Plumber's Gold cards a safety net

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 549, 16 August 1994, Page 7

Plumber's Gold cards a safety net

Has your plumber, gasfitter or drainlayer shown you their Gold Card lately? There are 10,000 properly qualified and registered plumbers, drainlayers and gasfitters in New Zealand - and they all have personal identification cards called Gold or Blue Cards to prove it. The Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board issues the cards to make it easy for customers to know that they are dealing with a properly-qualified and registered tradesperson. It is the customer's assurance of a qualified contractor. Board Registrar Wally Weavers says they want to look after public health and safety by making sure all plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying work is done by properly qualified people. "The more people ask for the Gold Card, the harder it is for people who aren't properly qualified to operate," he says. "Jobs badly done by unqualified people can not only endanger health and safety in the family home or the workplace, but they can be a costly nightmare for the homeowner to fix up." Customers need to check for two important things on a Gold Card. Firstly, check that your tradesperson is

registered for the job at hand. There are three types of licence: "C.P." stands for Craftsman Plumber; "C.G." stands for Craftsman Gasfitter; and "R.D." stands for Registered Drainlayer. Customers mush check that if plumbing work, for example , is being done, the initials C.P. appear on the card.

The other important thing to check for is the expiry date of the card. The cards are valid for one year only. Gold Card holders have passed advanced craftsman theory examinations and also have at least two years' post registration experience. People with Blue

Cards are also qualified to undertake work, but only under the direction of a Gold Card holder. A Blue Card indicates that the holder is a registered tradesperson ("R.P." for plumbers and "R.G." for gasfitters), and they are qualified to Trade Certificate level. Blue Card holders require

more experience and must pass the advanced theory exams to gain a Gold Card. Check first Mr Weavers advises all customers: "when it comes to plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying, insist on seeing your contractors' Gold Card before the work begins!"