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BCPCM2001A
Work effectively in the plumbing and service sector
This power point
presentation is
designed as a
teachers support for
the Basic Plumbing
Services Skills Book
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Chapter No. 1
Section: General Plumbing Industry Background
Page: 2
Welcome to the Plumbing and Service sector of
the general construction industry which, in
Australia, consists of over 80 000 registered
tradespeople and licensed practitioners.
Within this lesson we will be looking at Chapter No.
1 Working effectively in the plumbing and
construction industry. It has been specifically
written by plumbing teachers to cover one of your
units required for completion of the common
stream within the plumbing course.
To successfully complete this unit you will need to
read this chapter and answer the questions on
pages 30-38. These completed questions are to
be handed in to your class teacher at the start of
next weeks lesson for marking and recording as
part of your class mark. You will also need to
undertake and pass the theory assessment on
the information contained within this chapter at
the start of next weeks lesson.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: What do we do
Page: 2
It is claimed the most basic of human needs are
those of survival, water, food and shelter.
We (within the plumbing and service sector) are
entrusted with helping to maintain the general
health of the people of Australia by delivering
safe drinking water, quality sanitation facilities
and dry and comfortable shelter.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: What do we do
Page: 2
Water and Sanitation is one of the primary drivers
of public health.
This means that once we can secure access to
clean water and to adequate sanitation facilities
for all people, irrespective of the differences in
their living conditions, a huge battle against all
kinds of diseases can be won.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: What do we do
Page: 2
Since the first settlement was established in
Australia, Sydney has struggled to ensure a
reliable water supply through times of drought
and erratic seasonal rainfalls.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: BASIX – Building Sustainability Index
Page: 3
BASIX, is a web-based tool developed by the
NSW Government to assess the potential
performance of new homes against a range of
sustainability indices including stormwater,
landscape, water, energy and thermal comfort.
BASIX requires new residential dwellings to use
40% less drinking-quality water and produce 25%
less greenhouse gas emission than the average
existing NSW homes of the same type.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Industry structure
Page: 3
The building industry is basically divided into
two groups:
• the commercial, industrial or large business
sector, and
• the residential or smaller domestic sector.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Industry structure
Page: 3
Commercial buildings can be classified as:
• shopping centres;
• factories;
• warehouses;
• multi-storey buildings;
• car parks;
• hospitals;
• schools, etc.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Industry structure
Page: 3
Residential buildings can be classified as:
• single dwellings;
• boarding houses;
• flats;
• villas;
• townhouses;
• guesthouses; and
• hostels.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Industry structure
Page: 3
Plumbing services are required in all these
classes of building and must be scheduled in the
construction program along with many other
trade categories such as:
• carpenter and joiner;
• bricklayer;
• plaster (render and plasterboard);
• wall and floor tiler;
• painter;
• etc.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Water services
Page: 3
The plumber is responsible for supplying health
drinking water…
This involves the installation and maintenance of
household taps and supply systems to:
• bathrooms;
• kitchens;
• laundries;
• toilets, etc
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Water services
Page: 3
It further involves:
• reticulated water mains to industrial,
commercial complexes, large-scale residential
and industrial subdivisions;
• hot and cold water;
• recycled water;
• rainwater;
• etc.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Gas services
Page: 3
Gas plumbers install systems which supply
energy for:
• heating;
• cooking in domestic situations as well as
commercial and industrial processes;
• thus providing a comfortable environment.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Water services
Pages: 3 - 4
Other areas within the plumbing and service
sector you could be involved in include:
• Fire Services;
• Sanitation;
• Irrigation;
• Drainage; and
• Mechanical services.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: An apprenticeship in plumbing
Page: 5
…plumbing is a trade and part of the building
industry, all plumbers must learn this trade
through a four-year apprenticeship in the
employment of a licensed plumber.
You will need to be registered with an Australian
Apprenticeship Centre (AAC) and enter a
contract with your employer. In this contract you
will agree to:
• remain in the service of your employer and abide
by their instructions;
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Chapter No. 1
Section: An apprenticeship in plumbing
Page: 5
• carry out your duties, learn about the plumbing
trade and work safely in the industry;
• attend a Registered Training Organisation (RTO)
to complete your course (Note under the award
your employer must pay your RTO (TAFE)
fees when they fall due).
