the DOC hut at Teal Bay, where the first of many encounters with the aeronautical native wildlife occurred. Fortunately, Mico provided repellent tubes to assist in keeping the wildlife at a safe distance. Paul also demonstrated the principals of high-efficiency water pumps and their uses, and participants were highly impressed with his ability within his area of expertise. Whilst travelling on the Wairaurahiri River, various aspects of erosion and flood damage were observed, with a number taking the opportunity to have a closer look at the effects on the river flow of a log jam. At Waitutu Lodge, drainage work was being undertaken. With assistance of the knowledgeable and discerning remarks from the drainlayers amongst the group, along with input from Duane Rice and Teresa Dowd from Marley, the drainage work
AROUND ASSOCIATIONS
Above: At Percy Burn Viaduct, from left: Trudi Trenwith, Jane McIvor, Ali McIvor, Catherine Schuster and Teresa Dowd. Right: On the Wairaurahiri River, back row from left: Bruce Trenwith, Greg Wallace and Rowena Bullock; middle row from left: Duane Rice, Caroline Wallace, Trudi Trenwith, Teresa Dowd and Catherine Schuster; front: Steve Bullock.
progressed and was completed prior to the group leaving. Duane also provided comment on the way Ali McIvor from McIvor Plumbers, Dunedin, presented her research paper, outdoing her fellow researchers, including her husband Dave, and brother and sister-in-law Stu and Jane. At Waitutu, participants made excursions to the coast, taking in some Kiwi ingenuity engineering projects–most undertaking a course in telecommunications, whilst others were more interested in the geological aspects. Everyone used the facilities, even though some were lacking in the required ventilation. However, plans were discussed on how to remedy the deficiencies, which could possibly be the subject of a future Kava Cup nomination. Gasfitters within the group had the opportunity to be the beneficiaries of a complex gasfitting system within the food preparation area; an opportunity they were more than willing to share with other researchers. Greg Wallace let everyone know about his time with London Environmental, and his wife Caroline shared her experiences with native tree plantings with Project Crimson. Catherine Schuster made contact with a number of potential members during her journey South and the conversion rate looks promising. Roger Herd of MasterLink was on the ever-present lookout for new candidates, although without his assistant Lynn he wasn’t as successful as he would have liked. The aeronautical session was enjoyed by all, although it proved troublesome for Wayne Richards from Rheem, who failed the evacuation test. The last group returning across Lake Hauroko was fortunate enough to get a lesson in water droplets and velocity. Whilst not enjoyed by all within the mobile laboratory platform, others of the group considered it an experience to be talked about for some time. Nigel Mason from Reliance Worldwide Corporation provided liquid replenishments throughout the day, along with a brief corporate naming history lesson, which created considerable debate.
FRIDAY 27 FEBRUARY, 7.30PM: DEBRIEFING SESSION The debriefing took place at an old house in the historic township of Orepuki, where Darrin and Brent from Hydrofow exercised their experience in providing fluid transfer devices. This session of Hydroflow technology was enjoyed immensely by all. Southland Master Plumbers president Ian Goodman said that he and the Association are grateful to have received the knowledge and expertise from the researchers, particularly those that travelled from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Timaru, Wanaka and Dunedin to attend. It was also great to have the National President Bruce Trenwith and wife Trudi in attendance. As research convener, I was impressed with the knowledge and contribution made by the study participants. However I am not convinced that all objectives were achieved, and consider further work is needed, possibly during 2016, prior to publishing the results. If you wish to enquire about any of the subjects mentioned above, just ask any that were in attendance, as I’m sure they will only be too willing share knowledge gained. ■
Above: Landing at Waitutu Lodge. April/May 2015
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SUPPLY LINES
Do it online
Mico is connecting plumbers to online business solutions with its exclusive TradeDoor accounting and job management programme. A CLEVERLY DESIGNED online plumbers’ tool is taking the headache out of quoting and tracking accounts, while delivering professionally produced quotes and invoices and efficient filing! TradeDoor, exclusive to all MICO account holders, is a free accounting and job management programme that is available online at any time. It gives immediate access to Tradelink invoices, statements, products and pricing specific to each account, and allows the plumber to order product from onsite (or anywhere), arrange deliveries and track orders in real time– via mobile device or computer. All you need do is upload your logo and contact details and MICO TradeDoor will produce customised quotes, invoices and statements that can be sent direct to the customer. Multiple options within the programme allow you to choose exactly how much detail you wish to show in any paperwork, easily and efficiently. For example, individual labour and transport rates can be shown, client discounts, plant hire or specialist equipment rates–each and every quote and invoice can show the exact amount of detail required–it is never a situation of ‘one size fits all’!
individual labour and transport rates can be shown MICO TradeDoor has been developed to be easily and quickly operated–there is a free call system for help or advice together with numerous online tutorials. Feedback from the large number of tradies already using the system has been outstanding, with users reporting a significant cut in administration costs and time–and streamlined project management, no matter the size of the project. MICO TradeDoor is free to any MICO account holder and it integrates with most popular accounting packages. ■ For more information, go to www.mico.co.nz or contact your local MICO Branch or Account Manager.
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Platinum Partner
Above: The online MICO TradeDoor accounting and job management programme frees up your time to get on with your work.
SMART BUSINESS
Rental car do’s & don’ts
If you’ve ever travelled for business, chances are you’ve had to rent a car. Avis has some dos and don’ts to help you get the best out of your trip. DON’T wait until last minute to book: Domestic travellers should book
at least a week in advance of your trip. Booking early means more cars available, a broader selection and better rates. When travelling internationally, book at least two weeks in advance. Not only is it often cheaper, you’ll know your daily rate in advance and it avoids any language barriers.
DO use reputable companies:
Renting a car from a large company is often more convenient and they’ll offer well laid out websites and provide call centres if you need to talk through your options. They’ll also have easy access at airports throughout the country. Global brands have modern fleets, giving safe and efficient cars, with better vehicle availability due to fleet size. DO choose the right vehicle: Think carefully about what kind of vehicle you’ll need. If you’re travelling with co-workers, or have a lot of supplies to carry, you may want a large sedan or SUV. If you’re looking to save your company money on rental rates and gas, you’ll want the smallest available model. Looking for something environmentally friendly? Avis has a fleet of Toyota Camry hybrids. In NZ, an auto transmission is the norm– but read the vehicle description before booking. DO designate your drivers: With Avis you can have additional drivers who are over 25 years at no cost, provided they are with you when you pick up the vehicle, so their licence can be sighted. Some other companies may charge for additional drivers. DON’T overlook insurance: Avis rates in NZ include standard Motor Vehicle Insurance, which covers part of your liability (as long as you comply with the terms of the Rental Agreement) in respect of loss and certain specified 50
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damage to the vehicle and/or Third Party Property, which occurs through the use of the vehicle. However, an excess still applies if there is loss or damage to the vehicle or Third Party Property. The excess varies depending on age of renter, type of vehicle, location, and rate. In most cases, it can be reduced by payment of a daily Excess Reduction Fee at the time of rental. You are not obligated to purchase this–however, it is recommended for peace of mind.
