By Staff Reporter
news@alexreporter.co.za
PIRB or The Plumbing Industry Registration Board, has always been advocating for diversity, equality and empowerment.
PIRB is a professional body as recognised by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). The Non-profit organisation’s role is to promote plumbing practices in an open forum, free of any political or commercial agenda.
We all know that water is the most precious commodity, its one mineral that is essential for living. Water is used for many functions such as cooking, cleaning, bathing and in the process of manufacturing goods, with that said, we still have a lot of people shying away from working in this industry that allows us to live.
Diversity in the plumbing industry during Heritage month is set as a commemoration of our culture and diverse heritage that we as South Africans carry, to celebrate that.
The PIRB is on a drive to raise awareness on different plumbing industry related topics, such as the importance of using PIRB registered/qualified plumbers, while focusing on race and gender within the industry.
The plumbing industry is one that is still largely male and white dominated.
A survey conducted by StatsSA revealed that Africans make up the second largest number of plumbers at only 23% followed by coloreds at 5%.
Asian/Indian people were the least, at only 4%. This survey revealed that the industry is still largely white dominated, with that group making up 68% of the survey.
Most qualified plumbers are male. According to a plumbing survey conducted in 2020 by the Institute of Plumbing South Africa (IOPSA) and the PIRB, there were approximately 126 000 people who were identified as plumbers in 2019.
Of that total, only 10 000 to 15 000 are qualified plumbers. Women only make up 2% of that total. This is the reason that the board prioritises educating the public, especially the youth about the importance of using qualified plumbers
We all know that acquiring a skill is essential as it is beneficial for the rest of one’s life. The plumbing industry is needed for all of us to get running water from our taps. Making use of qualified plumbers not only ensures quality service and clean water, it also saves you and the country some money.
Qualified plumbers know what to do and this minimises the number of time that one needs to call in a plumber to fix leaks and drainage.
There are ways to ensure that you are making use of a qualified plumber, these include the following:
1. Visiting the PIRB website at www.pirb.co.za
2. Asking the plumber to show you their plumber card before allowing any work to bed done on your property.
The water crisis is one that affects the country as a whole, so it is important that we all pull together and note the following:
1. Report any leaks in public spaces;
2. Fix any leaks within your household;
3. Use water sparingly;
4. Educate children about the; importance of using water wisely and
5. Use a bucket to wash your car.
Let us all come together to ensure that we save water, one drop at a time!