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Chapter No. 1
Section: An apprenticeship in plumbing
Page: 5
Your employer will:
• teach you the plumbing trade to the best of their
ability;
• abide by the relevant industrial award; and
• be responsible for your safety and welfare while
under their care.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: An apprenticeship in plumbing
Page: 5
Your ‘Trade Certificate’ is awarded after
successfully completing your first four years of
on-the-job training, which includes completion of
a national recognised Certificate III qualifications.
When you successfully complete your Plumbing
Technology Certificate AQF Level 4 courses and
have gained (NSW six years acceptable
supervised general practical experience… you
are able to apply for your plumbing licence.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Career and training pathway in the plumbing
services industry
Pages: 12
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Chapter No. 1
Section: The role of employers, employees and
workplace committees
Page: 6
Building and construction sites are complicated
workplaces involving a wide range of issues…
Each person has an important role to play within
this hierarchy and, if the site is to run smoothly,
there needs to be good communication, civility
and respect between workers and management.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: The role of employers, employees and
workplace committees
Page: 6
The types of issues encountered on any building
site…will include:
• industrial relations;
• awards;
• resolution of disputes;
• grievance procedures;
• trade unions;
• etc.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Industrial relations
Page: 7
Industrial relation (IR) is about people and
organisations working together within the social
and political system of our society. Employment
makes up a large part of our lives and determines
our living standard…
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Industrial relations
Page: 7
Industrial relation issues include:
• occupational health, safety and welfare;
• child care;
• new technology;
• social welfare;
• unemployment;
• illness;
• redundancy;
• wages; etc.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Industrial relations
Page: 7
There are two industrial relation systems in
Australia:
• the federal system; and
• the state system.
The federal system is independent of all the state
systems and is intended to cover industrial
problems that are larger and farther-reaching
than those in any state.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Industrial relations
Page: 7
Each state has its own industrial relations system
and there are no constitutional limitations. As a
result, state systems have a broader scope of
operation than the federal system.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Awards
Page: 7
An award is the law that establishes the wages
and conditions of employment…
An award is made after a dispute is registered by
a decision of, for example, the Australian
Industrial Commission for state awards, and the
Australian Conciliation and Arbitration
Commission for federal awards.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Awards
Page: 7
An award provides for minimum wages and
conditions such as:
• overtime;
• sick leave;
• annual leave loading; and
• occupational health and safety.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Resolution of disputes
Page: 7
A dispute exists when conflict arises out of a
disagreement over the rights and interests of two
parties.
A dispute can occur when a job done by one
member of a union should in fact belong to a
member of another union.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Resolution of disputes
Page: 7
Industrial action taken by employees include:
• overtime bans;
• work-to-rule campaigns;
• go-slows;
• picketing; and
• strikes.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Resolution of disputes
Page: 7
Industrial action taken by employers include:
• blacklisting; and
• lockouts.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Trade unions
Page: 8
A trade union is an association formed by
employees to act for them inside and outside the
workplace.
Unionism is a useful tool in the area of
negotiations between worker and employer.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Employer associations
Page: 8
Employer associations are organisation formed
by (employers) management to act for them
outside the workplace and to provide information
and advice.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Changes in the building industry
Page: 8
The National Training Reform Agenda was
introduced by the federal government…
It is a collection of government policies aimed at
improving vocational education and training…
and at making it more responsive to the needs of
industry.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Changes in the building industry
Pages: 8 - 9
These improvements include:
• training and skills development at all levels of the
workforce;
• a diverse and efficient training market;
• an emphasis on competence rather than time
served;
• more flexible approaches to training; etc.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Enterprise bargaining
Pages: 9 -10
In its broadest sense, enterprise bargaining
involves an employer negotiating directly with its
employees with regards to:
• wages;
• conditions; and
• work practices for that particular workplace.