DON’T forget to ask about fees:
If you’re booking online, read the terms and conditions before confirming your reservation. If you’re booking over the phone, ask about restrictions. Is there a penalty for no-shows (none with Avis)? Will the company charge you if you drive more than a specific number of kilometres (all Avis cars have unlimited kms)?
DO inspect the car before signing anything: Note any ding, scratch
and dent, no matter how insignificant. Unless you’re the first person renting the car, you should take notes on the rental agreement, pinpointing any concerns. It’s
also a smart idea to take your own photos of the car. It’ll only take a few minutes and will prove you didn’t create that scratch on the bumper with a time and a date stamp on your photo. At Avis, they provide you with a pre-printed report, including anything they’ve already picked up.
DO pack an emergency ‘mini’ road safety kit: Even though you’re renting
a car, emergencies and unexpected events can happen. It’s a good idea to pack a mini-version of your DIY road safety kit and include items such as a flashlight, first aid kit and your roadside assistance card. ■
Avis is an MPGD Silver Business Partner, offering members discounted rates on Avis rental cars in over 170 countries. Book online at the Master Plumbers Avis website. Details in the member-log in at www.masterplumbers.org.nz (under Rewards).
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SMART BUSINESS
From the IR:
Business vehicles
Do you use a vehicle as part of your business? The IR has three simple ways to claim expenses. AS A TRADESPERSON, it’s very likely that you use a vehicle to carry out your day-to-day work. If you use your own vehicle, you can claim back the business portion of the vehicle running costs. Inland Revenue wants to make it easier for you to file your tax returns, so here are a few things you should know.
Sole traders and partnerships If you are a sole trader, or in a partnership, and you use your own vehicle every day, you can claim a portion of the expenses you incur for running costs. These expenses include such costs as petrol, repairs, tyres, car registration and even insurance. If the vehicle you use is strictly for business, you can deduct the full running costs without making any adjustments. Easy! But, if you use the vehicle to travel from home to work, or any personal travel, you will need to separate the costs of your vehicle between business and private use. Travel between home and work is not classified as business use. There are three simple ways you can claim expenses: 1. Use a log book to identify how much you use your vehicle. To claim expenses for a vehicle used privately and for business, 52
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you will need to keep a log book for three months. Inland Revenue has a free log book template online if you need. After three months, work out the number of kilometres travelled for your business and compare this figure to the total kilometres travelled. This is the percentage of your motor vehicle expenses you can claim against your income. The general rule of thumb is you can use this percentage for three years before needing to keep a log book again for a further three-month period. For example:
Total distance travelled in three months: 2,610 km Distance travelled for business 360 km 360 ÷ 2,610 x 100 = 13.8% So, you can claim 13.8 percent of your vehicle expenses as a business expense. • You can use the result of your three months’ recording to claim the business share of your vehicle expenses over the next three years, provided your business use of the vehicle does not change by more than 20 percent. • You should still keep records of the total vehicle running costs and record the total distance travelled for the income tax year. 2. Claim a flat rate of 25 percent of all vehicle expenses If you don’t keep a log book, you may claim up to 25 percent of the vehicle running costs as a business expense. Please remember you could be asked to prove the percentage claimed, so you will still need to keep a record of your vehicle expenses. 3. Claim mileage rates If your business travel is less than or equal to 5,000 kilometres for the year, you can work out your deduction for motor vehicle expenses using Inland Revenue’s or the Automobile Association’s mileage rates. You will still need to keep a record of all kilometres you travel for your business and calculate your deduction based on the current mileage rates.
Companies If you trade as a company, vehicle expenses are calculated differently. When a company owns a car, a logbook isn’t required and it can claim all the expenses without making a private use adjustment. However, the company will be liable for fringe benefit tax (FBT) if the vehicle is available for employees’ or shareholder-employees’ private use, including driving it to and from work. The company will also have to calculate GST on the fringe benefit. Some vehicles may meet the exemption criteria. ■ To find out more about claiming business expenses visit the IR website where you will also find easy-to-use calculators to help make tax simpler for you: http://www.ird.govt.nz/ business-income-tax/expenses/vehicle-exp/
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SMART BUSINESS
Eyes on the prize BUSINESS ISN’T THE ONLY place for clear objectives and goals. Ask any life coach and they will likely tell you that life can be greatly enhanced by having clear goals, and plans to achieve them. In business they are generally referred to as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). There are two types of KPIs–Leading KPIs and Lagging KPIs. Leading KPIs are those that drive activity and results and Lagging KPIs are those that measure the results. An easy way to explain the difference is to liken it to a personal life goal of losing weight. If you set yourself a target of losing an amount of weight, the question is how are you going to get there? The simple answer is to monitor and manage your calorific intake and output, ie, food and exercise. Your leading KPIs for intake and output is the number of calories required for your age, weight and gender to either maintain current weight or to lose a specified amount. Your lagging KPI is the amount of weight you lose over a period. Weight Watchers and others have spent years refining this process. In business it’s very similar. If your goal is to improve profit and cash flow and the ability to grow your business, you need to work out what are the key drivers impacting results. Let’s discuss both types of KPIs.
LEADING KPI’S
Product/Service Development: If you want to maintain an edge over your competitors, you need to have a plan to 54
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constantly develop your products and services. KPIs to ensure improvement here might be: • Number of new products/services launched • Number of R&D projects undertaken. Marketing: If you want to keep pace with the market, you need to keep letting them know who you are and that you are ready and willing to help. KPIs here could be: • Number of visitors to your website or premises • Number of enquiries received from a particular marketing source • Another useful KPI to ensure a good return on investment of your marketing dollars could be cost per enquiry. This helps you to gauge the value of all marketing dollars spent • Number of contacts on database or Customer Relationship Management system (CRM). Sales: Once you’ve got interest from the market you need to convert that interest into sales and ultimately dollars onto your bottom line. KPIs here could be: • Number of quotes provided • Number of quotes won • Number of quotes lost • Sales conversion rate (ie, number of sales calls made compared to those converted) • Upselling rate (ie, how many add on products/services were sold to customers).
Photograph: newspix.co.nz
If you aim at nothing… you will hit the target with amazing accuracy, says financial and business advisor Sue Hirst.
SMART BUSINESS
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how many days are customers taking to pay? Operations: When you have made a sale and it’s time to deliver to your customer. To ensure a consistently high level of service, it’s vital to measure your operational performance. KPIs here could be: • Personnel productivity (ie, how many hours have been sold compared to those paid to service staff) • Work in Progress days (ie, how many days are jobs in progress prior to finishing) • Rework hours–to fix mistakes on jobs • Stock turnover rate • Level of backorders • Number of days for customers to receive orders • Product returns/complaints/defects • Hours downtime of staff/equipment • Overtime hours. Customer Service: Once you have a customer, it’s much easier to retain them than it is to get new ones. KPIs here could be: • Customer retention rate • Number of new customers acquired • Number of major client visits attended • Customer complaints received • Testimonials acquired • Referrals received. Finance: Happy customers have no reason not to pay on time, so if everything else is in order, some KPIs here could be: • Accounts Receivable Days (ie, how many days are customers taking to pay, on average?) • Profit by - Customer or type of customer - Product/service or type of product/service - Division
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Accounts Payable Days (ie, how many days are you taking to pay your suppliers?) Number of price increases or discounts given.
