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the wellbeing issue get healthy, wealthy and wise

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S E P T E M B E R

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www.plumber.com.au | 3

Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine

welcome. f r o m

t h e

E dit o r

Plumbing Industry House 525 King Street West Melbourne VIC 3003 T (03) 9329 9622 F (03) 9329 5060 E info@plumber.com.au www.plumber.com.au The Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine (Industry and Member editions and occasional supplements including the MPMSAA Group Training News, are official journals produced by the Master Plumbers’ and Mechanical Services Association of Australia (MPMSAA) ABN: 56 296 473 997 Print Post number: 100019076 ISSN: 1325-6289

Master Plumbers Association Locations Head Office 525 King Street West Melbourne VIC 3003 T (03) 9329 9622 F (03) 9329 5060

Brisbane Group Training SkillsTech Australia 760-776 Kingsford Smith Drive Eagle Farm QLD 4006 T 0424 165 308 F (07) 3854 2346

Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre

Welcome to the September issue of Australian Plumbing Industry magazine.

simple lifestyle tweaks you can make right now to improve your overall wellbeing and reduce your risk of serious conditions.

While safety in the workplace is paramount, the physical and mental health and wellbeing of you and your staff is an important part of your business.

Running your own business is tough, and stress and physically demanding work can all take a toll on your wellbeing. We’ve got some great tips on keeping on top of your mental and emotional wellbeing and managing work/life balance.

this is issue is dedicated to health and wellbeing

Being a healthy man (or woman!) is about more than just eating right and getting some exercise, it’s also about having a fulfilling career at a safe workplace, good healthcare and strong relationships with friends and family.

Statistics show that men are more likely than women to have serious health issues.

For instance, did you know that on average men live five years less than women? Or that more than two thirds of Australian men are overweight or obese? How about the fact that almost twice as many Australian men die of skin cancer than women?

So what can you do? Well, we all know prevention is better than a cure, so our men’s health feature looks at some

4 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

Also in this issue, we meet Grant Donald whose business, Premier Plumbing Service, has been a Master Plumber member for over 60 years.

Phil Eberhard discusses the role of unions and right of entry requirements and the Small Business Commissioner explains how they can assist with dispute resolution.

We’ve also got all our regular news and features, including information on workplace relations, product news and much more!

Happy reading!

Melissa Chrys Editor Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine

306 Albert Street Brunswick VIC 3065 T (03) 9356 8921 F (03) 9356 8929

Contacts Publisher The Master Plumbers’ and Mechanical Services Association of Australia (MPMSAA)

Editor Melissa Chrys T (03) 9321 0703 E publications@plumber.com.au

Advertising Andrew Fanakopoulos T (03) 9321 0780 E andrew.fanakopoulos@plumber.com.au

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contents.

11 From the CEO / 8 A message from our CEO and the Association’s President

Member news / 10 The 107th Gold Medal Awards and more.

Industry news / 18 Master Plumbers Australia: a collective voice for the Australian plumbing industry / 24 MPA is the ‘Association of the Associations’ and a way for the organisations in each state to come together and align themselves on issues that affect all plumbers.

Copper: Just the facts / 26 Men’s health feature / 28

24

Premier Plumbing Service: Members for over 60 Years

36

Meet a Master Plumber: Grant Donald / 36

Mastering workplace relations: right of entry / 46

Charlotte Roseby meets Grant Donald, Director of Premier Plumbing Service and a member of Master Plumbers for 62 years.

Phil Eberhard discusses the role of unions and answers some commonly asked questions regarding right of entry requirements.

Growth and the myth of work/life balance / 38

Commercial disputes / 48

Green buildings: healthy, wealthy and wise / 40 Green buildings consistently outperform non-green buildings in terms of comfort, health and productivity

Incolink Life! / 42

The Small Business Commissioner can help you resolve disputes

Don’t run away from run-off cover / 50 On the road: 11 things to consider when fitting out your vehicle / 52 Product news / 54

Social media 101: Which platform sends more to the sales pipe? / 44

Think you’re healthy? Statistics show that men are more likely than women to have serious health issues.

Disclaimer Statements and information appearing in this publication must not be interpreted as having the endorsement of being the opinion of the publisher, which takes no responsibility for the correctness of the statements made. It is a condition of purchase or acceptance of this publication that the publisher does not assume any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage which may result from any inaccuracy or omission in the publication, or from the use of information contained herein and the publisher makes no warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to any of the material contained herein. The publisher shall not be liable for any failure to publish any advertisement where such failure results from circumstances beyond their control. If advertising material is not supplied in accordance with deadlines, the publisher reserves the right to repeat any material previously provided by the advertiser. The publisher reserves the right to refuse and edit material. All prices and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Copyright Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.

Safety is such a critical part of business, and you have a legal obligation to provide a safe workplace for your staff.

Welcome.

from the President and CEO

Training remains a top priority

Safety impacts bottom line

The Association held the 107th Gold Medal and Training Awards in June. I was very impressed by the calibre of the award winners and by their commitment to ongoing training and education. Find out more about this event on page 10 of this issue.

One of the complaints I hear regularly is that everyone is working hard but that no one is making any money.

Master Plumbers has a strong belief in the importance of training, education and continuing professional development.

With new technologies, methods and ideas constantly arriving on the scene, it is essential that plumbers keep themselves well informed. Training and education is one of the best investments you can make in your business and your staff, and I encourage you to take advantage of the training and professional development on offer at places such as PICAC – it will definitely help you stay ahead of the game.

Master Plumbers has always offered members and non-members post-trade training across a range of plumbing areas. We are continuing to expand out training offerings and are currently developing our training package for Certificate III in Pluming, which should be ready to deliver in early 2015.

The license level training also on offer is a great option for plumbers looking to increase their skills or expand their business. If it’s something you’ve been thinking about for a while, don’t put it off any longer.

A busy schedule is no longer an excuse because we offer online training that allows you to log into a virtual classroom and learn from anywhere.

With so many options available, there’s sure to be something to suit every plumber. Visit plumber.com.au to view the PICAC training calendar and find out more about the training on offer.

As always, different sections of the plumbing industry face different levels of activity, but all have become highly competitive.

Builders are happy to tender widely to get a competitive price and are then slow to pay. The number of plumbers seeking work in new areas – sometimes outside their expertise – has increased.

At times like this, it’s a good idea to turn to your Master Plumbers’ Association for advice and assistance with various aspects of your business. Your Association can help you understand risks associated with running business and have the resources and advice available to help you In this issue of Australian Plumbing Industry we cover all things safety.

Safety is such a critical part of business, and as a business owner you have a legal obligation to provide a safe workplace for your staff. But aside from the legalities, creating a safe and healthy workplace is simply the right thing to do.

A safe work environment also impacts a projects bottom line both directly and indirectly. When a worker is injured on the job, the business pays in lost work hours, increased insurance rates, compensation payments and possible litigation.

It has also been shown that when people feel like they have a good, safe working environment there are fewer staff absences, less staff turnover and an improved quality of work.

However the positive benefits of running a safe workplace extend far beyond financials.

When you think about safety more broadly you realise that a solid safety record can also protect your company’s reputation.

Scott Dowsett President, Master Plumbers

As a plumber signing off on work, it is essential that you consider the health and safety of your customers and the wider community.

Plumbers play a vital role in safeguarding public health, so please ensure that you are always complying with the relevant standards and supplying your clients with quality products.

Don’t forget to test your work before you walk away from it.

The Master Plumbers Association in your state can help you with all your safety needs and I encourage you to contact your state office to find out more.

Ken Gardner CEO, Master Plumbers

8 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

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member news Top students and apprentices recognised Eleven of the brightest secondary school students and plumbing apprentices have won awards for academic and skills excellence at the 107th Master Plumbers Gold Medal and Training Awards 2014.

Top students and apprentices recognised at Master Plumbers’ training awards Benjamin Cheng won the highest award, the Andrew Letten Gold Medal Award, which was presented at a ceremony held at Federation Square on 27 June.

Ben was one of three nominees for the top award, along with Aaron Williams and Mitchell Saillard.

Eight awards were given to plumbing apprentices in Victoria who have excelled in their pre-apprenticeship or apprenticeship studies and job performance.

One award recognised academic excellence and commitment of Indigenous secondary school students to encourage them to embark upon higher education.

As Australia’s largest plumbing industry association, the Master Plumbers provides its members with business services, industry representation, training and advice on industrial relations, employment and safety. Part of this work involves recognising the development and achievements of students and young workers to ensure a skilled workforce into the future.

According to Ken Gardner, Chief Executive Officer of the Master Plumbers Association, the awards are an opportunity to recognise excellence in the plumbing sector and support the growth of young apprentices.

“Awards of this nature are vitally important for nurturing apprentices and young people to ensure we have a talented pool of qualified individuals available in the future. These awards exist for that purpose,” Mr Gardner says. “They demonstrate the value to employers of recognising and rewarding talented and committed individuals.”

10 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

The Association congratulates all the 2014 Award winners and thanks our sponsors for making the event possible.

Benjamin Cheng The Andrew Letten Gold Medal Award sponsored by the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre and the The AG Coombs Award Suberia Sailor The Cooke & Dowsett Sir Rohan Delacombe Award Luke Pettenon The Cbus George Stone Preapprenticeship Award Will Heaven (1st Year Apprentice) and Allan Caldwell (2nd Year Apprentice) The Alfred Atherton Educational Award Nathan Frauenfelder The Incolink Don Pritchard Award Mitchell Saillard The Reece Frank Maskell Award Kimberly Smith The Rose Curtis Award sponsored

by Marsh Insurance Brokers Aaron Williams The Energy Safe Victoria Encouragement Award Elson Tuitupou The PBA Safety Indigenous Apprentice Award Dean Prizmic The HCAA Encouragement Award sponsored by the Heating and Cooling Association of Australia (HCAA) and the Australian Duct Manufacturers Alliance (ADMA)

Gold Medal Award Benjamin Cheng wins 2014 Andrew Letten Gold Medal Award.

Fourth year apprentice Benjamin Cheng took out the top honours at this year’s awards, taking home both the Gold Medal Award and the AG Coombs Award.

The Gold Medal is presented to the plumbing apprentice who has demonstrated a strong commitment to off-the-job studies and has successfully completed the registration exam.

Benjamin joined the plumbing industry after a brief stint working in hospitality.

“I did a pre-apprenticeship course to see if I would like plumbing and I ended up falling in love with it.

Ben is currently attending night school to complete all his licence qualifications and hopes to soon start running jobs as a foreman or project manager.

However his ultimate goal is to one day assemble a team and build orphanages in Third World countries to help improve their standard of living.

While he enjoys most aspects of plumbing, Ben says his favourite part is problem solving and helping clients.

“This award is my biggest career achievement to date, however I gained a lot of satisfaction from helping other students at trade school. Being a mature age apprentice, I kept my head down and got my studies out of the way pretty quickly; I was able to use my time to help bridge the gap between teacher and student, particularly for some of the younger students who had difficulty speaking up.”

Congratulations Benjamin!

“It’s very pleasing to come up with a solution that satisfies your client whilst keeping within regulations and standards,” he said.

As a mature age apprentice, Ben is proud to have taken on the role of mentor at trade school, and says:

“I enjoy working with my hands and learning how things work; it satisfies my curiosity,” said Ben.

www.plumber.com.au | 11

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member news Spotlight on Indigenous students and apprentices The PBA Safety Indigenous Apprentice Award

The Cooke & Dowsett Sir Rohan Delacombe Award

The Indigenous Apprentice Award is offered to the top Indigenous apprentice to encourage apprenticeship studies in all areas of plumbing.

This award is presented to an Indigenous high school student embarking on higher education or to provide assistance with their secondary schooling.

Elson Tuitupou currently works for Cooke & Dowsett and is enjoying working in the commercial side of plumbing.

This year’s award was presented to Suberia Sailor from Donald High School.

Suberia is a sporty student whose favourite subjects are PE, Maths, English and Art.

His goals are to one day own his own plumbing business, but for now he says he’s enjoying where he is and the type of work he is doing.

“I enjoy the fact that every day you know you’re not going to be doing the same thing; there are so many different aspects to plumbing – roofing, running gas lines, drainage, etc. It’s never repetitive or dull.”

When she finishes high school she’d like to become either a personal trainer or a PE teacher and says, “I really enjoy keeping fit and helping others to keep fit too… I’m happy to go to university and do whatever study is required to achieve my goals.”

Camp Quality weekend at Ballarat An update from Phil Kelly I just wanted to let everyone know about the inaugural Master Plumbers Golf Day/ Camp Quality weekend that was held in Ballarat in June.

A number of members attended the Camp Quality Weekend at Sovereign Hill and had lunch with the Camp Quality volunteers as well as about 19 children suffering from cancer along with their families.

We all would have to say that this was one of the most gratifying Master Plumber events we have been involved with; it was great listening to the stories from volunteers about what they get out of these events.

It was wonderful and inspiring to meet camp leaders and volunteers like Naomi, Bob and Sue who all donate their time and energy to this wonderful charity and all agree that they get more back than they give.

Everyone involved in the Golf Day can be proud that we are able to assist and be part of this wonderful charity through our event.

Female plumber’s award for excellence drains gender gap Second year plumbing apprentice Kimberly Smyth was awarded this year’s Rose Curtis Award. The award recognises female apprentices and encourages the continuation of their career.

Kimberly already owns her own business, Hey Sista, with her husband, who is also a plumber. Her long term goal is for Hey Sista to be able to hire female plumbers with children as well as men.

“Ten years ago, I never thought it was possible to do a trade or do well in it,” she said.

“It took me a while to get my courage and confidence up but now I have people asking me questions, which I never thought would happen.”

The Golf Day has really come of age and it’s great that as plumbers we can come together and give something great back to our local communities.

If you’d like to help make a difference, you can give us a hand with the golf day, either via sponsorship or a contribution in some way.

To get involved, contact a member of the Bendigo Master Plumbers Golf Committee which includes Geoff Moroney, Brett Crapper or myself (Phil Kelly).

“We want to guarantee a female on every job and specialise in renovations and new homes, with hours that mothers can cope with.”

Kimberly turned to a plumbing career after working as a machine operator for 10 years. Now in the second year of her apprenticeship, she considers it an achievement she made it through the first year of schooling. www.plumber.com.au | 13

member news 2014 arity l Ch Annua y

a Golf D

Welcome new staff!

