Plans are underway for next month’s World Plumbing Day (March 11).
Initiated by the World Plumbing Council (WPC), of which the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) is a member, the awareness day highlighted the global water and sanitation crisis.
In addition, the important role that plumbing plays in the health and safety of modern society will also be promoted by the organisations this year.
This included the prevention of longstanding issues such as hot water scalding, Legionnaires’ disease, water efficiency, lead in water supplies and pollution caused by plumbing misconnections, a statement added.
Kevin Wellman, chief executive officer of the CIPHE, said: “Good plumbers really do protect the health and welfare of the nation, and it is high time that plumbing professionals got the recognition they deserve. There is no doubt there are unscrupulous tradespeople in the industry, however, the majority are highly skilled and work to an exceptional standard. These are the people the Institute represents.
“We cannot ignore that each year many hundreds of people, including the vulnerable are affected by poorly designed, installed and maintained plumbing systems. At the CIPHE we are currently working in partnership with other leading industry bodies to help raise standards of education and raise concerns direct with government on skills, compliance and safety issues.
“As an educational charity we encourage consumers to make the right choices when it comes to employing a tradesperson. However, we still recognise that in the current climate, more needs to be done to make all plumbing systems safe and sustainable. This is why we continue to back the introduction of a licence to practice which is prevalent in many countries across the globe.”
The CIPHE has continued to engaged consumers and the government on issues such as public toilet provision, and the need for regular plumbing system health checks.
World Plumbing Day can now be followed on Twitter by following @WPlumbingDay.