Human Resources: Happy staff provide great service to happy customers who are happy to pay, so how happy are they? • Health & safety incidents/hazards • Staff turnover • Staff satisfaction • Ideas for improvement submitted/suggested • Staff training hours/events attended • Incentive payments made.
LAGGING KPI’S These are mainly results oriented indicators, measured both monthly and year to date such as: • Sales versus budget and last year • Gross Profit percentage vs budget and last year • Overheads vs budget and last year • Overheads as a percentage of sales vs budget and last year • Net profit percentage vs budget and last year • Current ratio • Net equity • Sales growth percentage • Inventory days • Work in Progress days. Notice how the list of Leading KPIs is much larger than the Lagging KPIs? That’s because it takes a lot to achieve a result in most businesses. Many business people tend to focus on the Lagging KPIs and fail to measure the Leading KPIs. ■ About the author: Sue Hirst is co-founder and Director of CFO On-Call, a team of financial and business advisors who work with open-minded people committed to business growth and achieving success. For a no-obligation free chat about your profit growth opportunities, call 0800 180 400 or visit www.cfooncall.co.nz. For more KPI suggestions, download a free copy of eBook ‘Keep your eyes on the prize’ at http://info.cfooncall.com.au/keep-your-eyes-on-theprize-ebook
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SMART BUSINESS
Biz Brief Company annual returns New Zealand companies will need to provide additional information to the Companies Office as a result of changes introduced by the Companies Amendment Act 2014. The changes are designed to prevent the misuse of the Companies Register. Key changes include the need for a New Zealand incorporated companies to have at least one director who lives in NZ or who lives in Australia and is a director of an Australian incorporated company. Companies must also publicly disclose their ultimate holding company if they have one. Find out more at www.business.govt.nz
Do your consumer contracts comply? The Commerce Commission has released new guidelines on its enforcement approach to new provisions of the Fair Trading Act relating to unfair contract
terms in standard form consumer contracts. These provisions came into force on 17 March this year. The main hallmarks of these contracts are that the terms have been offered to the consumer on a ‘take it or leave it basis, and the contracts relate to goods and services that are usually for personal use. The guidelines use examples of realistic situations to help readers think about how changes to the unfair contract terms provisions might apply to them. Find the guidelines at http://comcom.govt.nz/fairtrading/guidelines/
Paid parental leave For parents of babies born after 1 April 2015, paid parental leave and parental tax credits have increased. Paid parental leave will increase from 14 to 16 weeks and parental tax credits will go from $150 for eight weeks to $220 for 10 weeks. Paid parental leave will extend further to 18
weeks from April 2016. Find out more at www.dol.govt.nz/ppl
Employee allowances Some businesses provide allowances on top of their employees’ usual pay. These are extra payments for things like clothing, meals and accommodation. Some are taxed and others aren’t. The Taxation (Annual Rates, Employee Allowances, and Remedial Matters) Act 2014 clarifies what the taxes are on different kinds of allowance to make it easier for employers and fairer for employees. Changes came into effect on 1 April 2015. To find out more, go to http:// www.ird.govt.nz/payroll-employers/ make-deductions/staff-benefits/ allowances/ If you provide allowances, the changes will make it easier to work out what your PAYE tax obligations are and how to comply with them.
CLASSIFIED ADS
The cost to advertise is $40+GST for MPGD members; $75+GST for non-members. Just send your text (up to 100 words) to advertising@masterplumbers.org.nz
Plumbing Foreman Certifying Plumber required for established Canterbury Commercial Plumbing and Drainage Company. Looking for a new challenge? Interested in new commercial or residential plumbing? We have vacancies within our company for motivated, organised and dependable tradesmen who are excited about a role with plenty of variety and willing to assist in building our plumbing division. Our company has been a leader within the plumbing industry for many years and, as recent winners of the New Zealand Master Plumber of the Year and Canterbury Master Plumbers award for excellence, would like to share our success with you as we continue to expand and develop our plumbing sector during New Zealand’s biggest construction programme as Canterbury rebuilds. Assistance towards the cost of relocation if required. Apply online today at www.clyne-bennie.co.nz through the ‘enquire now’ button or call Martin de Gouw, Managing Director, DDI 03 943 3030; Cell 021-330265.
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April/May 2015
CPD points for free wastewater training Earn 6 free CPD points online and learn about the design and installation of Advanced Enviro-Septic (AES) wastewater treatment systems. AES is a passive, aerobic ‘back to the future’ system which has been in use in the US for over 25 years. It requires no power, is easy to install and gives you and your clients peace of mind with a 20 year warranty and high quality treatment. Registered drainlayers who complete the online training course can install AES systems. Register at www. environmenttechnology.co.nz/aes-certification-process Ph 03 970 7979 or visit www.et.nz for more information.
Qualified Plumber/Gasfitter positions available, Alexandra, Central Otago Time for a lifestyle change? We have great lakes, awesome mountain biking, affordable housing and no traffic jams. You will be joining a friendly team, efficiently managed using the latest technology, with modern workshop, new vehicles and a wide variety of work. If this sounds like it appeals to you and you are a lifestyle seeker with a great attitude, we would love to hear from you. Email your application to rory@mclellans.co.nz or call 03 448 8500 to find out more. McLellan’s Plumbing & Heating
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HEALTH & SAFETY PACKAGE
MANUAL INCLUDES
• H & S Policies • Accident & Hazard Registers • Information on Training & Supervision • Emergency Planning & Readiness CONTRACTOR MANAGEMENT
OBJECTIVE
CONTRACTOR MANAGEMENT
OBJECTIVE
EMERGENCY PLANNING AND READINESS
employees of (Insert Company Name) while undertaking the work required by the contract.
contractors, subcontractors and their employees do not cause harm to the
This is achieved by:
by the contract.
• Ensuring all contractors are inducted to (Insert Company Name)’s health
employees of (Insert Company Name) while undertaking the work required (Insert Company Name) has an effective general emergency / evacuation
plan to manage emergencies likely to occur within any part of the business operations and to comply with legislative requirements.
and safety systems
This is achieved by:
• Health and safety responsibilities are written into the contracts
• Ensuring all contractors are inducted to (Insert Company Name)’s health
This is achieved by:
and safety systems
CONTRACTOR MANAGEMENT PROCESS
• Health and safety responsibilities are written into the contracts
• Having a documented emergency / evacuation plan • Communicating emergency / evacuation plans to all employees
• Having designated wardens and providing adequate training for them.
CONTRACTOR MANAGEMENT PROCESS
• Maintaining a register of employee emergency contact details
• Ensuring emergency / evacuation drills occur at once a year
employee) to do any work for gain or payment.