Master Plumbers welcomes the latest additions to our team!

Andrew Fanakopoulos recently joined Master Plumbers as our Corporate Membership and Advertising Sales Executive. He will be looking after new member acquisitions and advertising sales for this very magazine.

Samantha Russell has joined the team as our Membership Services Manager.

Her role is to manage all aspects of membership, drive member engagement and oversee the delivery of member benefits and services.

Melissa Rinnovasi has taken over as Executive Assistant to the CEO. Melissa will be providing support to Ken and our Board as well as managing the Association’s calendar of events.

Master Plumbers conference tour Are you interested in joining fellow members on a European River Cruise in 2015?

15 Day Jewels of Europe River Cruise – Budapest to Amsterdam 16 – 30 March 2015 This all inclusive luxury tour will include flights, accommodation and some activities and special group rates are available for members through Scenic Tours. This tour will be popular, so expressions of interest are required ASAP! To find out more, please contact fellow members Geoff Moroney or Peter Jensen via Master Plumbers.

Friday 3 October 2013 Neangar Park Golf Club Bendigo 9am BBQ brunch – 10am Tee off – 4 ball ambrose event Plumbers, tradies and general public welcome – great prizes, huge raffles and an auction! All funds raised are donated to Camp Quality, the children’s family cancer charity.

For further details and registration please contact Master Plumbers on 03 9329 9622.

Welcome New Members

Get the most from your membership Master Plumbers members can access a great range of discounts through our Member Benefits program.

Here are some of the latest offers…

Save 10% on car rentals in Australia and New Zealand Members can received between 5 -10% off car hire with Europcar.

Get 13 months insurance for the price of 12!

Master Plumbers welcomes the following new members and affiliates who have joined the Association since June 2014.

Kels Roofing Pty Ltd

Members can get one month free cover with CGU Home and Contents insurance policies. Policies can be purchased online and there are three levels of protection.

Plan B Plumbing Solutions Pty Ltd

Great deals on magazine subscriptions

Intech Plumbing

You can save 8% on over 2,500 magazine subscriptions through iSUBSCRIBE, including some of Australia’s most popular titles.

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AGS Drains Dean Moore Plumbing Pty Ltd SCB Plumbing & Roofing Pty Ltd

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Discounted admission to museums, animal sanctuaries, cruises and more!

Receive discounted admission tickets for museums and other popular tourist attractions, including the Melbourne Aquarium.

14 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

Zeerust Gas & Plumbing Pty Ltd To find out more visit memberadvantage.com.au/ masterplumbers

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AIRPORT WEST 8340 2333 BAYSWATER 8727 7400 BAIRNSDALE 5152 1289 GEELONG 5223 2204

member news News from Master Plumbers Tasmania Here’s some special news from the Master Plumbers Association of Tasmania!

President’s welcome

Executive Officer welcome

Hi, and welcome to the Master Plumbers Association of Tasmania. MPAT is going through a period of change at present and what better way to keep members and associates informed than our very own page in Australian Plumbing Industry magazine. Our big thanks goes to the Master Plumbers in Victoria for making it possible and we look forward to a longstanding continued involvement.

Welcome all Tas Master Plumbers!

Wow, it’s been all go for the past few months with the move into our first MPAT building and personally for me getting a handle on all that is MPAT.

For those who may only check in with MPAT every so often, MPAT’s long standing Executive Officer Mr Adrian Cowie, resigned from his position and headed for the greener pastures of retirement at the end of last year. Adrian was an ever loyal devotee to MPAT and greater plumbing industry for many years. His knowledge, experience and input will be greatly missed by all.

We wish him well in his retirement.

As background, I come from the land of work health and safety (don’t cringe!).

I’m for simple work health and safety that is built in to everyday business and not reams of paper and policies that collect dust in someone’s office. I’ve worked with both State and Federal government departments, employee associations, employer associations as well as private industry across Tasmania and Australia for the past 20 years. My move to MPAT has been exactly what I had expected – a great group of members to work with and a plethora of opportunities for us to realise together.

However, this ‘change of guard’ has made way for a new EO, Ms Angela Ayling. Although she has big shoes to fill, Angela is doing tremendously well and is already kicking goals with members and our Associates with strong focus on industrial relations, training, WHS and membership services. Angela is working tirelessly to drive membership numbers by assisting members with what they need most; support, advice, networking and representation.

The Master Plumbers Association of Tasmania has recently purchased its very own commercial premises in Glenorchy, Hobart out of which it now operates.

This represents a real milestone achievement for all members, past, present and future. This investment into the future of MPAT will serve us well.

A big congratulations goes to all those that made it possible. So pop in for a coffee when you’re next in town and say g’day, we’d love to see you.

Happy plumbing!

Robert Pearshouse President MPAT

For Tasmania it looks like the market is slowly picking up again for building and construction and our members need to be well positioned to take advantage of upcoming opportunities. Our aim is to ensure that members have the tools they need to increase their business success and to that end we have launched our new website with a designated member portal area covering member benefits, industrial relations, work health and safety, occupational licensing, plumbing regulation and member news.

If you haven’t registered yet for your access to our member portal please do so, it’s simple and quick.

At a state government level we are part of the review of the Tasmanian Building Regulatory Framework, which is part of the new State Liberal Governments’ pledge to reduce red tape. The process will take some time for us to see results but we are confident that any changes the government introduces will reduce unnecessary red tape in building and construction flowing onto the plumbing industry.

the comradery and strength of the membership is something for us all to be proud

We are also strengthening partnerships with various government departments including the Department of State Growth and the Justice Department in order that we can increase our services to members through the provision of advisory and information services which we hope will soon include a simple Work Health and Safety Code of Practice for the Tasmanian Plumbing industry.

The Association has achieved a lot over the past years due to the work of members and my predecessor Adrian Cowie and as such we have a strong platform to further grow. The comradery and strength of the membership is something for us all to be proud and a reason for others to join with us. Being part of a membership based organisation means that members not only receive benefits but they can also give back to their very own industry and it is this gift that makes us strong.

Lastly it was with much sadness that we farewelled Alan Manion, a long standing Member of our Association and contributor to the welfare of the Plumbing Industry in Tasmania who passed away in July. Alan’s legacy to the Plumbing Industry will be long and respectfully remembered.

In memory of Alan.

Angele Ayling Executive Officer

www.plumber.com.au | 17

industry news Help for small business in a dispute Being caught in a business dispute can feel overwhelming and be emotionally stressful.

It can be difficult to know what to do and where to go.

On 24 June, the Small Business Minister, the Hon Bruce Billson MP, launched Dispute Support a new online information and referral tool to help small businesses in a dispute.

Dispute Support helps small businesses to identify the most appropriate low cost dispute resolution service for their dispute and has information to better understand and manage disputes and tips for avoiding disputes in the future.

To find out more about how a Small Business Commissioner can help you, head to our story on page 48 of this issue. You can also find out more at asbc.gov.au/disputesupport

better understand and manage disputes 18 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

$2.37b building permits in April 2014

$2.37

billion

The Victorian Building Authority’s (VBA) latest industry data shows that the value of building permit activity in Victoria in April 2014 was the highest total on record for any month.

Chief Commissioner Bill Kusznirczuk said that in April 2014 $2.37 billion worth of building permits were issued in Victoria, almost $500 million more than the previous highest April total, $1.9 billion, recorded in April 2010. Year-on-year, the April 2014 total was 26 per cent higher than the value recorded in April 2013.

“Importantly, April 2014’s building permit value of $2.37 billion is higher than the previous highest monthly level of building permit activity in Victoria of $2.34 billion reported in July 2013.

“This is very positive news for the Victorian building industry, which is a significant contributor to the state and national economies,” Mr Kusznirczuk said.

“The April 2014 data shows that building permit activity in Victoria has continued to be strong, with four of the seven building use categories (Domestic – homes, Commercial, Retail and Public Buildings) achieving double digit growth over the same month last year, and Hospital/Healthcare making a triple digit gain.

“Equally pleasing is the fact that building permit activity in five of the seven regions of the State (Inner Melbourne, Outer Melbourne, North Central, North East and South West) grew in April 2014 when compared with April 2013.”

Find out more at vba.vic.gov.au

industry news IAPMO, PICAC partner to establish world-class research and development center in Australia The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO®) and the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC) have announced a partnership that supports PICAC facility expansion through the establishment of The IAPMO Centre for Research Development, a world-class research and development centre in Melbourne.

IAPMO and PICAC have worked in parallel toward advancement of the plumbing industry for years and this partnership consolidates these efforts and gives both organisations access to world-class resources and professional expertise.

“I’m absolutely thrilled that IAPMO and PICAC are able to forge such a meaningful partnership, with significant long-term positive benefits for the industry through the ongoing development of this technology park,” IAPMO CEO GP Russ Chaney said.

“IAPMO continues to dedicate resources to ensure our industry remains on the leading edge of the remarkable growth occurring throughout the Asian-Pacific region.”

Being right on the developed edge for new materials, technologies and process will not only expose the Australian

These requirements will be shown in Sydney Water’s Notice of Requirements letter and complying requirements letter issued after 1 September.

“The IAPMO and PICAC partnership will contribute to the continuing globalization of Australia’s plumbing industry. We will continue to work together for all of our stakeholders to grow a global plumbing industry,” said Shayne La Combre, CEO of PICAC.

Sydney Water has now accredited two metering suppliers for the provision of metering systems. These are Enware Australia Pty Ltd and Itron Australasia Pty Ltd.

Founded in Los Angeles in 1926, IAPMO has grown to be recognized the world over for its Uniform Codes. With offices in 12 U.S. states and 13 countries, IAPMO has assisted with code development all over the world, and provisions from its Uniform Plumbing Code® protect more than half the world’s population. For more information, visit www.iapmo.org

Stroke is Australia’s second biggest killer after coronary heart disease and a leading cause of disability. Stroke kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer.

A few simple lifestyle changes can help reduce your risk factors for stroke.

A stroke is not a heart attack. A stroke happens when the supply of blood to the brain is suddenly interrupted. Some strokes are fatal while others cause permanent or temporary disability.

20 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

On 1 September 2014 it will be compulsory for most new multi-level buildings to be designed for individual metering of units.

plumbing industry to future trends and innovation sooner, it will also ensure the ongoing development of contemporary skills and competency.

National Stroke Week: 8-12 September

Many strokes are preventable. It is important to understand what increases your risk of having a stroke as there are steps you can take to be healthy and reduce your risk.

New requirements for Multi-level Individual Metering

Facial weakness, arm weakness and difficulty with speech are the most common symptoms or signs of stroke, but they are not the only signs.

To find out more about the common signs of stroke visit strokefoundation.com.au

You can find our Multi-level individual metering guide and the contact details for our accredited metering suppliers on our website.

Both Accredited Metering Suppliers will be able to provide Advanced Metering Infrastructure (for buildings 4 floors or more) and Automated Metering Reading system (for buildings 3 floors or less).

Individual metering of units allows for a system that is fairer for unit owners and allows them greater control over their water bill.

If you have any questions about these requirements, please email meters@sydneywater.com.au

New requirements

for individual metering of units start

1 September 2014

Sydney Water now requires plans for most new multi-level developments to include individual metering of units.

See the plumbing page of our website for our Multi-level individual metering guide and contact details of our Accredited Metering Suppliers.

Questions?

Email us at meters@sydneywater.com.au

industry news Dates for your diary

Launch of the Indigenous Plumbing and Sanitation Foundation Essendon great Michael Long launched the Indigenous Plumbing and Sanitation Foundation (IPSF) on May 28 to coincide with the Indigenous Round of the AFL, National Reconciliation Week and the 10 year Anniversary of The Long Walk.

Michael’s role as a Board Member with IPSF illustrates his commitment to making a real difference in the everyday lives of Indigenous Australians.

Long also had support from Dustin Martin (Richmond FC), Neville Jetta (Melbourne FC) Lindsay Thomas and Daniel Wells (North Melbourne FC), who told the gathering what the Indigenous Round meant to them.

a skill base to improve water and sanitation

Leader of the Opposition The Hon. Bill Shorten is also a strong advocate of the Foundation and says:

“This remarkable initiative, empowers young Aboriginal people through the Indigenous Apprentices Program, while delivering essential services to under-resourced remote communities.”

The IPSF has been established to provide direct relief from disease and sickness for people in Indigenous communities who are living with poor sanitation.

According to the IPSF Chairman, Earl Setches, the reality for many self-administered remote Indigenous communities is that they face acute challenges in maintaining access to reliable clean water and effective sanitation.

“This is frequently due to a lack of available, skilled tradespeople, with the end result being that access to basic sanitation is often denied,” said Earl.

“Plumbing is on the front-line in the defence against disease and this is where the IPSF has an important role to play,” Ken Gardner, IPSF Board member added.

Determined to make a difference, in 2004 the Plumbing Trades Employees Union (PTEU) began working with business and the Indigenous community

22 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

to find a solution to the low plumbing standards which often exist in the remote areas of Australia.

An Indigenous Apprenticeship Program began, which gave Indigenous youth the opportunity to gain plumbing trade qualifications and skills which could then be translated back into their local community.

“Over the last ten years almost 40 young Indigenous men and women have completed their apprenticeships, with many returning to their communities as fully qualified plumbers to enrich their regions with a skill base to improve water and sanitation infrastructure,” said Earl.

“We are committed to building productive partnerships with the community, the business sector and Government to increase the number of young Indigenous youth obtaining training and employment, by creating more plumbing apprenticeships”, Ken. For further information about the Indigenous Plumbing and Sanitation Foundation visit, and to donate, please visit www.ipsf.org.au or email info@ipsf.org.au

Dates for your diary National Stroke Week 8-12 September R U OK? Day 11 September Mental Health Week 6-12 October World Mental Health Day 10 October National Safe Work Australia Month 1 – 31 October National Water Week 20-26 October Movember 1-30 November Asbestos Awareness Month 1-30 November Walk to Work day 7 November Remembrance Day 11 November World Toilet Day 19 November

Be a Master Plumber.

Become an industry leader.

Protect.

Save.

Develop.

Protect your business.

Save time and money.

Develop your skills.

