Dris proposal for national licensing of the plumbing and gasfitting occupations

Attachment D – Risks associated with plumbing and gasfitting work

Generally the regulation of the plumbing and gasfitting industry in Australia has evolved as a way of protecting the health and safety of consumers and the general public. The chief problem arising from plumbing work is that failure in specified work processes has the potential to contaminate potable water, with impacts ranging from infection to death. Other problems arise where inadequate work processes can lead to personal injury, property damage or environmental damage. The World Health Organization indicates that:

preventable diseases related to water and sanitation claim the lives of about 3.1 million people a year, most of them children less than five years old. Of these, about 1.6 million people die from diarrhoeal diseases associated with lack of safe drinking-water and adequate sanitation.³⁰

In general terms, plumbing work includes the installation, repair and maintenance of plumbing systems relating to the supply of clean water and removal of waste water; and the pipes, fittings, fixtures, connections and valves necessary for the system. This covers a variety of activities, including water supply work, sanitary work, drainage work and work associated with installing irrigation, fire protection and air-conditioning ducting systems.

The risks associated with undertaking plumbing and gasfitting work have been addressed by government intervening in a number of ways, including through occupational licensing, occupational health and safety regulation and standards and codes for undertaking work.

For example, government agencies are responsible for providing systems of management of mains water and sewerage; clear standards have been established for undertaking plumbing and gasfitting work with mechanisms to ensure compliance; and those undertaking plumbing and gasfitting work are required to complete technical training and be licensed or registered.

One of the main problems identified by the World Health Organization in the work undertaken by a plumber is the risk of contamination by cross connections. This risk is described as follows:

Inside many properties there are, in effect, two distinct systems of pipes, one conveying drinking-water and the other wastewater. These pipes, internal and external to the building, together with the fittings themselves, are the plumbing systems of the property. The two systems of pipes pass underground to reach the building, and they come close together at sanitary fittings and fixtures such as water closets, sinks or baths. The proximity of the drinking-water supply and waste disposal systems means that there is a risk that liquid waste might con­taminate the drinking-water supply system. The minimization of this risk is one of the prime objectives of a well-designed and properly built plumbing system. The ill effects of a cross-connection may not be confined to the premises concerned, but may be transferred to the mains supply system to which the plumbing is connected. In these cases, the health of a whole community may be threatened.³¹

Working with gas brings risk of injury and death and damage to property associated with fire, explosion or toxic substances. This is the case whether the gas is piped natural gas or individually connected liquefied petroleum gas. The Regulation Impact Statement for the Victorian Gas Safety (Gas Installation) Regulations 2008 indicates that:

[w]hile convenient, gas is also a potentially hazardous fuel, with dangers from:

Fire or explosion from ignition of leaking gas;

Fire from unacceptably high levels of heat transfer from an appliance to adjacent structures or objects;

Unsafe atmospheres in working or living spaces, due to either inadequate oxygen provision or the build-up of toxic combustion products (especially nitrogen dioxide or carbon monoxide).³²

The potential hazards that give rise to these risks:

are heightened if gas appliances and installations suffer from defective design, inadequate standards, defective materials, insufficient installation competency, improper operation and/or inadequate maintenance.³³

Based on currently available research, Tables D.1 and D.2 summarise the apparent range of risks associated with plumbing and gasfitting work.

Table D.1: Risks associated with plumbing work

Risk	Description	Risk nature
Poisoning/ asphyxiation/ personal injury	Leaking pipes, poor maintenance work on appliances, substandard materials or products or incorrect installation can lead to fires and explosions. This is a public and private health and safety risk. Incorrect installation of hot water systems can result in scalds and burns to those who use the hot water supply. Incorrect installation or maintenance of a fire protection system can partially or wholly reduce its effectiveness. This in turn can raise significant risks to life for those who own or use buildings fitted with fire protection systems.	Health and safety
Bacterial infection	Poor drainage systems can result in stagnant water that is unable to drain; this can contribute to bacterial infections, resulting in serious health problems and even death.	Health and safety
Foul smells	Poorly designed or maintained sanitary systems can cause a loss of water seals in traps. If this occurs foul smells from the sanitary system can enter the house/building. This causes inconvenience to occupants, and may also present a public health and safety risk.	Consumer protection Health and safety
Property and other asset damage	Leaking pipes, poor maintenance work on appliances, substandard materials or products or incorrect installation can lead to fires and explosions. This can result in property damage. Failure to provide adequate systems to drain water from the roof can result in leaking or flooding, resulting in damage to structures and fixtures. Incorrect installation or maintenance of a fire protection system can partially or wholly reduce its effectiveness. This in turn can raise significant risks to property for those who own or use buildings fitted with fire protection systems.	Consumer protection
Raw sewerage spills	Raw sewage spills can result from: defective plumbing products and incorrect installation, leading to pipes blocking or leaking or system overflows (i.e. surcharge gullies) poorly designed and installed sanitary or drainage fixtures, which can lead to blocked toilets incorrect connection of drainage systems, particularly in relation to sewage systems. Raw sewage spills can lead to the spread of disease and contamination of the environment.	Health and safety Environment
Water supply contamination	Water supply contamination may arise from incorrect installation, e.g. incorrect backflow prevention, incorrect cross connections (e.g. water supply and recycled water), poor installation of roof drainage systems or the use of inappropriate roof materials (for example, lead flashings). Incorrect connection of drainage systems, particularly in relation to sewage systems, can lead to contamination of drinkable water. The use of unsafe water sources for irrigation purposes presents a major health and safety risk, particularly if the irrigation system is used on fruit and vegetables, which can become contaminated by the water used.	Health and safety Environment
Water wastage	Water wastage can arise from: poor design or installation that can cause bursting pipes or, for example, if the hot water system supplying a building is placed too far away from where the water is required, the hot water must travel an unnecessary distance, causing a loss of water while waiting for the hot water to arrive. poor understanding by the people designing and installing irrigations systems of soil and plant relationships. inappropriate testing practices – for example, plumbers are required to test drains for soundness and blockages after materials are installed. This is most commonly done by running water through the drain. This can waste approximately 150 litres of water each time a drain is tested; however, there are effective alternatives to using water that can be used to test drains. These include pumping up the drain with air pressure or using recycled water.	Consumer protection Environment

