Plumber Education

Co-testing. Gas detection & best practice work standards for plumbers

I attended a refresher course this week that was run by Energy Safe Victoria. The topic covered was carbon monoxide testing and best-practice recommendations for completing this work.

Plumber Refresher Course

I attended a similar refresher course approx. 2 years ago and even though the topic was familiar to me, the evening still served as a great reminder to ensure continued compliance with current best-practice recommendations. Carbon monoxide can be a deadly gas and as such Energy Safe Victoria do supply Gas-fitters with information sheets that include the recommended guidelines for testing domestic gas appliances for carbon monoxide.

In plumbing, as with many other professions, the industry is constantly learning and changing so you do need to ensure your skills are up-to-date and that means the learning never stops. After completing a 4-year trade apprenticeship and then spending another 18 months to obtain my licence in the various areas of plumbing (including gas-fitting), I was hopeful that my school days were done. However, I have come to learn and appreciate that to be the best plumber I can, I need to keep learning.

Plumbing Licenses & Insurances

This is something that consumers should keep in mind too, when looking to engage the services of a Plumber. In addition to the usual checks to confirm your plumber is licensed and has appropriate insurance, knowing that your plumber is voluntarily engaging in continued learning demonstrates a real commitment to providing you with the best experience possible.

Further, given the Australian Standards for pluming are constantly evolving and improving practices, it is essential to engage in life-long learning.

So what were the key take home messages from the carbon monoxide testing course?

Recommendations

For home-owners and consumers I would just encourage you to review Energy Safe Victoria website – they have great tips and recommendations on how to keep your home safe. This includes recommendations for servicing gas appliances, how often you should get your gas heaters checked and general gas safety around the house.

Finally, though, always use a plumber who has specific gas-fitting licence when dealing with gas in your home or workplace.