Advice and resources on employment and recruitment

Work referrals

Discounts on relevant industry training for you and your staff

Information and assistance on workplace health and safety Use the Master Plumbers logo and branding to market your business

Deals on vehicles, fuel, banking, insurance, safety gear, work wear and much more Business templates and services

Events and networking opportunities Fortnightly eNewsletter, quarterly magazine, eAlerts, Facebook and Twitter

Call our membership team to find out more! 03 9329 9622

Join today.

Call 03 9329 9622 | Visit plumber.com.au | Email membership@plumber.com.au

www.plumber.com.au | 23

Master Plumbers Australia:

a collective voice for the Australian plumbing industry

Master Plumbers Australia Limited (MPA) represents Master Plumbers Association organisations across the country in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland, Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. In essence, MPA is the ‘Association of the Associations’ and a way for the organisations in each state to come together and align themselves on issues that affect all plumbers.

The history

MPA today

MPA has a long history, with the first meeting taking place in Sydney in 1901.

Master Plumber Associations from various states met and formed the “Master Plumbers of Australia”.

However, due to the stresses of the 1914/18 war years, the organisation became inoperative.

Over the past couple of years the MPA has grown in strength, working on the excellent co-operative relationships that exist between member organisations.

This had led to the adoption of a unified MPA policy position in the areas of licensing, qualifications and regulation.

Without the existence of a federal association, periodic conferences were held in various capital cities during the 1920’s and 1930’s.

In Melbourne in 1946 prior to a conference, representatives of Master Plumbers Associations held a special meeting,“To discuss the formation of a Federal Association”. That meeting resolved that: “In the opinion of this conference, the Master Plumbers’ Associations represented at this conference should form themselves into a Federal Association”.

The South Australian representatives dissented from the resolution but subsequently joined the Federation.

Thus was the “National Association of Master Plumbers” reborn as “The Federated Master Plumbers of Australia”.

a single strong and shared voice on issues

24 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

The goals that MPA strives to achieve are to: • Provide a national perspective to the government and industry • Work together on national issues to present a united front • Explore national opportunities for the Australian plumbing industry Whilst these goals may seem altruistic and extremely difficult to achieve, they nonetheless are the underpinning policy that drives the work of MPA in making submissions to both State/Territory and Federal Governments on a number of issues.

In more recent times MPA submitted a consolidated view on Award Modernisation to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, supported the adoption of a National Single Agency model for National Licensing and supported the adoption of the Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA) by all States and Territories under a National Construction Code where the PCA has equal standing with the Building Code of Australia (BCA), but not consolidated into the BCA. Ken Gardner, CEO of Master Plumbers (Vic) and Secretary of MPA says, “It’s vital for the future of our industry that all the Associations work together through MPA to ensure that we have a single strong and shared voice on issues that affect the plumbing industry and all our members.”

A collective voice on national issues MPA lobbies and represents plumbers from Associations across the country on a number of issues, including:

National Training Standards The requirement for entry into the plumbing sector involves undertaking a combination of on the job training and studies through an education provider who is registered to deliver the Construction, Plumbing and Services Training Package (CPC08) which is the required standard for plumbing training being delivered in every State and Territory. The introduction of a national training package has made it easier for plumbers to find work throughout Australia.

National Plumbing Licensing Licensing of occupations has its basis in the protection of consumer rights.

The reasons for licensing plumbers are broader than this and recognise the importance of high quality, efficient plumbing systems in protecting the health of the public and the environment.

States and Territories, who are responsible for consumer issues and health in Australia, maintain licensing systems for plumbing to ensure that plumbing work is only carried out by those who are qualified to carry out that particular scope of work.

From OHS to WHS – The New National Work and Safety Laws The model Work Health and Safety Act marks an historic point in health and safety law reform. The Act represents a new way of looking at safety governance and reflects the changing nature of work in modern times. The journey towards national WHS is continuing.

Master Plumbers Australia collaborates together on national issues

MPA represents over 5000 plumbing businesses nationally ABCB National Construction Code and Plumbing Code of Australia The National Construction Code (NCC) is an initiative of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), which has been developed to incorporate all on-site construction requirements into a single code. The NCC comprises the Building Code of Australia (BCA), Volume One and Two; and the Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA), as Volume Three.

Environmental Sustainability Environmental sustainability involves making decisions and taking action that are in the interests of protecting the natural world. Plumbers and regulators have long recognised the importance of minimising the impact of plumbing systems and installations on the environment.

Occupational licensing, product certification and the development of standards and codes all have the protection of the environment, conservation of water sources and supplies, and water and energy efficiency as primary considerations.

Why become a Master Plumber?

Joining the Master Plumbers lets you play a role in the future of your industry. On both a State and Federal level your Association works hard to lobby governments on your behalf and protect the interests of you, the member.

Becoming a Master Plumber has countless benefits for you and your business. Not only can you save time and money with a great range of savings and offers, you can hire an apprentice, develop your skills with state-of-the-art training, or get much needed information and advice when and where you need it.

Master Plumbers across Australia Find out more about the Master Plumbers Association in your state.

Master Plumbers’ and Mechanical Services Association of Australia

Plumbing Industry Association of SA & NT Inc

Ken Gardner – Chief Executive Officer 525 King Street West Melbourne VIC 3003 T (03) 9329 9622 E info@plumber.com.au www.plumber.com.au

Andrew Clarke – Executive Officer Level 1 / 1 South Road Thebarton SA 5031 T (08) 8292 4000 E admin@piasa.com.au www.piasa.com.au

Master Plumbers Association of New South Wales

Master Plumbers ACT Inc

Paul Naylor – Chief Executive Officer 2 Percy Street Auburn NSW 2144 T (02) 8789 7000 E info@masterplumbers.com.au www.masterplumbers.com.au

John Stephens – Chief Executive Officer G Block, CIT Fyshwick 81 Mildura Street Fyshwick ACT 2610 T (02) 6112 8630 E info@actmpa.asn.au www.masterplumbersact.asn.au

Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland

Master Plumbers’ Association of Tasmania

Penny Cornah – Executive Director 243 Bradman Street Acacia Ridge QLD 4110 T (07) 3273 0800 E info@mpaq.com.au www.mpaq.com.au

Angela Ayling – Executive Officer 1 / 237 Main Road Derwent Park TAS 7010 T (03) 6272 2199 E contact@mpatas.com.au www.mpatasmania.com.au

Master Plumbers & Gasfitters Association of Western Australia Murray Thomas – Chief Executive Officer Level 3 / 353 Shepperton Road East Victoria Park WA 6101 T (08) 9471 6661 E mail@mpawa.asn.au www.masterplumbers.asn.au www.plumber.com.au | 25

Copper: Just the facts

Plumbers are dealing with a flood of new standards & technology, but at least with copper there’s a lot simple information on tap says John Fennell, CEO, International Copper Association Australia

There are a huge range of copperrelated plumbing resources available for plumbers

I know how much information plumbers are dealing with nowadays and I – and my partners in the copper industry-want to help.

It’s not just the fast changing rules and regulations outlined in codes and standards, but technology and consumer tastes also keep shifting.

One of the biggest changes facing plumbers is the shift by government and the public to greener or more environmentally smart building practices, especially with new sources of water, different forms of power, energy and water efficiency, and higher density living.

Online all the time Which is why in the last couple of years we’ve developed and put online and in apps a whole series of booklets and guides that provide a one-stop copper plumbing shop for simple, easy reference. So far this has included: The Plumbers Handbook copper.com.au/copper/wcms/en/home/ plumbing/publications/Plumbers_ Handbook.html An Introduction to Professional Plumbing Skills copper.com.au/copper/wcms/en/home/ plumbing/publications/Plumber_ Training_Manual.html Water Hammer Handbook www.copper.com.au/copper/wcms/en/ home/plumbing/publications/5420_04waterHammer-Revised-web.pdf Barrie Smith’s Selection and Sizing of Copper Tubes for Water Piping Systems plumbing.org.au/shop/ Paul Funnell’s Pipe Sizing for Building Services available at: cavsoft.com/index.php?page=shop

26 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

Nothing however has quite the effort that went in to the recently launched Hydraulic Services Design Guide developed by us at the International Copper Association Australia (ICAA) with the support of MM Kembla, Crane Copper Tube and the Association of Hydraulic Services Consultants Australia.

The comprehensive Hydraulic Services Design Guide is an online resource that will be reviewed and updated each year to make sure plumbers, designers, contractors and students have the absolute latest reference material in the palm of their hand (especially if you use the smartphone app).

While it covers every aspect of contemporary copper plumbing, there are some chapters in particular that are really worth noting, and one of the most important is the one showing how big recycling is to copper’s reputation and future.

Copper requirements are increasingly being met by reusing older material.

This win-win situation is helping to supply our ever- increasing demand for the metal (+250% since the 1960s) while at the same time, lessening the environmental impact of its production and ensuring its availability for generations to come. The diagram below shows where and how copper is recycled.

Future Changes to Standards Standards and the National Construction code govern the requirements and specification of most plumbing aspects, and as I said at the start these are continually being revised and improved.

It’s important that everyone in the industry is aware of these changes and some of the emerging topics that are currently being discussed and will be of interest to all in the future are: • Clarification and recommendation for the design velocity of hot and cold water.

• Improvements in the insulation requirements for hot water piping to provide better thermal efficiency • Regulation of the temperature of hot water from all outlets to prevent scalding. Planned for 45°C maximum for childcare, health and aged care facilities.

To find out more visit copper.com.au

www.plumber.com.au | 27

Think you’re healthy? Statistics show that men are more likely than women to have serious health issues. We all know prevention is better than a cure, and this men’s health feature looks at some simple lifestyle tweaks you can make to improve your overall wellbeing and reduce your risk.

7 things you can do this week to improve your health Charlotte Roseby discovers that men really need to lift their game when it comes to their health. Making some simple changes means you can take control of your health and improve your life chances.

When it comes to men and their health, the news isn’t great. Typically, men eat badly, put on weight, don’t do enough exercise, neglect their health, ignore symptoms and avoid going to the doctor until something goes seriously wrong.

And it shows in the numbers, which aren’t pretty: • Men live, on average, 5 years less than women.

• Almost twice as many Australian men die of skin cancer than women.

• Men account for 70% of alcohol-related deaths.

• More than two thirds of Australian men are overweight or obese, increasing their chances of many diseases.

• Men in blue-collar jobs are 2.5 times more likely to die from liver disease than white-collar workers.

28 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

Then consider this: blokes visit the doctor less frequently, have shorter visits and only attend when their illness is in its later stage.

That means that men are more likely than women to have serious health problems. In fact, men die in greater numbers than women from almost every health problem.

It’s time to make some changes Foundation 49 (www.49.com.au) is a not-for-profit organisation advocating for men’s health. (Men make up 49% of the population.) They want to reduce the number of men dying from potentially preventable conditions by raising health awareness and encouraging regular health checks.

Penny Christie, Manager of Foundation 49, says the biggest threats to men’s health are illnesses linked to lifestyle choices and behaviour.

“Men who eat well, exercise regularly, keep track of their health and get prompt treatment for health problems have a better chance of a healthy and long life than men who don’t.”

So the good news is that the simple changes you make to your lifestyle this week – today – right now – can actually improve your life chances and reduce your changes of dying prematurely.

Not only that, but you can start to feel a bit better and enjoy things more, straight away.

We can’t cover everything here (and of course you need to see your doctor for specific advice etc. etc.), but here are seven important things to do, right away, to improve your health.

Men’s health FEATURE

1

Find a GP and make an appointment – even if you’re well

2

Have a general health check

According to Foundation 49, one third of men have not seen a doctor in the past year. Ten percent have not seen a doctor for five years. What are they scared of?

Foundation 49 want to encourage men to have regular check ups. Health screenings can catch problems early enough to effectively treat them.

Remember, doctors are very used to talking about sensitive or embarrassing things, and they will be glad you came to see them and grateful you are noticing changes and taking a proactive role in your health.

“You can stay on top of your game by having an annual general health check,” says Penny Christie. “If you bury your head in the sand and ignore symptoms and delay treatment, serious and preventable conditions can develop.

And this makes it all the more difficult down the track.”

“Real men have doctors,” says Penny Christie. “And you don’t have to wait until you’re sick to see one. You may just prevent a more serious condition.”

Haven’t got a GP? Ask around and find someone you like and get along with.

It’s all about forming a relationship with someone you like and trust.

Try healthengine.com.au, an Australian website that can help you find a GP as well as a physio, a dentist and a psychologist.

Foundation 49 suggests having a health check with a doctor at the same time each year – around your birthday, at the start or end of daylight saving, or at the end of each year; that way you’ll have a trigger.

Depending on what’s appropriate for you and your age, a regular health check might include things like: • weight and blood pressure • blood cholesterol and blood glucose (diabetes) • kidney and liver function, iron levels • eye checks • tetanus boosters and flu shots A visit might include screenings for prostate and bowl cancer. A GP can talk to you about your family history for diseases, chat to you about your mental health and any other concerns or ‘niggles’ you might have.

www.plumber.com.au | 29

3

Eat better

This year’s Masterchef winner, Brent Owens, was a bobcat driver and worked in an excavation company. While his buddies were eating pies and rolls for lunch, Brent was eating the result of his all-night cooking experiments – proving that real tradesmen do eat quiche, kale salad, scampi with barley, and reinvented Lancashire hotpot.

You don’t have to cook like a chef to improve what you eat, or go on a crash diet of kale for that matter. A wellrounded lifestyle with healthy and wholesome food will improve your health immediately. You can make these changes this week:

4

Cut down on the drinking

New figures say that alcohol is responsible for more than 5,500 deaths each year and over 150,000 hospitalisations (VicHealth and FARE 2014). That’s extraordinary.

According to Foundation 49, more than two thirds of Australian men are overweight or obese, increasing their risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, having a heart attack or stroke.

What the stats tell us is that there’s a serious risk of injury on a single occasion of drinking, but there’s also risks of serious alcohol-related harm over your lifetime. Alcohol can increase your risk of drink-related heart problems and other diseases.

If you are overweight your heart has to work harder and you are at greater risk of serious conditions like heart disease and stroke as well as diabetes, cancer and high blood pressure.

Here’s what Foundation 49 suggest: • Drink in moderation and have three alcohol-free days a week.

• Aim for 2 pieces of fruit and 2.5 cups of veggies each day. Eating more fruit and vegetables can lower blood pressure, cholesterol and help reduce your risk of heart disease and some cancers.

• Stick to no more than two standard drinks per day (One standard drink is 10 grams of alcohol; e.g. one nip of spirits, 100 mls of white wine, 570 mls of light beer, 285 mls of full strength beer).