• As a principal, we are required to take all practicable steps for a contractor’s
means a person who or that engages any person (otherwise than an
safety and the safety of any of their employees.
employee) to do any work for gain or payment.
• To achieve this the business will:
• As a principal, we are required to take all practicable steps for a contractor’s
• Advise the contractor of all specific hazards they may be exposed to and the
safety and the safety of any of their employees.
EVACUATION PLAN
hazard controls that are in place.
• To achieve this the business will:
• Advise the contractor of the emergency and evacuation procedures
• Advise the contractor of all specific hazards they may be exposed to and the
In the event of any emergency or natural disaster, the following will happen:
• Ensure the contractor has adopted their own health and safety management
hazard controls that are in place.
• Prevention of any harm to all persons on site
system.
• Advise the contractor of the emergency and evacuation procedures
• Raise the alarm (where appropriate)
• From time to time the business may be the “principal contractor”. A principal means a person who or that engages any person (otherwise than an
• From time to time the business may be the “principal contractor”. A principal
• Reviewing emergency / evacuations and updating plans if applicable.
(Insert Company Name) has a systematic approach to ensure that
contractors, subcontractors and their employees do not cause harm to the
(Insert Company Name) has a systematic approach to ensure that
OBJECTIVE
• Ensure the contractor has adopted their own health and safety management
• Contact emergency services on 111
system.
• ensure the safety of each other and do not put yourself or anyone else at any unnecessary risk
• Evacuate the building in a safe manner, ensuring all employees are catered for.
• Assemble at the appropriate evacuation area • Check all persons are accounted for and report any missing people to the fire warden
The business will ensure fire drills and evacuation procedures are
practised at least annually. The systems will be reviewed at the end of all evacuations.
15
15
13
CHOOSE THE OPTION TO SUIT YOUR BUSINESS: Option One MPGD Health & Safety Manual Option Two MPGD Health & Safety Manual + 2 hours’ training
6
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$150 members
$750 non-members
$750 members
$1,100 non-members
Special option for members – Two companies together share the cost and pay only $550 each, saving $200!
Option Three MPGD Health & Safety Manual + 2 hours’ training + 1.5 hours’ implementation support
6
PGDB Points
$1,100 members
$2,500 non-members
All prices are GST exclusive
Call 04 801 2012 or email jgrayland@masterplumbers.org.nz today!
SAFETY FIRST
H&S reform: what you need to know
In the second part of our series on health and safety reform, WorkSafe NZ looks at the duties of PCBUs, officers, workers and others. NEW HEALTH AND safety legislation is currently before Parliament, and is expected to come into force in the third quarter of 2015. The Act will replace the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (HSE Act) and the Machinery Act 1950, and will bring changes to your health and safety duties at work. In this issue, we focus on the duties of PCBUs (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking), workers and others.
PCBU duties Work health and safety is everyone’s responsibility. This means that PCBUs who are ‘upstream’ from the workplace (eg, architects, engineers, manufacturers, suppliers or installers of plant, substances or structures) also have a role to play in managing risks. Specifically they have a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the work they do or the things they provide to the workplace don’t create health and safety risks to people using, handling, storing, constructing or carrying out any reasonably foreseeable activities (eg, cleaning, repair) relating to the plant, substance or structure. Example Where scaffolding is used in a workplace, each PCBU in the chain must play their part to ensure the health and safety of workers and others who may interact with the scaffolding. These PCBUs include: • • • •
the engineer who designs the scaffolding the scaffold manufacturer the scaffold hire company as the supplier and usually the installer the client who commissions the scaffold.
Duties of workers and others Workers have specific health and safety duties when at work. Other people in the workplace, such as customers or visitors, also have some health and safety duties. It’s all about taking your share of the responsibility for what you can control. Under the Reform Bill, every workplace participant has a statutory duty for health and safety and must take reasonable care to fulfil that duty.
Due diligence duty of officers A new duty proposed by the Bill is that an officer of a PCBU (eg, a director, board member or partner) must exercise due diligence to ensure that the PCBU complies with its duties. >
Workers
Others at workplace
Take reasonable care for his/ her own health and safety
✓
✓
Take reasonable care that his/her acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of others
✓
✓
Comply, so far as reasonably able, with any reasonable instruction that is given by the PCBU to allow the PCBU to comply with the law
✓
✓
Cooperate with any reasonable policy or procedure of the PCBU relating to health or safety at the workplace that has been notified to workers
✓
✗
Health & Safety duty
April/May 2015
59
This places a duty on people at governance level to actively engage in health and safety matters. These individuals strongly influence the culture of a business or undertaking and the accountabilities within it. For instance, they make important decisions on the resources available for work health and safety, and the policies that support the PCBU to comply. The officers’ duty is not the same as the PCBU duty. Officers don’t have to ensure the health and safety of the PCBU’s workers. Officers, however, must exercise due diligence to ensure that the PCBU is meeting its health and safety obligations. ‘Due diligence’ means that officers must make sure they perform certain functions to ensure the PCBU’s compliance. These include taking reasonable steps to: • •
• •
• •
know about work health and safety matters and keep up to date gain an understanding of the operations of the organisation and the hazards and risks generally associated with those operations ensure the PCBU has appropriate resources and processes to eliminate or minimise those risks ensure the PCBU has appropriate processes for receiving information about incidents, hazards and risks, and for responding to that information ensure there are processes for complying with any duty, and that these are implemented verify that these resources and processes are in place and being used. ■
CPD points
Reading this article could count towards your self-directed learning CPD points. See www.pgdb.co.nz/trade/cpd for details.
Trade resources
Master Plumbers has developed a health and safety manual that’s tailored to plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying businesses. Training and implementation support is also available. Options
Cost (+GST)
MPGD Health and Safety Manual
$150.00 MPGD members; $750.00 non members
Manual plus two hours’ training (with 6 CPD points)*
$750.00 members; $1,100.00 non members
Manual plus two hours’ training (6 CPD points) plus 1.5 hours’ implementation support
$1,100.00 members; $2,500.00 non members
*Two Master Plumbers member companies together share the cost of training and pay $550 each, saving $200. Three companies together pay $400 each, saving $350. Contact Joe Grayland on 0800 502 102; jgrayland@masterplumbers.org.nz
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love you.” the more I
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SUSTAINABLE FUTURES
Inside the mobile restroom being trialled in India (exterior on opposite page).
Reinventing the toilet
Researchers around the world were invited to create an affordable, waterless toilet to provide sanitation for places with no plumbing infrastructure. Kohler takes up the tale… WITH 2.5 BILLION PEOPLE worldwide unable to access safe sanitation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge, inviting researchers to harness the latest technology to create a cheap, safe and hygienic waterless toilet. The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) took out the top prize, creating a mobile restroom equipped with a freestanding, self-contained wastewater treatment system, powered by the sun, which generates both hydrogen and electricity. Bathroom designer and manufacturer Kohler became involved in the project, providing the toilets and other bathroom fixtures to provide the essential interface between the user and the waste system.