The end result of enterprise bargaining is an
enterprise agreement.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Enterprise agreements
Page: 10
An enterprise agreement is a contract between
an employer and employees on:
• wages; and
• conditions.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Enterprise agreements
Page: 10
Enterprise agreements, or workplace
agreements, fall into one of the following:
• a collective agreement;
• an individual agreement; or
• independent contract agreement or contract.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Workplace committees
Page: 11
Consultative committees
These committees consist of employees and
middle management, and consider problems
and make suggestions for policies in areas
such as:
• safety;
• health;
• social activities; and
• amenities.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Occupational health and safety (OH&S)
committees
Page: 11
All Australian states now legislate to provide for
workplace consultation…
The legislation provides a systematic approach
by which management and employee
representatives can regularly discuss
occupational health and safety issues…
An OH&S committee will be established at a
place of work if there are twenty or more
persons employed.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Safety induction training
Pages: 11-13
Employers … must ensure that persons
carrying out the work have relevant training,
including occupational health and safety
training… It applies to all persons carrying out
work in the residential, commercial and highrise sector.
… employers must not direct or allow a person
to carry out construction work unless that
person has completed occupational health and
safety (OH&S) induction training…
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Basic quality concepts
Page: 13
Any product that is manufactured or processed
has to maintain a quality or tolerance that is
consistent over time…
Quality assurance has been included in
building contracts to ensure that the clients
actually get what they pay for.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Terminology
Page: 13
Quality can be expressed as the level of
excellence that goes into a product or service.
It is the skill and commitment you and everyone
you work with bring to the job, each time, all the
time.
This will bring about an error-free performance
on every job you do.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Quality
Page: 13
Contracts now include quality assurance, and
this puts the responsibility back on the supplier in
much the same way as a guarantee or warranty
would apply if you bought a new car or computer.
Quality is of benefit to everyone, from the
consumer to management.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Licensing
Page: 13
Each state has individual licensing
requirements…
Licensing ensures that all fully qualified plumbers
are registered with the appropriate licensing
authority to allow the client to check on their
creditability. It provides the client with some
protection against faulty production…
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Working in a team (Value of teamwork)
Page: 15
Teams of workers, which may consist of two,
three, four or more, are formed when building
site tasks require rapid completion…
Once the team members understand the role
they play in the overall construction of the
building, they will be able to contribute more
effectively to meet the ‘site goals’ and to work
more efficiently with other teams or individuals.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Individuals within the team
Page: 15
To allow smooth operation and cohesiveness
within a team, each person should be allocated a
job or function…
… a simple meeting is required to establish the
role of each member within the team. Ideally,
one person in the team will be nominated and
appointed as the ‘team leader’…
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Individual strengths and weaknesses
Page: 15
Rotation of roles and responsibilities is important
for effective functioning, but there is also room
for specialisation within the team.
If individuals have special skills or talents, they
should be able to maintain a particular role or
position in the team and allow the other team
members to assist them.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Planning and organising work (Purpose of
planning)
Page: 19
The ability to plan and organise is an extremely
important life skill. Whether you are planning
and organising a holiday, a party, a shopping trip
or a task at work, your life will probably be more
satisfying, more fulfilling, more successful and
far less stressful if things turn out the way you
want them.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Planning and organising work (Purpose of
planning)
Page: 19
… if you are a poor planner
and organiser in your
working life you cause
problems for others. If
you cause enough
problems for others at
work they will not want
you around, and you are
likely to find it difficult to
get work or keep a job.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Planning and organising work (Purpose of
planning)
Page: 20
Planning and organising your work clearly has
benefits for everybody on a construction site by
increasing efficiency and safety, but planning and
organising your work can also have specific
benefits for you.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Planning and organising work (Purpose of
planning)
Page: 20
When you plan and organise a task you have
been given on a construction site, you can:
• reduce later problems by making important
decisions beforehand;
• get the cooperation of other workers when you
inform them about the task;
• have materials, tools and equipment ready when
and where you need them;
• save you time, material and tools, etc
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Make sure you know what you have to do
Page: 20
Before you begin any task, it is essential that you
make sure that you know exactly what you are
required to do.
Your supervisor (employer or teacher) may give
you spoken instructions, written instructions,
drawings, or a combination of all three.
While your supervisor is doing this, it is important
for you to be patient and to check that you have
clearly understood exactly what is required.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Make sure you know what you have to do
Page: 20
Before you begin
any task, be clear
in your mind about
what it is you are
trying to achieve.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Prepare a safe site (Barricades)
Pages: 22 - 23
These include
basically any physical
barriers placed to
prevent entry and
signify that a danger
exists.