• Eat more fibre and wholegrains.

Choosing wholegrain bread over white bread is an easy switch you can make today.

• Watch your glass size to stay within safe limits.

• Drink more water. Aim for 6–8 cups a day. It has no calories or caffeine!

• Cut down on processed and junk foods which are packed with hidden salt and sugar. Some advocate shopping ‘around the edges’ of the supermarket – where you find fresh fruit and veg, meat, milk, eggs and cheese. Give it a try.

A healthy diet helps you maintain a healthy weight. Good food makes you look better, and also enhances your concentration, memory and mood.

That’s an all-round win!

Make the switch • a piece of fruit instead of a packet of chips • a wrap instead of a pie • water instead of soft drinks • rye or wholegrain sandwich instead of a white roll • steamed dim sims instead of chips Visit Foundation 49: www.49.com.au

30 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

5

Do something about that extra weight around your middle

Men are at a higher risk because, unfortunately, they generally get fat around their middles – the danger zone. “Losing a few centimetres around your gut could add years to your life,” says Penny.

• Don’t mix alcohol with drugs.

A healthy diet will help (read no. 3 again).

And get moving. Even though as a plumber you have an active job, you may not be getting even the moderate exercise you need. You need exercise that increases your breathing noticeably, giving you a bit of puff and making it hard to talk, at least 30 minutes most days of the week.

• Try and have a non-alcoholic drink for every alcoholic drink.

Check in with your GP about your girth and your body mass index (BMI).

• Check in with your GP about your drinking.

Do you have a workplace culture that encourages drinking?

You might need to improve the health of your business when it comes to alcohol and drugs; misuse can lead to loss of productivity, increased absenteeism and workplace injuries.

The Australian Drug Foundation and the Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education (FARE) have lots of information to help you reduce risk of harm, help you meet health and safety obligations and can give advice about things like alcohol at office parties.

Visit adf.org.au and fare.org.au

Men’s health FEATURE

6

Quit

Yes, yes, you’ve heard it all before.

Everyone’s nagging you to quit smoking and you’re sick of hearing it. But consider this. The number one cancer killer of men is still lung cancer (and smoking is the main cause of 96% of lung cancer cases).

According to Foundation 49, as well as lung cancer, smoking increases your chance of developing cancer of the mouth, throat, bladder, kidneys, stomach, pancreas, penis and anus. Smoking affects your ability to have and maintain an erection, and smokers have a lower sperm count.

Think it’s too late to stop? Think again.

The sooner you quit the better your chances of avoiding serious illness.

What’s even better, at any age, quitting smoking will improve your health right away. As soon as you quit smoking your body begins to repair. Quit (quit.org.au) reports that: • Within 6 hours your heart rate will slow and your blood pressure decreases.

• Within a day the level of carbon monoxide in your blood drops and oxygen can more easily reach your heart and muscles. Importantly for plumbers, your fingertips become warmer and your hands steadier.

• Within a week your sense of taste and smell may improve and your lungs’ natural cleaning system will start to recover.

Start now. Visit www.quit.org.au and get some information, help and support.

You can phone the Quitline on 137848.

7

Be aware of any changes

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia and, according to Foundation 49, about 64,000 Australian men are diagnosed with cancer each year. The three most common cancers among men (in order) are lung cancer, prostate cancer and bowel cancer. Three big reasons to get a regular health check.

“It’s shocking, but many of these cancer deaths could have been prevented,” says Penny Christie.

“Looking after yourself means being aware of any changes and going to see your doctor straight away. Detecting cancer early gives you the best chance of beating it. There’s no guarantees, but making lifestyle changes can reduce your risk of cancer.”

Here’s a few quick tips: • Quit smoking (Read no. 6 again).

• Monitor your plumbing. Speak to your GP about whether prostate cancer testing is right for you.

Watch out for prostate symptoms such as frequent or painful urination.

• Early detection of bowel cancer greatly increases the chance of survival. Talk to your GP about a test.

• Reduce your risk of bowel cancer by staying physically active, maintain a healthy weight, cut back on processed meats and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Visit www.cancer.org.au for more information – and make that call to your GP.

The top 10 causes of death in men According to data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2008, the leading causes of death for Australian men are: 1 Heart disease 2 Lung cancer 3 Stroke 4 Lower respiratory disease 5 Prostate cancer 6 Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease 7 Colon and rectum cancer 8 Blood and lymph cancer, including leukaemia 9 Diabetes 10 Suicide – Better Health Channel

Useful resources www.49.com.au Foundation 49 raise awareness about men’s health. They produce a free men’s health magazine, a health tool kit, and information for each decade of a man’s life. They also do workplace talks. They have a great 1-minute men’s health check on their website which you can print off and hand straight to your GP.

www.healthengine.com.au Founded by Australian doctors, HealthEngine helps you find a GP and book health appointments.

www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au Don’t just trust ‘Dr Google’! The Better Health Channel has easy-to-understand health and medical information that is quality assured and reliable.

www.andrologyaustralia.org Andrology Australia has lots of information about men’s sexual and reproductive health.

www.quit.org.au Quit provides comprehensive tools, tips and support. Using a Quitline advisor can double your chance of quitting successfully.

Phone Quitline: 13 7848.

www.beyondblue.org.au Three million Australians are living with depression or anxiety. Get support.

www.plumber.com.au | 31

Five tips >>> for keeping on top of your physical and emotional wellbeing Good health isn’t just about diet and exercise.

Sarah Derry shares some easy ways to improve the emotional wellbeing of you and your staff.

It doesn’t matter what industry you work in, ensuring that both your own and your employees physical and emotional wellbeing is in good shape is a worthwhile investment. Before you turn over the page believing that this approach is too soft and fluffy for your plumbing business or that you don’t have the cash to cover such initiatives, I urge you to read on. Wellbeing is for everyone and it doesn’t have to be ‘new age’ nor does it need to cost a fortune.

Let’s begin by understanding emotional wellbeing. If your emotional wellbeing is in good shape, you will be more likely to cope with life and workplace stress, realize your potential and be contributing member of the community.

32 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

So why would a plumbing business focus on this? Here are a few good reasons to start: • Research shows that wellbeing creates happier and more committed employees – now that has to be good for business.

• Focusing on wellbeing ensures that you take a holistic view of the health of your staff, both at work and in their personal lives. In doing this, people often feel more recognised and valued, leading to higher engagement at work. In addition, employees are far more likely to stay with a business that they feel understands and values them.

• Wellbeing initiatives also lead to lower rates of absenteeism, and a less stressed team.

Men’s health FEATURE

When it comes to wellbeing, try these top five tips to get you or your team on the right path: 1 Take the time to ask people if they are okay. I don’t just mean mention it as you are passing by, I mean take the time to ask and to listen. We all have busy lives and from time to time it helps to share.

Taking a real interest in your employees and allowing them to share a burden by simply talking can really lighten their load. So next time its break, take a minute and ask how thing are for them – and don’t forget to listen.

2 Make time for your self and your team. It is important for you and your staff to take 15 minutes a day to go for a walk or just sit in the park for lunch.

If you do this yourself, you will encourage your employees to do the same. Just taking a short time away from a job will improve wellbeing so step away from where you are working for a while and relax.

3 Encourage people to get involved in the community or take part in a recreational activity. Why not suggest to your team to take part in a in a community event such as a fun run or make up a soccer team? Having a fun activity outside of work can create a welcome and fun distraction.

4 Learn to defer to a professional if required. If you come across an issue with a team member that is out of your expertise, make sure you encourage them to visit a GP or arrange a visit to an employee assistance practitioner.

5 Don’t forget to have fun – Having a good laugh in your day relieves stress and encourages good team work.

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Even if these approaches are completely new to you, why not give them a go?

Try introducing one of them and watch the response you get – you might just be pleasantly surprised. The long-term benefits for you personally, your business and your team will be well worth it.

Sarah Derry is the Managing Director of People Reaching Potential, an organisation which focuses on creating opportunities for businesses and individuals to reach their “full potential”.

For more information on Sarah, please see peoplereachingpotential.com.au

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Back basics

Men’s health FEATURE

According to a recent report by the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), one in five serious workplace injuries involves a tradie, with most of them choosing to ignore pain instead of receiving treatment. As a plumber, musculoskeletal health is important to do your job and ignoring aches, pain and body stress can result in early retirement and reduced quality of life.

Looking after your back is vital Back injuries are one of the most common workplace injuries and muscle strains can result from impact injuries, poor manual handling or repetitive motion. Repetitive tasks can also cause stress fractures or disc damage. While plumbers do a lot of manual handling, there are also many plumbing jobs that require working in confined spaces or remaining in awkward/uncomfortable positions for an extended period of time.

Activities that can strain your back and lead to injury include: • Crawling or crouching • Working in confined spaces • Manual handling: pushing, pulling, carrying, moving or holding weighted goods • Digging

Warm up before working It’s important that you take the time to warm up before you start working.

Taking preventative steps like stretching and warming up can help prevent and reduce the risk of injury.

Stretching is also essential because it allows your muscles to wake up and prepare to be used; it can also help keep your muscles and frame in proper alignment.

Warming up doesn’t have to be complicated, just 5 or 10 minutes of light activity. This can be as simple as a brisk walk around the block, skipping rope for a few minutes or doing some simple body weight exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups or even jumping jacks.

Stretching right after you wake up can help get you energised for the day, while stretching after work or at night before bed is also a great way to relax your body and get a more comfortable night’s sleep.

Stretching tips • Stretching should be pain free, don’t force your body into difficult or really painful positions.

• Move into each stretch slowly and avoid bouncing

• Climbing

• Hold each stretch long enough (20-30 seconds) to allow muscles and joints to become loose.

Don’t

• Repeat each stretch around 5-10 times.

• Bending over

8 forward when carrying a 8 Lean heavy load – it transfers the load Twist when you lift

from your legs to your back

8 8 Do any unnecessary heavy lifting

Carry heavy loads on wet surfaces

Do

4 Stretch every day an assistance device or ask for 4 Use help when lifting something heavy 4

Stay active – walk, run, swim, play sport

4 Eat a healthy diet a professional (physiotherapist 4 See or osteopath) if you have an injury or any aches and pains. They can provide you with treatment and preventative exercises to help your condition.

34 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

The following are some simple stretches to get you started

Kneeling Back Extension • Begin on your hands and knees on the floor. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders with your arms straight.

• Rock forward, putting your weight onto your arms. Round your shoulders, and let your seat drop a little. Hold for 5 seconds.

• Rock backward, sitting your buttocks as close to your heels as possible.

Keep your arms extended straight ahead. Hold for 5 seconds.

Knee-to-Chest Stretch • Lie on your back on the floor with your legs extended.

• Lift and bend your right leg, bringing the knee toward your chest. Grasp your knee or shin with your right hand, and pull your leg as far as it will comfortably go.

• Remain in the knee-to-chest position while tightening your abdominal muscles and pressing your spine into the floor. Hold for 5 seconds.

• Return slowly to your starting position and repeat with the other leg.

• Do the same thing lifting both legs at once.

Chin to chest While standing or sitting, gently bend the head forward while bringing the chin to the chest until a stretch is felt in the back of the neck.

Ear to shoulder This stretches the neck area below the ears as well as the top of the shoulder • Gently bend the neck to one side as if to touch the ear to the shoulder, until a stretch is felt in the side of the neck • Repeat on the other side

Hip stretch The hips and buttocks support the lower back and stretching these muscle groups plays an important role in maintaining spine flexibility.

• Stand with fee should-with apart • Take half a step back with the right foot, bend the left knee and shift your weight back onto the right hip • Keep the right leg straight, bend forward and reach down the right leg until a stretch in the outer hip is felt.

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Grant Donald

37 years in the family business

Charlotte Roseby meets Master Plumber and Association Board Member Grant Donald, Director of Premier Plumbing Service – a commercial plumbing company based in regional Victoria, which has been a member of Master Plumbers for 62 years.

Grant Donald loves plumbing. You can tell from the twinkle in his eye and the enthusiasm in his voice. You can also tell because he’s currently on his thirty-eighth year in the business. And he’s loved almost every minute of it.

Grant’s father Neville Donald started Premier Plumbing Service, in Sebastopol (near Ballarat in Victoria), in 1951, and joined Master Plumbers the very same year. Neville had four sons and – you guessed it – all four became plumbing apprentices in their dad’s company.

Did Grant ever think he might to do something other than plumbing?

“Yes,” laughs Grant. “I actually got offered an apprenticeship as a builder.

Then I told my father what I was going to do, and he just said, ‘Well, where are you going to live?’. I thought about it… and thought I’d better become a plumber! And that was the end of that.”

Thirty-seven years later Grant is Director of Premier Plumbing Service working on commercial and industrial projects throughout central and western Victoria.

“Working in a family business has its challenges. But, at the end of the day, the best part about it is that you know that someone’s watching your back every minute.”

Grant’s brother Jim is also a Director of Premier Plumbing Service, as are Jim’s two sons, Michael and Tim. Now, Grant has his eye on the next generation. The kids are only primary school age, but Grant is confident they’ll join the plumbing fold. “They’re on the way,” says Grant. “They’re all over the machines – they want to take them home with them! At age 10 they want to weld copper pipes by themselves, which is what we all did before becoming apprentices. For a young kid it’s a pretty exciting place to come and visit.”

Doing it properly – and staying ahead

Working regional

The family business has grown to include 30 staff, with plumbers aged 20 to 54. “This makes for a great mix of experience and performance,” says Grant. “It’s a nurturing environment.

We always team up our older people with our young apprentices, which the young ones really like. They learn how to do the job expediently, but best of all how to do it properly.”

Premier’s apprentices and plumbers all recently gained a lot of experience working on an exciting local project: the new Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre. Built by Leightons, the project involved refurbishing an existing two-storey brick building dating from the 1920s and constructing a five-storey reinforced concrete building incorporating four radiation bunkers for radiotherapy.

The Premier Plumbing Service team completed all the hydraulic and civil works. “This enabled us to expand our knowledge of stack work, relief venting and the difficulties in supplying hot and cold water to multi-storey buildings.

That was a great job – and particularly good for the young ones in the company who learned a lot.”