PIONEERING PRODUCTS Kohler and Caltech collaborated on this transformative technology to further develop this aspirational ‘next generation’ toilet that does not require a sewer or water connection, or electricity, costs less than five cents per use per day and is designed to meet people’s needs.
costs less than five cents per use per day 62
April/May 2015
Above: The winning Caltech model.
“It is exciting and certainly an honour for us to work with the Caltech team, who are true pioneers of their time,” says Rob Zimmerman, Sustainability Marketing Manager at Kohler Co. “Kohler is known for pioneering innovative products and helping to advance technology and, through the Gates Foundation challenge, we get the opportunity to support others
to push traditional systems to a new level in their efforts to push traditional systems to a new level.” The Caltech prototype is important from both a hygiene and sustainability standpoint. All of the water is recycled within the treatment system or used for irrigation, and the waste is broken down for use as fertiliser and to generate hydrogen stored in fuel cells for energy.
PASSAGE TO INDIA In December, the Caltech photovoltaic toilet unit, housed in cargo containers, was shipped to India to be displayed at the Delhi Reinvent the Toilet Fair and then to undergo in-the-field testing in rural Indian communities. This field trial will assist in determining affordable sanitation services to provide safe sanitation for places without plumbing infrastructure. Now another ‘off the grid’ restroom is on show at the famous Museum of Modern Art in New York as a case-study solution to economic inequality in India. The exhibit Uneven Growth: Tactical Urbanisms for Expanding Megacities features design ideas for tackling the issues of modern urbanisation, population growth and economic inequality in megacities around the world. In addition, in late 2014, to further highlight the issue of lack of sanitation and its devastating effects, Kohler joined forces in Sydney with NFP organisation Engineers Without Borders to recognise World Toilet Day. An exhibition of 25 Kohler toilets were hand painted by local artists and displayed outside Sydney’s
Above: On World Toilet Day 2014, 25 Kohler toilets hand-painted by local artists went on display in Sydney.
historic Customs House for three days. The Gates Foundation recently approved a two-year grant to Kohler to further design and produce five sustainable closedloop flush toilet systems for field testing in various developing world locations. “Our goal of creating a completely off-thegrid toileting system that is easier to transport and easier to maintain will allow us to place toilets in more locations that have inadequate sanitation,” says Rob Zimmerman. “And that allows us to improve the lives of more people.” ■ To find out more about Kohler and the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge please visit Kohler.co.nz or Kohlerdesignideas.com
Above: Some of the team outside the mobile restroom. April/May 2015
63
TECH SAVVY
Managing workflow How does a digital system help manage your workflow? Find out in the second of our three-part series from Fergus. DECIDING TO MOVE to a digital system can be a daunting one, but ultimately a fruitful one. A digital system tidies up your processes and forces you to work in an organised, systematic way so your workflow is always under control. But let’s get something straight: when we talk about going digital, we don’t mean trying to adapt to a generic job management system. We’re talking about moving to a software system that is designed by a team of plumbers and software developers–thoroughly studied, logically designed and tested in the field–with your specific niche business requirements in mind. Fergus is just such a system. Fergus exists in the cloud, so all you need to use it is an internet connection. There’s both a desktop web version that runs in your browser and a mobile application.
Cloud control
With a digital system, information is directly uploaded to the cloud, where the whole team can access it instantly, simultaneously and from anywhere. Because every part of the workflow is done directly into the system, as it happens, there’s no wait time–and you don’t have to live in constant fear of losing valuable information. Tradespeople can add labour, job descriptions, files and photos, materials and merchant invoices, notes and queries directly to jobs as they go. The office can see it all straight away. Digital information is backed up in a database and is fully searchable. When you’ve entered the information once, it’s catalogued and saved for you to access and bring up any time you need. For example, when booking a job for a new customer you will enter all the associated contact and site details once; after this you will be able to book all future jobs for this customer by searching for them, without having to re-enter information. A digital system will also feed into various reports for your business and customers, and is used to give you an overview of how your business is doing. Digital systems have centralised record keeping, which means all the information you’ve ever entered into the system is always
the whole team can access it instantly, simultaneously and from anywhere
64
April/May 2015
Above: View workflow status at a glance.
at your fingertips. It doesn’t matter when, where or who entered the information, it’s always available. There’s no digging through boxes of paperwork and no need for physical storage space. There is no limit to how much information can be held in the cloud and you can rest assured that all your data is backed up and safe. Digital systems eliminate double handling and automate as much of the workflow as possible, allowing you to run your business with maximum efficiency. For example, Fergus allows digital merchant invoices to be imported directly into the system, where you can confirm that they’re automatically reconciling with the correct job. And every job follows the same path–so the system is repeatable, consistent and easy to learn.
Reporting at the ready
All information entered into a digital system will naturally feed into useful reporting for staff, jobs, customers and suppliers. For instance, as tradespeople enter labour onto jobs, this informs Employee Time Sheets and also Employee Reports–where you can see how profitable your staff are; and data entered on a job informs the Job Summary, where you can see how much you are making or losing on jobs. It would be extremely time consuming to gather, tabulate and analyse data manually to create ongoing, accurate reports that a digital system offers. Running your business with a digital job management system reveals so much about your business that you wouldn’t otherwise see. Going digital will systemise your workflow, give each team member a clear idea of what needs to be done and allow the business owner to see and have greater control over each part of the workflow. ■ Check out Fergus and take a free trial at fergusapp.com Ph: 09 972 9942.
Heard the latest about the Caroma Plumbers’ App? All information at your fingertips
Downloadable instruction manuals and waste trap information
Easy navigation and use
The Manage Jobs section allows you to save multiple job quotes and product information
Advanced search capabilities
Download the Caroma Plumbers’ Handbook App today Available for free from the App Store or Google Play Store.
INNOVATION
3D revolution
As we enter what’s being called the fourth industrial revolution, 3D printing will play an increasingly important role. NZ Plumber takes a look at its impact on product development. FOUR YOUNG AUSTRALIAN car enthusiasts recently got together and designed a car suspension component. The four, who are all Monash engineering students, then printed the component using titanium, with the help of Australian national science agency CSIRO. It was ready in two days rather than the week it would have taken with conventional manufacturing. The lightweight component–an upright that supports the rotation of the wheel and hub–was for use in an open-wheeler racing car designed by the Monash Motorsport Club they all belong to. The component was designed using topology optimisation software, and includes the bearing housings for the spindle and mounts for the brake caliper, wishbones, steering links and wheel speed sensors. Towards the end of last year, the four students were rewarded for their ingenuity, winning a $3,700 3D printer in the Siemens 3D Challenge at the Engineers Australia Convention. Siemens Australia CEO Jeff Connolly said the contest recognised how important 3D printing is in digitalising product development as the world enters Industry 4.0–the fourth industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 will see products communicate with production lines, self-optimising production processes, and personalised mass production, said Connolly. 66
April/May 2015
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING 3D printing has been around since the 1980s as a groundbreaking alternative to the more traditional production methods of milling, grinding or casting. Because it builds up material in layers, or ‘additively’, the process has become known as Additive Manufacturing (AM). Until recently, AM has been used mainly for prototyping products prior to production. Rapid-hardening plastic was used for prototypes that would later be mass-produced with conventional stamping or injection moulding machines. However, AM can also be used as a quick way of producing spare parts, which reduces repair labour costs and expensive storage. To date, replacement parts have been produced in advance, warehoused, and sent out on demand. In future, parts could be printed out at the customer’s own premises. While AM may not completely replace conventional production methods, it will supplement them–and some analysts believe the real money will be made in large-scale production, rather than in prototyping. Certain industries are more ‘production ready’ than others, with dentistry already capable of full-scale Above: Australian 3D Challenge winners, from left: Andrew de Morton, Mark Stroud and Cam Warne.
