Halls Head licensed plumbing contractor Ian Beckwith has been fined $3,000 by the Plumbers Licensing Board (PLB) for failing to submit the notifications and certifications required for plumbing work.
The fine is the result of disciplinary action taken by the Board following a Targeted Plumbing Certification Audit the Building Commission carried out at Mr Beckwith’s premises in March 2017.
The Board determined that Mr Beckwith had failed to comply with the Plumbers Licensing and Plumbing Standards Regulations 2000 by:
- failing to provide the Board with 83 notices of intention to carry out major plumbing work at least 24 hours before commencing the work;
- failing to provide the Board and the owners with 83 certificates of compliance for major plumbing work within five days of the completion of the work; and
- failing to provide the Board with 56 certificates of compliance for minor plumbing work within five working days of the end of the calendar month.
The disciplinary breaches were committed by Mr Beckwith in the three years prior to the Building Commission’s audit. Mr Beckwith has since submitted the outstanding notices and certifications to the Board.
“Plumbing compliance audits help to ensure that performance standards are met, the licensing system works as intended and that consumer confidence in the Western Australian plumbing industry remains high,” PLB Deputy Chairperson Richard Schwenke said.
“The Targeted Plumbing Certification Audit program is an opportunity to remind and educate licensed plumbing contractors about their obligations and to ensure a fairer contribution among licensed plumbers to the regulation of the industry.”
Since the current program began in January 2017, completed Targeted Plumbing Certification Audits have identified and recovered more than 1,215 outstanding plumbing notices and certificates. Significant offences are subject to disciplinary or prosecution action and outcomes may include the issuing of education or warning letters, infringement notices and/or fines.