Grant and his team clearly don’t mind the travel. Their next project was about 250 kilometres away, in the rural town of Coleraine, near the South Australian border. Premier Plumbing was the hydraulic and civil contractor for a new hospital, medical clinic and aged care facility, built in two years over an area of two full street blocks. “The remoteness proved to be a challenge at times but has given us invaluable experience in management, logistics and organisational skills,” says Grant.

Being in a major regional centre means that the Premier team has the opportunity to experience both city and country plumbing. Plumbing in rural areas isn’t that different from the city, says Grant, “although we tend to stay at ground level”.

One of the pressing issues facing the whole plumbing industry is the inexperience and the lack of responsibility by some licenced plumbers turning out substandard work, says Grant. The particular challenge in rural areas is that the schooling and training of apprentices and the development of new skills for qualified plumbers is difficult unless you go to Melbourne.

“We don’t have the training facilities or the trainers in the country, which means our rural apprentices and plumbers are denied many opportunities to learn things like thermostatic mixing valve commissioning, back flow testing and obtaining residential fire sprinkler accreditation. PICAC and Master Plumbers have manufactured remote training pods, which hopefully can be transported to different parts of the state to help with this.”

There are real lifestyle benefits to working in a regional area, says Grant. “What’s really good about living and working in the country is the difference in the driving; we can travel for an hour and be 100 kilometres away, but in the city you can drive for an hour and only get over the Westgate Bridge!”

Master Plumbers for 63 years, and counting Premier Plumbing Service has been a member of Master Plumbers for 63 unbroken years – and counting. “We have found it to be an invaluable association to be part of,” says Grant. “You can get help and advice with anything, from buying vehicles to workplace relations; the OHS experts can save you a lot of time and money.”

“The network that comes with being a member of Master plumbers can take you to anywhere in Australia or abroad.

We have also found that clients prefer a contractor who is a member of a professional association like Master Plumbers. If you’re not a member yet, join up and enjoy the benefits.”

To Grant, who is well-established in his professional career and is now watching the fourth generation of his family showing real interest in becoming plumbers, the future of plumbing looks bright.

“I think plumbing has a great future.

Without good plumbing, the health of the nation is at risk, better plumbing means better health. It’s so important that we protect the plumbing trade and keep the standards high. So many people in the world don’t even have clean water.

We’re so lucky in this country.”

“We always find the people in the country areas will go out of their way to help. On projects in country areas there’s a lot of teamwork, especially between different trades. Onsite, there’s a feeling that everyone is there for the same purpose.”

“We are a progressive company and spend a lot of time and money on safety, training and development of new skills to stay ahead of the field. It’s good for us but also good for the principal contractor to have a plumbing company that embraces safety and embraces new technology.”

Premier Plumbing Service, Sebastopol: project snapshot Ballarat Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre, schools, aged care units, retirement villages, police stations, law courts Horsham NRE, Horsham Secondary College, McCafe

Ararat Ararat Hospital, HM Prison, Australian Wine Institute Balmoral Balmoral Consolidated School Maryborough Hospital, Police Station, Goldfields Information Centre, Havilah Hostel

Dunkeld Royal Mail Hotel/Motel

Hepburn springs Spa Centre

Ballan Ballan Hospital

Woodend Braemar College

Sunbury Caloola Training Centre

Colac Performing Arts Centre

Langi Kal Kal HM Prison www.plumber.com.au | 37

The more you have alignment and harmony the more you will be able to achieve

and the myth of work/life balance Author and business strategist Stefan Kazakis addresses the realities of achieving a work/life balance when you’re running your own business.

People often say they started their own business with the aim of achieving better ‘work/ life balance’, only to find after six months that this is an unattainable myth sold to us by the media and ‘experts’ who actually know nothing about running a business.

Personally, I prefer brutal honesty rather than just telling you what you want to hear. So when you are growing a business, work/life balance just ain’t going to happen. Sorry. Are you saying you want to work until 3pm every day, except for Wednesdays when you want to knock off at 1.47 pm so you can pick up a surf board and go and catch a few waves? Good luck with that. Want to start at 9.30 am every other day so you can fit in that weights class? Great – but it’s going to cost your business.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all about your business doing well so you can enjoy the other things in life. There is nothing – absolutely nothing – more important to me than spending time with my wife and kids, and I work hard in my business to achieve that.

However, the thought that you can tailor your business around your personal life and have them fit together just so has got many a business owner into trouble. It’s about personal alignment. Your personal life must be aligned with your goals and

your dreams. That includes your family, friends, pets and social commitments – whatever is going on in your life. It’s your job to make it all fit together. Without this personal alignment, professional alignment won’t happen. No one reaches success without sacrifice. The more you have alignment and harmony the more you will be able to achieve.

Business is demanding. It always has been and it always will be. There are no magic tricks and no short-cuts to success, so you have to be prepared to do whatever it takes. Hard work and effort need to be part of your routine.

If you knock off at 3pm every day to pick the kids up from school, how on earth are you going to motivate the staff who are staying at the office? Do you think they are going to power on until 5pm, or be on Facebook at 3.01 pm? If you’re close to signing a major client and they want to meet at 8am, are you going to say no because you have a gym appointment?

So if work/life balance is a myth, what is possible? I prefer to aim for work/life harmony. That means you recognise that sometimes your business must be the priority. Sometimes there will be late nights (or even all nighters), and weekends and early starts. That’s just part of the process when you are building a business. The reason you do this is to make your business successful and the reason you want your business to be successful is so that down the road you will have more time and more freedom to do the things you really want to do.

You have to do whatever it takes to make your business strong, and then you can back off a little. Whenever your business

needs you, you must be there. But when your plan allows for time off, because you have great systems and great people in place, that’s when you get to relax. One of my aims for my business is to never work another month of August in my life.

That’s right. Never. I’m not there yet but I’m close. So, right now, I’m working really hard to achieve that goal. The effort comes now, the reward later.

It’s not about 50% work, 50% family, or whatever other percentage you come up with. Sometimes it will be 100% work and at other times 100% family. The key to managing this is that the people around you understand this and support you in what you do. It’s about you managing their expectations and explaining to them what you are doing and why, and that if you are working hard now it’s so that you can have the rewards later.

As Brendan Dover from The Drain Man says, “Sheer determination is how I overcome challenges. Never, ever give up.

When the going gets tough the tough need to get tougher and ride the bumps.”

He goes on to say “You need to be resilient and have confidence in your own ability and know that you have the support of the people who surround you.”

Nothing can undo a business quicker than an unsupportive spouse or family; believe me, I’ve seen it happen too many times. If your personal life isn’t aligned with your dreams and your goals for your business you’re going to have a problem.

You need to talk to your family. If your family is not a support structure but a problem you are doomed.

Stefan Kazakis is a business strategist, sought-after presenter and speaker and author of the new book, From Deadwood to Diamonds (Major Street Publishing, $29.95). He is a futurist and an inspiring communicator with the voice of experience.

Stefan has had over 20 years’ experience running successful small to medium sized businesses – including a family business which he took from near bankruptcy to be a multimillion dollar business.

Stefan has helped clients from a variety of crossroads and industries seize their opportunities to achieve ongoing business success and substantial profit growth. For more information please visit www.stefankazakis.com or email info@stefankazakis.com

38 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

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Introducing a lighter, stronger, rust resistant and safer piece of equipment. The Cable Drum range have strong cable and cutting blade attachments for ease of operation.

The Spartan continuous Drum Machine has a powerful auger unit with the drum containing the cable - as one single unit.

The continuous cables are much faster to use and NEVER splatter ‘sewer juice’ which in other machines can escape to cause mess, injury and even lead to disease. The cables range from 25 feet, 50 feet, 100 feet or even more if required.

The most important part of the Cable Drum Machine is its DRUM, which not only encloses all of the cable, but it removes any danger of getting your hands caught and potentially risking injury. If the cable hits an obstruction and begins to torque, the operator is at a safe arms length away from any danger.

The ultra-quiet smart motor automatically increases in power as needed, to penetrate even the most stubborn blockages.

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Green buildings: Healthy, wealthy & wise Green buildings consistently outperform non-green buildings in terms of comfort, health and productivity says Robin Mellon, Chief Operating Officer of the Green Building Council of Australia.

Change is being driven by a desire to create buildings that are good for the environment and good for people too

The majority of people spend up to 90 per cent of their time indoors – often in workplaces with poor lighting, stale air and toxic materials. It’s little wonder that people complain of headaches, allergies and lethargy – the hallmarks of ‘sick building syndrome’ Around Australia, many nurses spend their shifts breathing in recycled air from ancient air-conditioning units, teachers and students squint in poorly lit classrooms, retail workers serve customers in cavernous stores and office workers breathe in fumes from cheap carpets and rattling photocopiers. These are just some of the everyday examples of unhealthy workplaces – workplaces that we’ve come to accept as normal.

However, the good news is that this is changing – and this change is being driven by a desire to create buildings that are good for the environment and good for people too. Whether or not you like the word ‘green’ – we could exchange it for ‘efficient, healthy, productive and resilient’ – to describe better buildings and communities, we are no longer looking at snippets of anecdotal evidence but a whole range of global research.

Office workers are increasingly enjoying high-performance workspaces as companies recognise the bottom line benefits of greener, healthier buildings.

Green buildings consistently outperform non-green buildings in terms of comfort and productivity. Natural light, fresh air and access to views of the outdoors, as well as control over individual workspace temperature and lighting, can directly improve statistics around issues such as sick leave, staff turnover, employee attitude and productivity – sometimes by as much as 15 per cent.

This was the case for Macquarie Bank, when it moved its staff into the 6 Star Green Star – Office As Built v2 certified One Shelley Street in Sydney. Research by the University of Technology Sydney demonstrated a direct link between sustainable building design and employees’ assessment of their ability to work. The research tracked over 2,500 Macquarie Bank employees over 15 months as they moved into their new high-performance office. “A group of participants in the study showed an average of 15 per cent net increase in perceived productivity for employees who had moved into the new building,” says UTS’ Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, Leena Thomas.

The City of Melbourne’s Council House 2 (CH2) was Australia’s first 6 Star Green Star – Office Design v1 rated building, and went on to achieve a 6 Star Green Star – Office As Built v1 rating as well.

This multi-award winning building has demonstrated that productivity of office building occupants can be enhanced through good, green building design and a high-quality, healthy and comfortable interior environment. A post-occupancy survey has found that productivity has risen by an impressive 10.9 per cent since staff moved into their green office, with an estimated annual cost savings of $2 million.

Umow Lai’s head office in South Yarra, Victoria, highlights the real benefits of green buildings as staff productivity levels increase. An independently conducted occupant productivity study of the building found the 6 Star Green Star – Office Interiors v1.1 office fit-out has triggered a 13 per cent increase in staff productivity. Higher rates have been recorded for administration staff who spend the most time in the office.

For Managing Director of Umow Lai, Dominic Lai, the result is fantastic. ”The productivity benefits we have achieved have effectively paid for the cost of our fit-out,” he says.

So, how are these offices achieving these productivity increases? An improvement in productivity of just one per cent – or five minutes each day – can mean an additional 18 hours and 20 minutes a year for each person working in a commercial office. Multiply that by the hourly rate of each person and you can quickly see the returns.

On average, Green Star-certified buildings use 51 per cent less potable water than if they had been built to meet minimum industry requirements. While this saving is impressive, the average business’ water bill is just a fraction of what it spends on employees. Staff costs are by far the greatest yearly expense in most businesses and an incremental increase in productivity will pay for the small premium on a green space.

Outside the office Healthy, productive workspaces are not the preserve of nine-to-five office workers. The first holistic assessment of school building design and student performance, undertaken by the UK’s University of Salford and Nightingale Architects in 2012, found that the quality of the classroom environment can affect student learning by as much as 25 cent.

A study of schools and universities in the United States found that green attributes such as good lighting and ventilation were responsible for a 41.5 per cent improvement in the health of students and teachers, as well as an improvement in student learning of up to 15 per cent and an improvement on test scores of up to 25 per cent.

Other research indicates that green schools lead to healthier, happier teachers who take fewer sick days.

Greening America’s Schools: Costs and Benefits estimated that teacher retention in green schools translates into a financial saving of about US$4 per square foot (roughly AUD$12 a metre) over a 20 year period.

A real-world case study of green building is RMIT’s new 5 Star Green Star-rated Swanston Academic Building (SAB). The sustainability features have resulted in higher quality learning outcomes, as well as greater student engagement and space use. Staff and student surveys show a satisfaction rating of 85 per cent on both the space and fit-out for the building. In a survey conducted in 2013, over 77 per cent of staff respondents felt the design, technology and environment within SAB has improved their delivery of learning material and engagement with students.

Healthy hospitals International studies have found similar positive outcomes in green healthcare facilities. The first new hospital to achieve Platinum certification under the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, achieved a nursing turnover rate of just 2.4 per cent in its first year. This is compared with a nationwide average turnover rate of 10-15 per cent.

SA Health’s newest Inpatient Building, Lyell McEwin Hospital Redevelopment Stage C in Adelaide, which achieved a 5 Star Green Star – Healthcare Design v1 rating, representing ‘Australian Excellence’, provides a calm and healing environment for patients and a healthy environment for workers. The hospital’s design incorporates discrete garden courtyards between all wings that are accessible from patient rooms and lounges at ground level, and which provide everyone at the hospital – patients, visitors and staff – with access to natural light and views of nature – features that international research has found can reduce the need for pain medication by up to 22 per cent, and reduce average length of stay by up to 41 per cent.

Certainly, the evidence is clear that green building principles, when integrated into building interiors in schools, hospitals and retail centres, deliver massive health and productivity benefits. The Green Building Council of Australia and the Green Star rating system is encouraging better design, construction and operation of our buildings, because everyone should have the opportunity to work in an environment that is productive and healthy.

Natural light, fresh air and access to views of the outdoors… can directly improve statistics around issues such as sick leave, staff turnover, employee attitude and productivity – sometimes by as much as 15 per cent. www.plumber.com.au | 41

What is the

Incolink Life!

Program?

The Incolink team are delivering the Life! Program on site for workers in the building and construction industry across Victoria. Stemming from the WorkHealth checks, this FREE program is designed specifically to help workers prevent Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and stroke and is proven to work.

The Life! Program includes information sessions with dieticians and exercise professionals as well as an easy to follow step-by-step individually tailored health plan.

The Incolink Life! Team are available to deliver the Life! Program to participating worksites across Victoria and at Incolink offsite locations.