INNOVATION
Left: 3D printing turns powdered metals into complex objects. Above: Additive manufacturing expert Dr Ursus Krüger with a filigree object made from powdered metal.
production–making crowns for teeth, for example–and machine tool manufacturing following closely behind.
GROWTH MARKET A 300 percent growth in AM is predicted over the next decade, and is expected to halve production costs and dramatically increase production speeds. Its particular advantages lie in creating highly complex, small batch or customised, one-off items. 3D printing can also create shapes that other production methods can’t. The market can basically be divided in two: • Printers of plastic, affordable for private consumers • Professional devices used in industry to ‘print’ with all kinds of materials, including ceramic and metal powders. However, AM is still too slow and expensive for industry in general, with the machines themselves accounting for up to half of the associated costs. “Manufacturers are now greatly increasing the machinery’s efficiency,” says machine
construction expert Bernhard Langefeld. “The latest generation of machines uses multiple lasers, larger build chambers, automatic changing systems, and improved online monitoring features.” Powders are another major cost. “Some printing machine suppliers have used the same business model as the manufacturers of inkjet printers,” says Langefeld. This means that the companies supply not only the 3D printers but also the appropriate cartridges, which in this case contain specialised powder.” According to market research, this is gradually changing, as experienced machine operators create their own supply systems. For the four young prize-winning students, their new 3D printer will be put to good use, creating prototype parts for future engineering projects. Siemens CEO Jeff Connolly says the competition was a great example of how Australia can find its place in the global supply chain, which is replacing the old way of thinking where everything made is for local consumption. ■
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ZX17U-5 / ZX26U-5 / ZX33U-5 / ZX38U-5 / ZX48U-5 / ZX55U-5 / ZX65USB-5
120315_Hitachi_Light_Excavators
SPECIFICATIONS MAKE
MODEL
WEIGHT kg
WIDTH Blade mm
BUCKET m3
DIG DEPTH mm
BREAKOUT kgf
POWER hp @ rpm
FLOW L/min
Hitachi
ZAXIS 17U-5
1880
980/1280
0.044
2190
1630
14.4 @ 2400
2 x 19.2
Hitachi
ZAXIS 26U-5
2570
1500
0.06
2590
2300
19.7 @ 2200
2 x 35.2/ 1 x 17.6
Hitachi
ZAXIS 33U-5
3510
1550
0.11
3130
2770
28.4 @ 2400
2 x 38.4/ 1 x 22.8
Hitachi
ZAXIS 38U-5
3960
1740
0.11
3460
2760
28.4 @ 2400
2 x 38.4/ 1 x 22.8
Hitachi
ZAXIS 48U-5
4900
1960
0.13
3630
3270
37.8 @ 2400
120
Hitachi
ZAXIS 55U-5
5210
2000
0.13
3830
3760
37.8 @ 2400
120
Hitachi
ZAXIS 65USB-5
6470
2000
0.18
4120
4190
45.7 @ 2000
144
For more information please contact your local CablePrice branch or visit www.cableprice.co.nz. Models shown are for illustration purposes only and may or may not include options available in New Zealand. Weights noted are for canopy unit (excl ZX65USB-5).
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TIMES PAST
Wartime apprentice
Retired plumber Ernie MacManus has written a story of his early career. Follow the series in NZ Plumber, which begins with Ernie’s very first introduction to plumbing.
ON COMPLETION OF three years’ secondary education during the war years, I got a job on Minaret Sheep Station as picker-up in the shearing shed. The station, 32 miles up Lake Wanaka with the only access by boat, had 10,000 merino sheep to be hand shorn by blades. Wartime labour was in short supply and only one shearer turned up. It was the most enjoyable start to a boys’ first full time job imaginable and I was offered a permanent job on the high country station before returning home to Dunedin.
TIME FOR AN APPRENTICESHIP A few days after I arrived back, my parents decided the high country life was not for me and asked which trade I would like to be apprenticed to. In spite of my objections I decided on the electrical trade and my mother said, “Tomorrow we are going to visit all the electrical firms until you get an apprenticeship.” Always true to her word, it seemed we had tramped over most of Dunedin with no luck, as all the apprentice jobs available had been taken in January when I was still at the sheep station. The last firm we called on was A&T Burt Ltd, the oldest established electrical and plumbing firm in Otago and Southland. They said, “We are sorry, there are no vacancies for electrical apprentices at the present time but we do have a position in the plumbing sector.” My mother replied, “That’s fine. He will be a plumber and start on Monday.” And so began my association with the trade that was to last all my working life. I was told to report to the massage department of the Dunedin Hospital and arrived at least 10 minutes early to make a good impression, only to be told there were no plumbers here but they were due to do some repairs. So I waited. After a while the Sister said, “Are you sure it is not the new massage department you want?” It is under construction in the next street.”
he will be a plumber and start on Monday
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SCRUBBED CLEAN Off I went and by the time the plumbers’ temporary prefab workshop was found I was one hour late. It was not a good impression to make, as the foreman Tom Valenski informed me. He added that all the men were on their jobs, and gave me the task of cleaning the workshop. Grabbing the broom, I quickly had the workshop tidy, then scrubbed the filthy smoko table and took the eight brown, tea-stained pannikins outside and cleaned them with sand until they were sparkling white. Just then a big, jovial fellow came along and let out a great bellow of laughter. He said in a loud voice,” Good God, this is the cleanest the workshop has ever been–and just look at the table and those mugs. Now we don’t know which belongs >
Call Canon 0800 222 666 or send us an email masterplumbers@canon.co.nz
April/May 2015
69
TIMES PAST
to who.” And picking up the billy, he threw in a handful of tea and introduced himself as Fred Fuller. Then he said, “Follow me.” And off we went to the nurses’ home kitchen where he joked with the kitchen hands and filled the billy with boiling water. On the way back, he informed me that it was my job to get the tea for smokos and lunch in future, and to be on time with it. When the other six men saw the clean table and mugs, they gave me a bit of good-natured stick, but accepted me as the new boy, as did Tom the foreman, much to my relief.