Occupational Health
and Safety will be
covered in depth in a
later unit of
competency.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Determine tools and materials
Page: 23
After you have
worked out the
sequence in which
you will do the task,
you will have an idea
of the materials you
will require. You
must list the
materials necessary
to do the task and the
order in which you
will use them.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Decide where you will store the materials
Page: 23
The next step is to make sure the materials you
will need are where you will need them. Do not
make the mistake of simply picking up what you
need and starting off carry it to where you will be
doing the task.
If the material you need is large, heavy or bulky,
check the route you will be following through the
job site.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Determine the tools and equipment required
Page: 24
After you have worked the sequence in which
you will do the task, and you have worked out
the material you will require, you will have an
idea of the tools, equipment and personal
protective equipment (PPE) you will need.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Determine the tools and equipment required
Page: 24
You must list the
tools, equipment and
PPE necessary to do
the task. You must
also list them in the
order in which you will
need them.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Carry out the task correctly
Page: 25
Now that you have your material, tools,
equipment and PPE on the spot where you will
be working, it is time to take care to follow your
instructions.
To do the task properly you must follow a safe
and efficient sequence of work. Make sure that
you have your work method statement (WMS) if
one is required for the task.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Carry out the task correctly
Pages: 25 -26
Never be too lazy to
double-check.
Double-checking
may help you to
keep your job, or
save a lot of money.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Carry out the task correctly
Pages: 25 -26
Finally, it is time to do the task. Make sure you
follow the logical sequence of work. Check your
work method statement for the steps in the
procedure.
It is important that you do everything at the
correct time. Do not rush the task. If you rush
the task you are likely to botch it. Speed is only
good in buildings if the task is done correctly the
first time.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Solve problems as they arise
Pages: 26
Working on a construction site is not like working
in a factory. Construction workers are not just
assembling parts that have been manufactured
somewhere else.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Solve problems as they arise
Pages: 26
A building is like a huge
jigsaw puzzle, in which the
people who are trying to put
the puzzle together are also
making the parts as they go
along.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Solve problems as they arise
Pages: 27
In the construction
process, it is important
to solve each
construction problem as
it arises and to not
allow problems to
accumulate at the end
of the job when it is too
late to do anything
about them.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Solve problems as they arise
Pages: 27
Expect problems to arise and be prepared to
overcome them. Problems can arise with the
procedure you had intended to follow.
Because of work going on nearby you may not be
able to follow the procedure you had initially
planned.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Solve problems as they arise
Pages: 27
Construction processes rarely go according to plan.
This does not mean that a plan is therefore
unnecessary. A plan is important because it tells
when we must start and when we must finish a
task.
It also identifies key points along the way. It tell us
when various important sections must be finished.
But along the way we must be flexible.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Clean up when work is complete
Pages: 27
Cleaning up correctly is just as important a part of
doing the task as planning and organising, but
cleaning up does not just mean sweeping a floor.
Clean up means debris and waste materials must
be collected and removed to the waste storage
area and sorted for recycling.
Unused material must be returned to the store
area and stacked or stored neatly.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Report on completed work
Pages: 28
After you have
carried out your
responsibilities, it is
important to report to
your supervisor on
the completion of the
task. Make sure that
you tell your
supervisor about any
problems or
difficulties you
experienced.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Environmental protection requirements
(Most wasted)
Pages: 29
Estimates suggest that about 20 cubic metres of
waste are produced in constructing a typical
residential house in Australia.
Therefore, it is critical that builders develop a
waste management plan to help reduce the
amount of waste by separating waste materials
and reusing or recycling waste materials as much
as possible. This will not only reduce the amount
of waste that is simply dumped, but will reduce
building costs overall.
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Chapter No. 1
Section: Environmental protection requirements
(Most wasted)
Pages: 29
… it is every worker’s responsibility to clean up
as they go to prevent accidents and hazardous
situations from occurring, to provide a safe,
hygienic site for all and to minimise the amount of
waste taken to the tip as general fill.
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Remember to successfully complete this unit you
will need to read this chapter and answer the
questions relating to it on pages 30-38. These
completed questions are to be handed into your
class teacher at the start of next weeks lesson for
marking and recording as part of your class mark.
You will also need to undertake and pass the
theory assessment on the information
contained within this chapter at the start of
next weeks lesson.