Why run the Incolink Life!

Program in your workplace?

Benefits for your organisation: • Improved productivity • Improved staff retention • Decreased staff turn over • Improved staff morale • Decreased absenteeism

Statistics show that: • 25 % of Victorian Construction workers are at high risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes

• Improved organisational image

• Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form of Diabetes and is Australia’s fastest growing chronic condition.

Benefits for your workers: • Improved health, wellbeing and quality of life

• Heart Disease and Stroke are Australia’s two biggest killers!

• Increased physical activity

• 3 out of 4 construction workers do not get enough exercise!

• Decreased stress

The good news is that Type 2 Diabetes can be prevented or delayed in people at high risk.

• Improved relationships between employee and employer

• Improved eating habits • Decreased levels of overweight and obesity • Decreased absenteeism • Reduced risk of chronic conditions such as Type2 Diabetes and Heart Disease The Life! Program can be delivered before work, incorporated into lunch time or after work. Each workplace and organisation can tailor how they implement the course into their work environment. The program involves five sessions. The first four sessions are fortnightly and the final fifth session is four months later.

Don’t miss this opportunity to improve the health of your employees and your business.

How do I Register?

For more information about the Incolink Life! Program: Call David Cronin on (03) 9668 3067 or visit incolink.org.au/life 42 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

Healthy employees are nearly three times more productive than unhealthy employees Unhealthy employees take up to nine times more sick leave than their healthy colleagues

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Social media

101

Which platform sends more to the sales pipe?

Social media is one of the best ways to drive traffic to your website and generate sales. You’ll create a community of loyal customers who will comment on and share your posts with their friends.

Social media also allows you to post links to your website, which better improves its link profile and indexes more pages for your company. This will help your website rank higher in search results, and since 75 percent of searchers never go past the first page of results, you better get your ranking up.

So now that you know why you need to have a social media page, which platforms are the best for converting leads to sales? Read on to learn a little more about social media for plumbers.

Facebook

Google+

Honourable Mentions

Everyone knows it, and nearly everyone uses it.

Having a Facebook page is essential and can be a great way to start generating buzz about your business.

You might think of it as a Facebook wannabe, but the fact is that Google+ can be extremely helpful in directing sales. For prospective customers, it’s a better place to land than Facebook because all of your information (address, phone number) is readily displayed.

While social media for plumbers should definitely involve Facebook and Google+, there are other sites that will help you get your name out there:

• Cultivate a community: By inviting users to your page, you’ll have a connected audience you can easily reach out to. Invite past clients to comment on their service or ask questions. This feedback will help you gauge how well you’re running your business.

• Temper criticism: You can’t please everyone, and when you have a customer who won’t stop until he or she has slandered your name, you want to be able to do some damage control. With Facebook, you can respond back to negative comments and questions, and that may save a few of your sales in the future.

• Update Fans: Going to be at a trade show? Make a post about it and provide details. Planning on offering a discount or a promotion? Share it with your Facebook fans. Even if they don’t need your services, they might know someone who does.

44 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

Twitter: Easily post updates or information in 140 characters or less.

• Incorporates Google Place: In 2012, Google combined Google Place with its newly formed Google+. The goal was to create a space where users could easily find your business using Google Maps and engage with a business. Now users can have access to your location, your hours and your phone number.

Instagram/Pinterest: Teach your customers a little bit about plumbing. Post pictures and tutorials about how to fix minor problems like dripping faucets.

You can also post pictures of your employees at work so your customers feel like they know them a little better.

• Best for new clients: A new client probably won’t like you on Facebook until you have successfully fixed his or her plumbing. Google+ puts your information directly into the client’s hands so he or she doesn’t have to go searching through posts to find your phone number.

Blog: Having content on a blog gives people a reason to return to your website. Teach them more about those leaky faucets and promote yourself as an expert in your field.

• Available on all Google platforms: Since your page is already part of Google, users will be able to access your page from all different devices, be it smartphone, tablet or laptop.

When someone needs to call a plumber, they’ll search on their Google app, and your name will be close if not at the very top. Google+ also displays your company phone number, which users can click on and dial. Great for anyone in desperate need of a plumber.

These tips came to you from Michael Bird, Director of Social Garden, a digital marketing agency specializing in Search Engine Optimisation, Managed Social Media and website development.

Find out more at socialgarden.com.au

cbus

Annual Member Briefing Meet the people who work for you.

The Cbus Annual Member Briefing (AMB) will be held on Tuesday 28 October at the MCG in Melbourne. Members will also be able to attend by web cast.

Come along, meet the Cbus Chairman and CEO and have your questions answered.

Catering commences 4.30pm for one hour, followed by the presentation which runs 5.30pm – 7.00pm (tea and coffee afterwards).

To register your interest now, go to amb.cbussuper.com.au

Call Cbus on 1300 361 784 or visit amb.cbussuper.com.au This information is about Cbus. It doesn’t take into account your specific needs, so you should look at your own financial position, objectives and requirements before making any financial decisions. Read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement to decide whether Cbus is right for you. Contact 1300 361 784 or visit www.cbussuper.com.au for a copy. Cbus’ Trustee: United Super Pty Ltd ABN 46 006 261 623 AFSL 233792 Cbus ABN 75 493 363 262.

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I am very impressed with the outcome of advertising in the Master Plumbers magazine – Australian Plumbing Industry. A combination of advertising, inserts and online support has allowed us to connect to many plumbers across Australia who we would not have reached otherwise. Troy Wiggins, Sewerquip

Reach.

Access a network of over 8,000+ plumbers and industry stakeholders: • direct access to your target audience • lead generation • quantified results • product promotion and sampling

Promote.

We will work with you to create a tailored campaign that will promote your brand and its benefits.

Gain access to Master Plumbers members through: • Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine

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Build a stronger relationship with plumbers and support the plumbing industry.

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A corporate partnership with Master Plumbers can help to grow your brand through: • qualified lead generation • targeted media exposure • strategic alignment with the Master Plumbers brand

• plumber.com.au • social media • sponsorship & events • special offers & sampling

www.plumber.com.au | 45

mastering workplace relations

Right of Entry

Phil Eberhard, Master Plumbers Senior Workplace Relations Advisor, discusses the role of unions and answers some commonly asked questions regarding right of entry requirements..

Over the past several months the newspapers have been full of stories on material provided to the Heydon Royal Commission. These stories have included a range of assertions and accusations against a number of trade unions and union officials. These stories have led many commentators to voice their opinion about the current state of trade unionism within Australia.

The upshot of all of this press has been to clearly highlight and focus on understanding the role of unions within Australia.

One of the roles of a union is to ensure that the employer is complying with their obligations under the award, or an agreement; paying their employees correctly, providing the correct amount of leave, etc.

In order to ensure that an employer is complying with their obligations under an award, or an agreement, the Fair Work Act 2009 (FW Act) details the circumstances where an official of a union may seek to enter the employers’ premises.

This article concentrates on the right of entry requirements for an official of a union to undertake an industrial relations related investigation.

When can the official enter?

An official of a union may enter an employer’s premises, on the following conditions: • they hold current/ valid entry permit(s) issued by the Fair Work Commission (Commission) and produce permit(s) when requested;

The union official may: 1 Inspect any work, process or object relevant to the suspected contravention or breach;

• they provide adequate notice (at least 24 hours) of entry including information pertinent to the entry;

2 Interview a person (member/ eligible member) about the suspected contravention or breach, if they agree;

• they comply with reasonable occupational health and safety / security requirements that apply to the workplace;

3 Speak to the Employer (Occupier); and

• they only enter the workplace during working hours; • they do not hinder or obstruct any person or otherwise act in an improper manner when exercising/ seeking to exercise their rights; and • they do not misrepresent themselves by intentionally or recklessly giving the impression they are authorised to do things they are not authorised to do.

For what reasons may the official enter?

In accordance with the FW Act, the employer will provide right of entry to an official of a union for the following purposes: 1 to hold discussions with employees of the employer who: are members or eligible to be members pursuant to the union’s coverage rules; and wish to participate in the discussions with the union.

2 to investigate a suspected contravention of the FW Act or industrial instrument where the breach relates to or affects an employee that is a member pursuant to the union’s coverage rules; and 3 in accordance with the relevant workplace health and safety legislation in place for the State where the employees are working.

46 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

A union official may only investigate a suspected contravention of the FW Act in relation to a union member of that official’s union.

4 Inspect and make copies of any member records or documents relevant to the suspected contravention or breach that are kept on the premises or are accessible by computer kept on the premises (24 hour notice required).

The union official can only exercise these rights if all the following are met: • the suspected contravention relates to or affects at least one member of the union officials union • the union is entitled to represent the industrial interests of that member • the member performs work on the premises • the Commission has issued an exemption certificate (if an exemption certificate has been issued, although notice does not need to be given, the certificate must be given to the occupier and the affected employer as soon as practicable after entry).

What information does the official need to provide prior to entry?

The entry notice must specify: • the premises to be entered • the day of entry • the organisation the permit belongs to • the section of the FW Act that authorises the entry • particulars of the suspected contravention, and • a declaration by the union official (permit holder) that they are entitled to represent the industrial interests of an employee who performs work at the premises

Prosecutions Over the past 12 – 18 months, the Fair Work Building & Construction (FWBC) have prosecuted a range of union officials for failing to follow the right of entry provisions provided in the FW Act. In addition, the Commission have published a number of decisions dealing with the right of entry provisions in the FW Act. This has primarily involved union officials who have not had a permit.

What happens if the official has not complied with the information to be provided obligations?

A union official is not authorised to remain at a premises if they fail to: • produce their permit holder’s authority documents for inspection when requested to do so, • comply with any reasonable request by the occupier of the premises to comply with an occupational health and safety requirement (included PPE).

Given the matters raised at the Heydon Royal Commission, the prosecution initiated by FWBC and the Commission, the right of entry provisions are under far greater scrutiny than they have ever been previously.

Employers should ensure that they comply with the right of entry provisions by requiring any union official who enters their premises to comply with the right of entry requirements prescribed in the FW Act.

The Master Plumbers have prepared a Members Guide on Right of Entry. To access the guide or any additional information and advice on workplace relations, please visit plumber.com.au or contact Phil Eberhard, Master Plumbers Senior Workplace Relations Advisor, on 03 9321 0720 or 0425 790 722 or via email at phil.eberhard@plumber.com.au www.plumber.com.au | 47

How Small Business Commissioners can assist you to

resolve commercial disputes Geoff Browne the Victorian Small Business Commissioner explains how Small Business Commissioners can help you resolve disputes and provide assistance on other small business matters.

All plumbers face commercial disputes with builders, suppliers and sub-contractors from time to time.

Did you know that Small Business Commissioners in four States offer a quick, effective and low cost dispute resolution service for all types of business-to-business disputes?

They can also assist with disputes between businesses and Government.

This article focuses on the role, functions and outcomes of the Office of the Victorian Small Business Commissioner (VSBC), established in 2003.

Commissioners in NSW, South Australia and West Australia have been established in the past three years. All offer a similar dispute resolution service, although specific details can vary from State to State.

What sort of commercial disputes does the VSBC deal with?

The VSBC can assist with any commercial dispute between businesses, or between business and government. These can include disputes between: • Landlords and business tenants; • Suppliers and purchasers; • Franchisees and franchisors; • Lessors of equipment and lessees; • Service providers and purchasers.

• Buyers and sellers of businesses.

• Shareholders or partners; • Contractors and subcontractors; • Parties to a distribution, licencing, or other business agreement; This includes disputes over contracts related to the running of your business, such as advertising (online and print), waste disposal services, book-keeping services, training services, and so on.

There is no upper or lower limit to the amount in dispute the VSBC can assist with. Further, there is no legislated definition of ‘small business’, so services are generally available to any business with a commercial dispute.

Most disputes dealt with by the VSBC range from $1,000 to $100,000. However, more than 10% of disputes are for amounts in excess of $100,000.

48 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

Independent and neutral The Victorian Small Business Commissioner and other State Commissioners are independent statutory appointments. This independence ensures the services provided are facilitative and neutral.

The VSBC does not act on behalf of the smaller business against the bigger business. Rather, it provides the opportunity for both parties to discuss and resolve their dispute in a neutral, confidential environment. A primary objective is to enable businesses to resolve their disputes quickly and at low cost, and get back to business. Resolution also avoids litigation, which can impose significant cost, delay, uncertainty, distress and business disruption on both businesses.

How does the VSBC resolve disputes?

Many disputes applications lodged with the VSBC are resolved following engagement by staff with both parties.

An independent third party can assist in clarifying the issues in dispute, explain rights and obligations under various laws, and work with the parties to achieve a pragmatic resolution of a commercial dispute. In 2013-14, 27 per cent of the 1,700 disputes handled by the VSBC were resolved through this early engagement, at no direct cost to either of the parties to the dispute.

If VSBC staff are unable to resolve the dispute through this early engagement, parties are invited to attend a confidential, round-table discussion with an independent mediator. The mediator does not determine who is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, nor does the mediator make a determination. The role of the mediator is to work with the parties to assist them to come to a resolution of the dispute that they are both satisfied with. This keeps control of the dispute and its outcome with the parties. The mediation is confidential, and Terms of Settlement entered into by the parties become a binding civil contract between the parties to resolve the dispute.

In 2013-14, 83 per cent of mediations were settled between the parties.

What does mediation cost?

The VSBC charges each party $195 for most mediations. Mediations generally take 3-4 hours, and can be held in VSBC offices in Melbourne, on in regional locations to meet the needs of the parties. Mediation can be scheduled as quickly as the parties wish.

Parties can bring their representative with them to the mediation, or represent themselves. The VSBC organises regional mediation locations and covers the travel costs of mediators to attend regionally.

Do I have to engage with the VSBC? The VSBC does not have powers to compel a party to engage with staff or attend mediation. However, apart from the benefit of resolving a dispute quickly and avoiding litigation, there are good reasons to attend: • If a party to a retail lease dispute refuses to participate, the Victorian and Civil Administration Tribunal (VCAT) may award costs against that party if the dispute progresses to litigation; • If a party to a general commercial dispute unreasonably refuses to participate, the VSBC can name that party in its Annual Report to Parliament.

Retail lease disputes in Victoria cannot be litigated unless the matter has first been brought to the VSBC for attempted resolution.

(Small Business Commissioners in other States may have differing legislative responsibilities and differing obligations on the parties.)