HEAVY WORK After smoko, Tom said, “From now on you are working with Wattie Bradbrook. He his one of the old school and won’t stand any nonsense, so don’t upset him.” With that Wattie led the way to a stack of heavy, cast-iron soil pipes, where he threw one onto his shoulder, said “Grab one”, and headed off. It was all I could do to lift it, but I staggered after him as he led the way through a maze of tunnels that was the basement. My legs and back were aching by the time we reached our destination and I noticed that Wattie, who was a portly man
hard and tiring work holding the cast iron pipe in place
Above: Ernie’s apprenticeship contract. Right: Extract from an old plumbing manual. 70
April/May 2015
nearing retiring age, was completely out of breath. “To hell with that,” he said. “We usually carry them between us. I just wanted to see what you were made of, and it nearly killed me in the process.” And he sat down for a full 10 minutes to recover. The job we were doing, he explained, was to install a 150mm sewer main with 100mm branches to connect to all the toilets and sanitary fittings. Every 1.5m using a cold chisel and a club hammer, we cut holes in the concrete ceiling, and then we made long steel hanger rods by threading both ends, and riveting a nut on one end. This was inserted into the hole and lead was pounded in around it to secure it. Every hanger was fitted to give the correct gradient fall of 1 in 120, and it was extremely hard and tiring work holding the cast iron pipe in place while Wattie fitted the brackets and tightened the holding nuts. It was even worse when the junctions for the branches were fitted before lifting into place, as this added to the weight. Sealing the joints was done by ramming a ring of oakum into the pipe socket, tightening an asbestos rope against the rim and pouring hot molten lead into the joint. It was extremely tedious and tiring work, only made bearable by Wattie insisting on a break every half hour while he rolled and had a smoke. At first I took a break with him until he said, “If there is anyone around and you’re not busy, then for goodness sake look as though you are.” From then on I carried on working and looking as though I was busy, except when he bellowed, “For goodness sake, sit down. You are making me feel weary.” After finishing each section, he would stand back and admire his handiwork and say, “How’s that?” And when I answered, “That’s near enough”, he growled, “Near enough is not good enough– it’s got to be perfect. Now, how’s that?” And when I answered, “That’s perfect,” he always replied, “That’s near enough.” It was bad enough chiselling the holes for the bolts, but an opening for every branch or main had to be hand cut through the thick concrete walls and floors using a diamondpointed gad and heavy club hammer. It was not long before my knuckle between the thumb and index finger of my left hand had no skin left, and my hands were badly blistered. When it came time to knock off each day I was dead tired, and not impressed with plumbing for a job, and wished I were back at Minaret Station, as I informed my parents. ■
NEXT GENERATION
Maintaining motivation
Tips from The Skills Organisation on how to keep your team fired up. IT’S INCREDIBLE TO think we are a quarter of the way through 2015, and the change of season is a great time to take stock of how well things are going so far this year. Is your team motivated? Or are they just hanging out for the next statutory day off work? If your workplace sounds like the latter, don’t worry, there are things you can do to change this. The good news is you’ve probably hired people you want to work with; you know they want the job; you know they can do the job – it’s just a case of regaining that “new year” energy. Here are a couple of tips to help kick-start things. One hugely underrated motivator is listening to your employees. Organise some one-to-one time with your team members–head out for a 15 minute coffee together. This isn’t about wasting time at work. In fact, it opens the door to chat about new ideas they may have, and work
concerns or personal situations they may need to talk about, and which might be negatively impacting on their work. Another motivator is taking a genuine interest in the future of your employee’s career. Imagine coming into a working environment where you know your boss wants you to succeed, and is actively involved in helping you become the best you can be. Stephen Bocock, Industry Manager (PGDR) at The Skills Organisation, says having your team trained through a proper certified programme shows willingness to invest in them. “There are some great courses offered by training providers associated with The Skills Organisation. “If your employee feels you are invested in them, they will in turn become invested in you and your business, and this is beneficial for everyone involved. There is a sense of accomplishment and they have tangible proof of their development which they can keep for
Above: Stephen Bocock, Industry Manager (PGDR) at Skills.
their entire career. “Certification also gives your customers assurance of quality, skilled workers. It’s a win-win for your business,” he says. To find out about plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying qualifications for your team contact 0508 SKILLS (0508 754 557) or visit www.skills.org.nz. ■
Get qualified Get registered Get ahead
The Skills Organisation 0508 SKILLS (0508 754 557) www.skills.org.nz
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Plumbers’ belt: special offer! Dan Pollard of Fergus Trade Software shares his custom-made tool belt design–and the makers have a special offer for plumbers. I’ve been through so many tool belts over the years, but I had never found one that was just right. Last year I decided to get my own one made, just the way I wanted it. I showed Master Plumbers my design when they were visiting me about Fergus recently, and they thought it would be a good idea to share what I’d made. I also contacted Millenz and they agreed to offer a group special price. (Trust me, mine cost a lot more than the special price!) Millenz are a firm in Papakura specialising in custom tool belts for all industries. It’s great to see their excellent craftsmanship. Features: • 1x cellphone protector and special pocket • 2x large front pocket • 2x rear pockets for tools • 1x square pocket • 2x mid pockets for 90 square and cellphone • Clip to hold second ruler for working
• • •
on knees Extra loop for holding battery drill Clip for earmuffs Special pockets for: - 1x pull saw - Crescent and multigrips - Screwdrivers - Dog bar - Chisel - Knife - Ruler - Pencil - Reamer - Punches - Bits
If you would like one, contact Millenz on 09 299 2685 or go to http://www. carpenterstoolbelt.com/. If Millenz get 10 orders, they will set up a run and do them for $275.00+GST each, plus courier. Plus one person will go into a draw to win their money back (limited to the total value of one belt).
Above: Dan with his tool belt.
New features at Fergus
Fergus Trade Software has recently released a new Credits feature that allows you to better manage the workflow of credited materials on jobs, allowing you easier and more accurate back costing. So, in addition to being able to import merchant invoices into jobs, you can now also import merchant credits.
Designed to heat Efficient, clean-burning zone heating has never been more stylish! The Regency Greenfire™ GF900 direct vent gas fire features seamless design and stunning wide angle flames, set in either a coastal driftwood log fire or a full bed of shimmering crystals. The GF900 comes complete with a range of fascia options—black glass, black mitred, stainless steel, or a clean edge finish (no fascia required). Boasting up to 7.8kW output, with a 4.2 star energy rating, the GF900, with such 74
April/May 2015
flexibility in choice of design, is the ideal solution for heating both traditional and new homes. It also features a 3-speed fan, electronic ignition and remote control. From its Canadian origins, Regency fires have been sold in NZ for over 20 years, offering reliability, comfort, efficiency and style, all backed by distributor Aber’s service and technical expertise. Visit www.regency-fires.co.nz or call Aber Customer Service on 0800 161 161.