Note: Adapted from Victorian Plumbing Industry Commission 2008, Regulatory Impact Statement: Proposed Plumbing Regulations 2008, Department of Planning and Community Development.

Table D.2: Risks associated with gasfitting work

Risk	Description	Risk nature
Asphyxiation/ poisoning/ respiratory illness	Appliances using gas require adequate ventilation air for correct combustion and in some cases a suitable flue to remove the products of combustion. (In all cases, all appliances require adequate ventilation.) A gas leak, inadequate ventilation or an ineffective flue can result in serious health problems, such as carbon monoxide poisoning and/or death. As gas is mostly made up of methane, which is an asphyxiant; leaks and poor ventilation may result in death from asphyxiation. Leaking gas or combustion of by-product gases can exacerbate pre-existing medical conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and respiratory illnesses.	Health and safety
Personal injury	Leaking gas or incomplete combustion arising from poorly maintained or incorrectly installed appliances can result in serious burns and/or death.	Health and safety
Property and other asset damage	Leaking pipes, poor maintenance work on appliances, substandard materials or products, use of unapproved appliances or incorrect installation can lead to fires and explosions, resulting in public and private property damage.	Consumer protection
Energy inefficiency	Inefficient use of energy can have a serious impact on the environment. Energy inefficiency can arise from the use of unapproved energy inefficient products or poor design of gas installation systems.	Environment

Note: Adapted from Victorian Plumbing Industry Commission 2008, Regulatory Impact Statement: Proposed Plumbing Regulations 2008, Department of Planning and Community Development.

By and large, however, Australia appears to perform well in the area of gas safety. As can be seen in Table D.3, during the period 1997–98 to 2001–02 Australian jurisdictions, and Australia as a whole, had a relatively low rate of gas-related fatalities. Australia (0.32) was ahead of most of the world, second only to Japan (0.25), and well below the world proxy (1.75). It should be acknowledged that the study cited dates from 2001–02.

Table D.3: Fatal accident frequency rate, 1997–98 to 2001–02

Jurisdiction	Population exposed to gas accident in 2000 (million)	Average deaths per year	Estimated FAFR x10^-6
NSW	3.593	0	N/A
Vic	4.822	1.6	0.33
QLD	1.431	0	N/A
WA	1.332	.2	0.15
SA	1.071	.8	0.75
TAS	0.157	0	N/A
ACT	0.104	0	N/A
NT	0.065	0	N/A
Australia	11.910	2	0.32
United Kingdom	50.300	36	0.69
USA	155.700	426	4.43
Canada	30.500	26	0.81
Japan	68.880	5	0.25
South Korea	20.420	31	1.54
Netherlands	14.950	6	0.37
France	45.158	59	1.32
Denmark	2.600	3	1.15
Italy	50.512	64	1.28
China	22.500	173	7.69
Finland	1.900	2	1.05
New Zealand	1.863	1.6	1.55
World proxy	477.193	834.6	1.75

FAFR = fatal accident frequency rate

Note: The fatal accident frequency rate equates to the average number of fatalities / number of people at risk in gas supply households or area in the year 2000. The world proxy fatal accident frequency rate is derived by dividing the exposed population by number of fatalities.

Source: Watt, G 2004, Overseas and Australian statistics and benchmarks for customer gas safety incidents, Glenergy Services.

While this analysis focuses on gas safety outcomes, it is important to note that plumbing work also carries potential safety risks for the general public. While data has not been provided here, stakeholders are encouraged to provide evidence that demonstrates the levels of safety risk in relation to plumbing work in Australia.