Where can I get more information?

Further information on the VSBC is available at vsbc.vic.gov.au or ring 13 VSBC (13 8722).

For information on Small Business Commissioners in other States, visit: mallbusiness.nsw.gov.au sbdc.wa.gov.au sasbc.sa.gov.au The Australian Small Business Commissioner provides a range of services, including dispute resolution services between businesses and Commonwealth agencies.

Visit asbc.gov.au for more information.

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Don’t run away from run-off cover It’s really the stuff of nightmares. You have spent forty-odd years running a successful plumbing business, making a name for yourself among clients as the go-to-guy whenever they need plumbing done. So you sell your business for a tidy sum and happily retire, planning to spend your days on that dream fishing boat you’ve always wanted, yarning with your mates and the missus, contentedly enjoying life.

Then you receive a terrible phone call.

There’s a problem with a job you did back in 2010. You remember the job, a relatively simple one. You fixed some piping under a house for a bathroom.

But the problem is, there was a defective collar installation between two pipe joints. As a result, the collar has split, and tonnes of water have flooded a below ground basement under the house, filled with the owner’s priceless wine collection, ruining the lot.

You feel the owner’s pain. But you’re not worried because the public and products liability cover you had in place at the time, which included warranty cover as you were licenced to work in Victoria, should cover the cost of the damage, right? Wrong.

The cover you had will certainly take care of the cost to fix the broken collar.

But it won’t cover the cost of the damaged basement and the precious wine collection. So now instead of enjoying a peaceful, relaxing and relatively prosperous retirement, you face the prospect of losing everything.

How could this have happened when you thought you were fully covered?

Let’s take a step back and find out.

Requirements on plumbers Victoria in particular has quite specific requirements about the insurance policies plumbers must have to ensure consumers are protected in the event their work is defective. Legislation demands that plumbers take out an extension to their public and products liability insurance known as Defects Warranty cover. This means that once a plumber has completed a job, they are able to give their customer a certificate of compliance that confirms cover for the work for six years after completion.

However, this Warranty cover does not provide any protection against any resultant damage from the defective work.

So, using the example above, the Warranty component would protect the plumber for the cost of rectifying the defective work, but not for any resultant damages. This means he would be liable for the cost of the damages, which is usually much more expensive to fix than any defective work. When we’re talking about an expensive wine collection, that’s not going to be cheap. In a worst case scenario, the plumber could lose everything he has worked so hard for to pay to rectify the damages.

In other states, where consumer protection legislation does not apply to plumbers, even the cost of rectifying the defective work could fall on the plumber as Defects Warranty is not a standard inclusion on a public and products liability policy.

50 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

The path to full protection So what’s the solution? Plumbers who have exited their business for whatever reason need to understand that if they don’t want to end up in the same sorry situation as the plumber in this article, they need to maintain an active liability policy by arranging run-off cover for the policy they had in place when their business was operational.

Although the cost to do so differs from insurer to insurer, usually the premiums will reduce over time, given that from the insurer’s perspective, the risk reduces as the plumber is no longer actively working.

By taking out run-off cover, licenced plumbers in Victoria are protected not just for any defective work, but also for any damages caused by defective work.

Outside of Victoria, although plumbers will not be covered for the cost of rectifying the defective work, plumbers who elect to have run-off cover will continue to be covered for any personal injury or property damage to third parties that results from work they have undertaken previously. It is important to note that not all insurer’s offer run off cover. Additionally, insurers that do offer run-off cover will only offer it to existing clients. Plumbers who have ceased work and who no longer have an active policy cannot take out run-off cover retrospectively.

Contacting your broker or insurer is a very important step if you’re thinking about retiring or selling your business and want to ensure you will be completely covered for work you have done, in the event a problem arises once you step away from the business.

After all, given how hard you’ve worked over the years, why risk a comfortable retirement when there’s a simple, cost effective solution available to help protect you? For more information, contact Master Plumber Insurance Brokers on 1300 300 511.

To find out more about obtaining business insurance, call Marsh today: Marsh Pty Ltd trading as Master Plumbers Insurance Brokers (Aust) can arrange insurance for all of the aforementioned risks, and a number of other products designed to cover you and your business, including:

• • • • • •

Income Protection Insurance Motor Vehicle Insurance Business Insurance Machinery Insurance Household Insurance Tools Insurance

Please contact a Marsh representative to discuss your individual needs: Call 1300 300 511 Email mpib.australia@marsh.com Visit www.marsh.com.au

About Marsh Advantage Insurance: Marsh Advantage Insurance is a leading provider of insurance broking services for businesses across Australia. Our company is built on a culture dedicated to understanding the risk and insurance needs of local and national businesses that operate in our cities, regions and communities. We are driven by a commitment to deliver industry leading service and value for our clients. Marsh Advantage Insurance sits alongside Marsh as part of Marsh & McLennan Companies, a global team of professional services firms offering clients advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy and human capital.

This article contains general information only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. For full details of the terms, conditions exclusions and limitations of insurance cover and before decided whether a policy suits your needs please refer to the specific Product Disclosure Statement which is available from Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd. Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd (ABN 31 081 358 303 AFSL 238369) arrange the insurance and is not the insurer. The Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia receives a financial benefit when a policy is arranged by Marsh Advantage Insurance, enabling it to continue to provide further services to the plumbing industry.

marshadvantage.com.au/plumbers

NEED YOUR INSURANCE REVIEWED? TALK TO US

At Master Plumbers Insurance Brokers (Aust), we are all about fast, easy, and competitive insurance, specialising in arranging cover for small and medium sized businesses around Australia. With a team of brokers dedicated to servicing the needs of plumbers.

Contact us, the appointed insurance broker to the Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia, for an obligationfree quote.

Call: 1300 300 511 or Email: mpib.australia@marshadvantage.com

For the full terms, conditions, exclusions and limitations of the insurance product, refer to the Policy Wording, which is available from Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd. *Master Plumbers Insurance Brokers (Aust) (MPIB) is a trading name of Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd (ABN 31 081 358 303 AFSL 238 369). MPIB arranges the insurance and is not the insurer. The MPIB logo and MPIB brand name are owned by the Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia (MPMSAA) and used under licence by Marsh Advantage Insurance. MPMSAA receives a financial benefit when a policy is arranged by MPIB, enabling it to continue to provide further services to the plumbing industry. 14/0006

www.plumber.com.au | 51

On the road 11 things to consider when fitting out your vehicle As a tool of trade, vehicle selection is extremely important. But how you choose to fit your vehicle is equally important. In the long run, this can either make you money or cost you money, depending on the efficiency, durability, safety and security of your vehicle fittings.

Consider the following before fitting out your business vehicle:

A plumber’s vehicle needs to be able to carry a multitude of stock items, from plastic pipes and brass fittings, to gas bottles and general tools. Some vehicles even need the ability to tow excavators and bobcats.

4 Drawer system Make sure your vehicle drawer system organises all your tools and stock items in an easy, no-drama way.

It is essential that your business vehicle fit-out considers all aspects of the job.

1 Roof racks Accessing ladders and pipes shouldn’t just be safe, it should be easy. It’s worth investing in the right roof racks to save your back (as well as your time).

2 Gas bottle placement Wherever your gas bottle is placed, make sure it’s well ventilated and securely strapped.

3 Work bench Including an easily storable work bench, with a vice, is a great idea.

5 Vehicle shelving Having storage bins or a place for test equipment can save you a lot of time in the long run.

6 Safety lighting An important safety measure if you are going to be accessing items from your vehicle in busy locations.

7 Security Have you considered what the cost would be to your business if your tools were stolen? Cut out the risk by sticking to secure vehicle fittings

52 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

8 Work lights Help you to continue working in all weather conditions, early in the morning and late at night.

Do you need this ability?

9 Hot water service Do you want to cut down the effort and time required to clean up with a hot water service?

10 Power invertor Almost a must-have. Including a 240V power invertor on your vehicle can be very handy for a variety of daily tasks.

11 Branding/vehicle signage Your vehicle is your mobile billboard and the cheapest marketing platform available to your business. Make sure you’re taking full advantage of it.

Budgets and cash flow can restrict you having the perfect vehicle fittings, but make sure you stop to consider what is really important to you before jumping into your vehicle fit-out.

It’s a big decision.

For assistance with your next vehicle fit out, give CVS a call on 1300 36 00 59 or visit cvsolutions.com.au

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product news Hansgrohe: iBox Universal The Hansgrohe iBox Universal in wall body is a fantastic solution to a multitude of problems for plumbers and builders alike.

What makes iBox Universal the best in wall solution?

• economical – iBox Universal can be supplied quickly and cheaply to site without concerns about loss, damage or theft.

• iBox Universal is compatible with over 200 styles of shower mixer, thermostats, diverter mixers all at various price points to suit every level of building budget.

• iBox Universal is water tight and leak proof.

• It has flexible mounting options within the frame or wall and can be mounted directly on to brick in the case of single and double bring renovations.

Plus iBox Universal finish sets are interchangeable • It’s quiet – so it’s great for bathrooms where the shower wall backs on to a living or sleeping area, including hotels and apartments • It’s easy to install – saving of installation time/costs One of the valuable features of iBox Universal is the ease of installation – meaning the plumber’s time on site (and costs involved) are reduced.

A simple installation video can be viewed on youtube.com/hansgrohe For more information visit hansgrohe.com.au

The energy saving, easy to install, Rinnai Hotflo series Hot off Rinnai’s production line is a new natural gas, hot water storage system – The Hotflo 135 and 170.

The slender, 4-star gas hot water units give customers hot water on demand and lots of it, designed to specifically optimise hot water storage and gas consumption.

Here’s how it works. First, it efficiently heats the water to an optimum temperature via a gas-fired burner.

Then, it keeps the water hot using a vitreous enamel (VE) lined and insulated storage tank.

The tank also features a PTR valve to reduce pressure, should it build up inside the tank.

It comes standard as a soft water anode (Magnesium) version, however a hard water version (Aluminium) is available to order and is sold as a standalone product, wherever we trade in a known hard water area.

The new 4-star Hotflo is available in a 135l and 170l version depending on household water storage requirements and family size and is a quick an easy replacement for existing gas storage tanks.

The system will deliver mains pressure hot water effectively to multiple tap sources at once and will deliver ample first hour comfort and delivery, with quick recovery capability, without putting the water heater and families under unnecessary stress.

Rinnai are also so confident of Hotflo’s performance, they’re backing it with an industry leading 8-year warranty on the internal cylinder.

Available immediately in a natural gas version, the Rinnai Hotflo should be the first choice for that next changeover.

For more information visit rinnai.com.au or contact your local plumbing and trade specialists.

54 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

Australia’s Polysmart receives NATA accreditation for ISO weld testing services Leading Australian polyethylene (PE) welding training organisation and ISO weld testing facility, Polysmart Pty Ltd, has officially received accreditation from the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) for tensile testing of butt fusion and electrofusion polyethylene welded joints.

NATA recognition ensures that the mechanical testing of polyethylene welded joints and products conducted by the Polysmart laboratory meet a very stringent set of protocols.

Polysmart’s John Hambridge explained that by meeting NATA standards, those requiring testing can be assured that Polysmart’s processes and reporting activities are among the best practices utilised anywhere in the world.

“Clients can be assured that Polysmart test methods meet the exacting requirements of the International Standards Organisation and Australian and New Zealand Standards,” explained Hambridge.

Given the increasing use of polyethylene piping in infrastructure and construction, testing of welds has increased making NATA accreditation more important than ever for quality assurance reasons.

Pipelines are important in delivering oil, gas, and water to and from our homes, and require strong, quality welds to ensure they last the test of time.

Weld testing for projects is therefore important in determining whether quality standards have been met.

“Major stakeholders need to have confidence that the welds joining the pipe delivering gas or water are completely safe and free of defects,” explained Hambridge. “Polysmart’s NATA accredited testing can assist with this by determining if weld standards have been met.”

For information please visit polysmart.com.au, phone 1300 36 7659 or email info@polysmart.com.au

www.plumber.com.au | 55

product news The latest range from Kohler The ancient Chinese philosophy of ‘Wai Yuan Nei Fang’ – a person should be rounded (and dynamic) on the inside, square (and disciplined) on the outside – was the key inspiration for the latest range of bathroom tapware and accessories from Kohler.

Strayt, one of the most contemporary of Kohler’s many collections, features a perfectly proportioned profile of clean, fine lines melding into uninterrupted fluid curves – a shape that is repeated throughout the basin, bath and shower mixers plus all of the accessories.

Each piece is testament to the utmost integrity in design and will enhance the overall aesthetics of bathrooms, ensuites and powder rooms.

Tapware in the range comprises a standard and tall basin mixer, both 5 star WELS rated, plus bath/shower mixers with and without diverter. Accessories include shelves and robe hooks plus soap, toothbrush and toilet roll holders in a corrosion and tarnish-resistant polished chrome paired with clear acrylic.

To find out more visit kohler.com.au

Beat to a new drum with the Spartan Drain Cleaning Machine A safer, faster and more powerful approach to drain cleaning and inspection.

The Spartan Cable Drum Machine is the drain cleaning industry leader.

Introducing a lighter, stronger, rust resistant and safer piece of equipment; the Cable Drum range has strong cable and cutting blade attachments for ease of operation.

The Spartan continuous Drum Machine has a powerful auger unit with the drum containing the cable – as one single unit.

The continuous cables are much faster to use and NEVER splatter ‘sewer juice’ which in other machines can escape to cause mess, injury and even lead to disease. The cables range from 25 feet, 50 feet, 100 feet or even more if required.

The most important part of the Cable Drum Machine is its DRUM, which not only encloses all of the cable, but it removes any danger of getting your hands caught and potentially risking injury. If the cable hits and obstruction and begins to torque, the operator is at a safe arms length away from any danger.

The ultra-quiet smart motor automatically increases in power as needed, to penetrate even the most stubborn blockages. Technology has also kept up with these remarkable units. Complete with pneumatic foot pedals and stair climbers, the Spartan range is a technician’s best friend.

For your nearest Ancra stockist call 1800 426 272

Buildex RoofZips® turn 10 years old!

Here are 10 Reasons that make RoofZIPS® the most popular roofing fastener in Australia 1 First to Market The first with the Zips® Point, HiGrip® and Shankguard® features 2 10 Years Young (Old) RoofZips® has been the best and most consistent roofing fastener for the last 10 years; 2.3 billion have been installed on Aussie roofs since we launched.

