HOUSE BILL ANALYSIS
HB 1838
Brief Description: Providing for a certificate of competency as a medical gas piping installer.
Sponsors: Representatives Cairnes, Conway, Wood, Alexander, Cody, Mielke, Kenney, Talcott, Cole, Hatfield, Murray, O=Brien, Smith, Constantine and Mason
Hearing: February 27, 1997
BACKGROUND:
The Department of Labor and Industries administers a certification program for persons wishing to engage in the trade of plumbing. Plumbing means the craft of installing, altering, repairing and renovating portable water systems, liquid waste systems, and medical gas piping in a building. Medical gas piping means oxygen, nitrous oxide, high pressure nitrogen, medical compressed air, and medical vacuum systems.
The department issues journeyman plumber certificates of competency, speciality plumber certificates of competency, or temporary certificates to qualified individuals who wish to engage in the plumbing trade. An applicant for both the journeyman plumber and speciality plumber certificates must take an examination which tests general knowledge and practical procedures of the trade, and familiarity with the applicable plumbing codes and administrative rules of the department
To be eligible to take the journeyman plumber=s examination, an applicant must have four or more years of work in the trade under the direct supervision of a certified journeyman plumber, or have completed a plumbing course in the U.S. armed forces or at a school accredited by the Coordinating Council on Occupational Education. To be eligible to sit the speciality plumber=s examination, an applicant must have three years of practical work in the speciality, or have completed a plumbing course in the U.S. armed forces or at a school accredited by the Coordinating Council on Occupational Education.
A contractor may not employ a person to engage in the plumbing trade unless the person has a temporary permit, or training certificate, or a certificate of competency as a journeyman plumber or speciality plumber.
A plumbing apprentice may work in the trade if directly supervised by a certified journeyman or certified specialty plumber. An apprentice and all individuals learning the plumbing trade are required to obtain a training certificate from the department. The ratio requirement of apprentices to certified journeyman plumbers, or certified speciality plumbers is one to one.