Thermoplastic hose Lightweight, practical and rugged – thermoplastic hose now available from Kerrick. Kerrick now stocks a range of high pressure performance, flexible and lightweight thermoplastic hose. There has been a need for lightweight, robust hose in the marketplace for years, and Kerrick has finally cracked the code. Its new range has a thermoplastic elastomer core with double synthetic fibre reinforcing. The heavy duty construction offers optimum cut and wear resistance and the hose is equipped with a special cover resistant to microbiological degradation, making it
ideal for drain and sewer cleaning. Hose is available in rolls only and comes in: • • • •
½ Inch, 4000 psi (120m) ½ Inch, 4000 psi (150m) ¾ Inch, 3000 psi (150m) 1 Inch, 3000 psi (150m)
• 1 ¼ Inch, 3000 psi (150m) Easy to move and carry, it can still handle the harsh conditions of the job—ideal for contractors and those in the plumbing industry. Kerrick stocks a range of sewer jetting hoses from its thermoplastic hose to the more traditional HP rubber hose. To find out more call your local branch on 0800 2 KERRICK or visit www.kerrick.co.nz
Register online: www.fpb.co.nz/register Remember to choose your location when registering.
Find a Tradeshow near you: All events open from 4pm and close at 7pm
CPD
Attend this event to claim your CPD points for your Plumbers, Gasfitters, Drainlayers licence!
Future-Proof Building
National Tradeshow Series 2015 Efficiency in Action Residential, Commercial & Industrial Construction
Workshops content courtesy of:
PGDB | BRANZ | BCITO
FREE ENTRY
Date
City/Town
Venue
June 9
Tauranga
ASB Baypark, Lion Foundation Centre
June 10
Rotorua
Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre
June 11
Napier/Hastings
McLean Park, Rodney Green Centennial Centre
July 28
Wellington
Westpac Stadium
July 29
Palmerston North Arena Manawatu
July 30
New Plymouth
TSB Stadium
August 18
Hamilton
Claudelands
August 19
Auckland South
Manurewa Leisure Centre
August 20
Auckland West
The Trusts Arena
November 16
Christchurch
Airforce Museum
November 17
Dunedin
Edgar Centre
November 18
Invercargill
ILT Stadium
November 19
Queenstown
Queenstown Events Centre
For more information visit www.fpb.co.nz/events or call 0508 FUTURE
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PUSHING
IT
SANICUBIC 1 > 1500 watt motor > Wired alarm
> Up to 11m vertically > Up to 110m horizontally
UPHILL? Defy gravity with the Sanicubic above-ground lifting and grinding system. GO WITH SANIFLO OR YOU COULD BE IN ALL KINDS OF... YOU KNOW WHAT Call 09 624 3977 or visit saniflo.co.nz
SANICUBIC 2 CLASSIC > 2x1500 watt motors > Up to 11m vertically > Wired alarm > Up to 110m horizontally
Yes. You can.
AND FINALLY
Offcuts
Weird, wild and wonderful plumbing snippets, as featured in the media. Oldest apprentice?
Former shearer Julyan Sumner has decided to begin a plumbing apprenticeship at the age of 64, reports Australia’s ABC News. Apparently, after 39 years of shearing in Western Australia, Europe, the UK and US, he’s looking for a new direction due to declining sheep numbers across the ditch. As a lad, he was enticed by the better pay available in shearing, but now he wants the plumbing work to help top up his super. The proud owner of a student card, he’s looking forward to studying for his new career.
Jobs for the boys
The swanky mountain resort of Park City, Utah, was dubbed ‘Toiletville’ earlier this year, according to NYDailyNews. com’s Confidenti@l gossip pages. The city, which hosted the famous Sundance Film Festival for 11 days from 22 January, apparently ruled that venues could only have up to 40 guests per bathroom on their premises. It seems plumbers were the real stars of the show, as venues looked to install more toilets in time for the event. However, Park City’s special events manager told Confidenti@l that the toilets to guests ratio was an international building code requirement, not just a local rule.
One plumber—your plot!
Permission to stand
A German court is ruling in favour of a man’s right to urinate while standing up, after his landlord demanded money for damage to the marble floor, reported Radio New Zealand News in January. According to the report, the landlord was seeking €1,900 ($NZ 2,878) for damage caused by urine missing the toilet bowl. The judge ruled that the man’s method of urinating was within cultural norms. He added that men who insisted on standing could expect occasional rows with housemates, especially women, but couldn’t be held to account for collateral damage. Apparently, some German toilets have red traffic-style signs forbidding the standing position.
From sewage to sea creatures
Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium celebrated its 30th birthday in January. According to an article in The New Zealand Herald, the key original features haven’t changed much since Kelly Tarlton opened his ‘Underwater World’ in redundant stormwater and sewage tanks on the Auckland waterfront in 1985. The tanks are now filled with 18 million litres of water, and have attracted an estimated 11.5 million visitors. A passionate marine archaeologist and diver, Kelly Tarlton died just seven weeks after his dream was realised, aged 47.
The second movie from MovieMaze™–the world’s first interactive movie app–was released in February. Called The Plumber, this ‘cartoonishly enjoyable horror/ science-fiction hybrid’, as it’s decribed in an article at moviepilot.com, shows menus of options at turning points in the story, so you can choose how the film ends. If you get right through the MovieMaze™, you get to see a whole story. Apparently the movie begins with plumber Toulouse Toutite turning up for a job at an office building, only to see a tied-up, gagged man in his underwear run by and drop a cellphone in the lobby. What happens next? You choose. Find out more at www.movie-maze.com
Dunny dig
Evidence of early European settlers has been uncovered by archaeologists excavating a retail development site on the Queenstown waterfront. Bottles, boots, horseshoes and china platters were among the 19th-century treasures discovered under what had been a car park since the 1950s. The site once housed the Eichardt’s Hotel stable, built in the 1870s. According to a blog on this private hotel’s website, one main surprise came towards the end of the three-week dig with the discovery of a line of four barrel latrines, or long drops, which likely serviced the customers of the hotel and stable users. Although individual latrines of this kind are fairly common in New Zealand, the row is more unusual. And as archaeology PhD student Naomi Woods told Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report, old toilets can also be good receptacles of interesting things… ■ April/May 2015
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AND FINALLY
DODGY Plumbing Keep them coming! Send your Dodgy Plumbing examples to the Ed: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz
Whaddya reckon?
We want your answers to this conundrum! Send your ideas to the Ed: beverlysellers@xtra.co.nz by Friday 8 May. The best caption wins a $20 prize voucher.
Bijou loo
“Some creative thinking was used to set up this temp site toilet for the builders,” says Mike Gooch of EG Glennie & Co in Wellington.
Too lazy
This one was spotted in Auckland by Mark of Ford Plumbing. “Plumber too lazy to cut concrete, remove the 80mm from the drain which is just below the path and complete the new toilet setup in 100mm. Solution—use an 80mm level invert. Easy guess as to where this new toilet will block :) 78
April/May 2015
Up the junction
“It can’t have been done by a plumber as no way would a plumber have junctioned the waste off the washing machine into the flushpipe,” says Dale Lovell of Heron Plumbing of these photos taken at a job in Auckland.
W ne Your favourite downpipe range just got even better. The rejuvenated Marley RP80ÂŽ 80mm round downpipe system is now available in two NEW colours, Ironsand and Grey Friars. Visit marley.co.nz for more details.
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GreY FrIars
rainwater solutions
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Copper
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