3 Australian Icon RoofZips® – the only roofing fastener still made in Australia.

4 Trustworthy Your business and reputation is in Buildex’s hands – our warranty guarantees you peace of mind.

5 Protection which is fully tested Our exclusive Climaseal® coating with its proprietary recipe will keep your roof safe 6 Dependable and Reliable Buildex RoofZips® are the original, best and most dependable roofing fastener in the market, with the best zips point and corrosion protection available.

7 Innovation Based on Customer Feedback We have invested over $5M on innovation and testing over the last 10 years to ensure that we only deliver quality solutions.

8 Service which delivers Distribution points in every state of Australia help us deliver Buildex RoofZips® to you when you need them.

9 Great Finish and Colour Matching Because we use powder coating, on a high speed paint line, our finish is better than wet painting.

10 Proudly Manufacturing in Australia since 1917 Buildex strong, reliable and committed to designing and manufacturing fasteners for Australian Tradies here in Australia For more information call 1300 368 101 or visit buildex.com.au

56 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

Fusion Hire & Sales www.fhs.com.au

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Layout 1_SCA_IWA14_00000000Plumbing ad revision-advert_Layout 1 16/05/2014 10:37 Page 1

MELBOURNE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE EX HI BI TI ON & C O NF ER ENC E

THE WATER QUALITY, MONITORING & EFFICIENCY SHOW!

15-16 OCTOBER 2014

Book your sta today nd early b! – discounird ts apply

Inter-Water Australia is a free-to-delegate, business-to-business exhibition and conference that will focus on reducing the water footprint of industry, the public sector and the urban environment and will look at the role of technology in improving water quality and improving water efficiency.

Why exhibit at Inter-Water 2014? ● Australia’s largest sustainability event ● Free-to-attend exhibition ● Free-to-attend multi stream conference ● Free networking reception for all registered attendees ● Great value exhibition and sponsorship packages ● Registration open from July 2014 Co-located with All-Energy Australia, Australian Sustainability conference and WasteExpo which attracted more than 6,500 participants in 2013!

To discuss exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jay Thorogood on 0488 228 882 or email Jay@inter-water.com.au

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www.plumber.com.au | 57

product news Castelão Stadium Brazil: World’s largest Vacuum Toilets installation Vacuum Toilets Australia, distributors for the Jets Vacuum Toilets systems from Norway, announce world’s largest on land vacuum toilet installation success

by Jets Vacuum AS. Originally built in the 1970’s, the Castelão stadium in Brazil has had a complete renovation in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. A Jets vacuum sanitary system, installed during the renovation, ensured the 70,000 spectators had access to reliable and hygienic toilets at every match.

Challenges that faced the designers Brazil is facing a water crisis in urban areas and infrastructure for water and sewage is being overloaded. Stadiums add considerably to this strain on infrastructure, when tens of thousands of fans flush toilets during half time.

It is common for stadiums to have water tanks holding millions of litres of water, as the public water supply simply cannot cope with this demand.

Laying new 110mm soil pipes that rely on gravity for sewage transport is often difficult in renovation projects, especially in heavy concrete structures such as stadiums.

With Brazil’s high water prices, operating a traditional toilet system with large numbers of users is very costly.

To find out more visit vacuumtoiletsaustralia.com.au

BCI TenderManager

Hydrotesters save water

Designed to take the pain out of tendering, BCI TenderManager builds on 40 years of Omni-Quant experience and draws on a 15 year track record of serving the building industry with project leads. Extensive development work in close consultation with builders and subcontractors and elaborate streettesting make TenderManager the most efficient solution in the industry.

The regular monitoring of leakage in pipes by use of hydrostatic testers is allowing authorities around the world to save huge amounts of water.

As the subcontractors’ service is designed around the particular interests of each client, you can also receive tailored invitations to tender on projects, make life a lot more simple.

Five reasons you should use BCI TenderManager 1 The power to choose

Received tailored invitations, review and bid on the only tenders that suit your business as well as those directed to you from the builders.

2 Save time with automated tender invitations

Tender information and all related documents provided in one place.

3 Identify ALL the tendering builders

Brought to you by the people behind BCI LeadManager, BCI TenderManager also allows you as a BCI Member to view who are the other tendering builders with unlimited access to other tenders and builders.

4 Preferential listing for builder selection

As a BCI Member you come up first when builders search for subcontractors. Get in front of more builders and win more work.

5 Always quoting to the winner builder

Converting tenders into contracts, as a BCI member we will keep you up to date with details of successful tenderers for you to negotiate to secure your trade contract.

Call 1300 BCI 123 to trial the all new TenderManager free of obligation and lock in a seven day free demo.

Australian Pump Industries has undertaken an education programme aimed at both private and public water authorities. It stresses the need to identify leaks through monitored hydrostatic test programmes. Australian Pump has developed a complete range of hydrostatic test equipment designed for testing underground and surface mounted pipelines.

“We now build a full range of standardised machines that embody the features of convenience and efficiency that means that hydrostatic testing is no longer the expensive process it used to be,” said Product Manager, Brad Farrugia.

“We cater for everything from small 20 Bar engine drive testers, designed for plumbers, right up to big machines for testing pipelines and systems in major government infrastructure” he said.

“We have got a new initiative coming out this year called “Don’t Waste a Drop” said Farrugia. “It is an education programme designed to help plumbers, contractors, government utilities and private water companies.

It explains how to reduce waste by simple hydrostatic testing and how quickly today’s modern equipment can accomplish the testing processes” he said.

Australian Pump’s range of highly portable hydrostatic testers means that testing can be done inexpensively and on site with either a petrol or diesel engine drive unit.

Further information, including copies of Don’t Waste a Drop publication is available from Australian Pump Industries on 02 8865 3500.

Peter Orr and Ramy Saleed of Adept Engineering, Chatswood use an Aussie hydrotester to test the integrity of desalination plant modules before they are transported to site.

www.plumber.com.au | 59

product news Tradelink Showday: Thursday 2 Oct 2014 Join Tradelink at Flemington Racecourse on Thursday 2 October for the Tradelink Showday from 12-9pm.

This is a great opportunity for all plumbers, builders, HVAC customers, architects, developers, designers and consultants to come along and catch up on the latest Tradelink and Fletcher building offers.

Catch up on the latest Tradelink exclusive brands along with well known supplier brands and learn about industry trends and patterns that are emerging.

Industry experts will present on popular topics that will add value to your business.

There will be up to 30 supplier demonstrations and special offers on the day, with numerous door prizes including Melbourne Cup Stakes Day tickets, plus a chance to go into the draw to join the Tradelink study tour to the ISH tradeshow in Frankfurt, Germany!

Our special guest will be three-time AFL premiership player and four-time AFL premiership coach Kevin Sheedy.

Kevin will join us to help draw door prizes plus will divulge his thoughts on the future of the plumbing industry as well as his thoughts on this years’ Grand Final.

Refreshments are available throughout the day. Come see and hear how Tradelink can add value to your business.

COLORBOND® GEN-U-WIN $350,000* Promotion!

Join the Rehau Genuine Advantage loyalty programme

If you supply or install genuine COLORBOND® steel products you could win more customers as well as $100,000 cash plus other great prizes.

For full details, eligibility criteria, terms and conditions and to register for the COLORBOND® GEN-U-WIN promotion, visit COLORBOND.COM/GENUWIN.

First class quality, rewarding benefits

BlueScope has launched this major marketing initiative to create awareness of the proven benefits of genuine COLORBOND® steel and so you can win more customers and build your business.

How to GEN-U-WIN If your customer wins you could win – it’s that simple! When your eligible homeowner customer purchases any genuine COLORBOND® steel product valued at $1,500 or more (excluding installation) they could be eligible to enter the promotion and win. If your eligible homeowner customer wins the major prize of $150,000 and has nominated you as their supplier or installer you could win a cash prize of $100,000 as long as you are eligible and have registered*. There’s also a chance for you and your customers to win $2000 each fortnight!

You can make GEN-U-WIN work for you and your business in 3 easy steps 1 Register now at COLORBOND.COM/GENUWIN 2 Look out for the GEN-U-WIN trade flyer which has further information.

3 Hand out the GEN-U-WIN homeowner flyer to all your homeowner customers and encourage them to enter. If your homeowner customer wins you could win! You can order more flyers online at COLORBOND.COM/GENUWIN *Promotion starts on 1 October 2014. For full details, eligibility criteria and Terms & Conditions see the COLORBOND website at colourbond.com/genuwin

60 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

Join the Rehau Genuine Advantage program for a chance to win tickets to the NRL grand final footy weekend for 6 – worth more than $8000!* Being rewarded has never been so easy 1 Scan your code – scan the QR code found on the reverse side of every eligible pipe product label to register 2 Member benefits – receive access to exclusive member news, benefits and rewards 3 Claim prizes – for every scan receive a chance to win an instant prize, plus entry to our quarterly major prize draw Visit genuine.rehau.com.au for full details or for enquiries call 1300 729 830 or email RGA.enquiries@iclp.com.au *Visit the website for terms and conditions

Solar savings made easy

www.siddonssolarstream.com Australia’s Heat Pump Water Heater Specialists

HELPING YOU GROW YOUR BUSINESS Gas Oven/Cooktop

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We can help your business grow by providing you:

trade.elgas.com.au www.plumber.com.au | 61

product news Field Service Management by simPRO Software

The ROCAM 3 Multimedia Camera from ROTHENBERGER

simPRO Software’s market leading mobility suite for the trade and service industries is now even better with the addition of Live Payments, aimed to drastically improve your cashflow.

A large screen, logging software, and an integrated transmitter for precise location of the camera head: These are just a few of the features of the new ROCAM 3 inspection camera from ROTHENBERGER. With the standard camera head (Ø 30mm), pipes from DN 50 to DN 150 can be inspected. There is also an optional camera head 40mm in diameter. This allows larger pipe systems from DN 150 to DN 300 to be examined.

simPRO Connect is the mobile app which gives field staff complete control over the administration of individual jobs and projects in the field including the ability to process payments onsite using a customer’s credit card. The Connect app runs on tablets and smart phones and enables staff in the field to update times, materials and details used for each job as well as generating invoices and accessing customer details.

The simPRO mobility suite also includes eForms, which digitises your existing forms, ending your dependency on paper. Field employees complete and submit PDF forms to the eForms Portal, where they can be viewed, downloaded, or automatically actioned. eForms collects signatures and drawings, processes form submissions in real time, allows photos to be attached to each form, and integrates with other applications to populate fields and deliver data.

The software is designed to improve the performance of businesses by allowing field staff to quickly and reliably execute administrative processes and reduce pressure on head office. simPRO Live Payments is fully integrated through Enterprise so users not only get the money faster but don’t need to generate invoices and chase payments. simPRO Connect also allows Geostamping of mobile status changes to show the time and location of the user when a status update was made. This allows head office to better manage field staff and allocate resources more efficiently.

For more information on simPRO Enterprise call simPRO Software on 1300 139 467 or visit simpro.co

62 | Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine | September 2014

A large 10.4” TFT LCD colour display ensures the best image quality during inspection and can make even the smallest details clear. The full control unit is removable for working in confined spaces that are hard to access giving you much needed flexibility on site and with the touch of a button, photo and videos can be stored to a USB drive and played back immediately. What’s more, the ROCAM 3 comes standard with logging software. This means that, in addition to photos and videos, the whole inspection process can be logged. With specified terms from a stored damage catalogue, uniform logs can be created with a listing of observations, which include the metre count. For use in wet, dirty areas, the housing is robustly designed and splash-proof according to IP 65.

A 12V/6A NiMh battery provides cordless power supply.

So as not to lose orientation during the pipe inspection, the camera heads are self-levelling. An integrated transmitter (33 kHz) allows the exact position of the camera head to be determined at any time and the precise metre distance shown digitally on the display. The 30m long (Ø 7mm) push cable ensures precise guidance of the camera inside the pipe. It is designed to be very flexible, yet durable.

For more information, contact your local Reece Plumbing Centre or visit rothenberger.com.au

Great ideas designed by plumbers, for plumbers!

The Couta Group is proud to announce the arrival of two fantastic and innovative patented products to the Australian plumbing industry. Both are simple but brilliant ideas that solve long standing problems.

The (In-Slab) Junction Box With the introduction of the In-Slab Junction Box, you can lay your pipe runs to the junction box in the formwork.

After the pour and setting of the slab, remove the formwork to gain ready access to your pipework.

The use of the junction box has many identified benefits: • No longer will your protruding pipework be broken or damaged by other trades or by a forklift or pallet jack running over it!

• No longer will you have to jack hammer the slab to install a coupling and repair a damaged service.

• Running from the junction box to a stud wall is now a breeze as you can locate the box to suit.

• It allows for easy modification to the plumbing years down the track should the building owner choose to renovate.

The Holey Cap Sick of having your wet area drain pipes damaged or filled with crap during the construction process?

Use the Holey Cap to not only stop debris and rubbish from falling into and blocking your pipework but also allow water to pass through the cap to prevent flooding of the slab during rain.

With the pipework cut flush to the floor and protected with the Holey Cap, your installation is protected from damage.

To find out more visit coutagroup.com.au

Quick and easy installation leaving you time to swing around to other jobs.

Rinnai Hotflo Gas Storage Hot Water Systems.

Rinnai proudly introduce the Hotflo range of 4 Star Gas Storage Hot Water Systems.

Designed to be a quick and easy replacement for existing 3 or 4 star gas storage systems, the Rinnai Hotflo range offers you a choice of 135 or 170 litre storage capacities and delivers mains pressure hot water to multiple taps at once.

Features and Benefits include: - Vitreous enamel lined steel tank - Inbuilt anode protection - External use only - Pressure temperature relief valve supplied - Thermostatically controlled with safety temperature shut off for added peace of mind - Hard water anode available

8

YEAR

For installation as fast and easy as the hot water it produces, insist on a Rinnai Hotflo gas storage hot water system.

Visit rinnai.com.au for more information.

CYLINDER WARRANTY

Pressing instead of brazing with Viega press systems: Safe, clean and fast.

U p to 75% qu ic ke r!

Viega. One idea ahead! The perfect alternative to brazing: Viega press technology. As well as a maximum level of safety, it also saves a great deal of time. For more information: Telephone: 1800 484 342

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