PMI HOLDS SUCCESSFUL CODES & STANDARDS WORKSHOP, PLANS REPEAT PROGRAM JANUARY 27-28, 2004
For Immediate Release
August 28, 2003
Contact: Barbara C. Higgens, Executive Director (847) 884-9764
Schaumburg, Ill. — Nearly 60 PMI members and nonmembers from 26 plumbing manufacturers converged on Schaumburg, Ill., July 15-16 for PMI's first Codes and Standards Workshop. The venue was changed twice to accommodate the growing number of participants for the workshop, and PMI finally had to turn people away as maximum capacity was reached. Because of the successful response to this program, PMI is offering a repeat Codes and Standards Workshop January 27-28, 2004, in Schaumburg, Ill., to accommodate the large demand.
According to PMI Executive Director Barbara C. Higgens, "The response we received from those who attended the workshop provided a crystal clear indication that this type of programming was, and is, needed for those within our industry - whether or not the attendees are directly involved in codes and standards as a part of their job function." She noted that, of the evaluations received from attendees, "100 percent indicated that they learned something they can use on the job, 99 percent felt the workshop met or exceeded their expectations, 82 percent plan to attend future PMI workshops of a higher technical level, and more than 80 percent plan to recommend others in their company attend the workshop."
The two-day workshop is part of a larger educational initiative of the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute to provide its members, and the plumbing industry as a whole, with current information on issues (such as information technology) and functions (such as codes and standards) crucial to the industry. The codes and standards track of programming will involve increasingly specialized, technical workshops and activities, whereby participants who complete a specific series of programs achieve a level of certification.
With the July 15-16 workshop, Ms. Higgens welcomed the assembled group on Tuesday, July 15 and provided an overview of PMI and its activities. PMI President Ralph Herrbach followed with an hour overview titled "Plumbing Business Basics" where he briefly reviewed the history and make-up of the plumbing industry.
PMI Technical Director David W. Viola led the rest of the program. He included detailed information on: PMI's role in the technical arena; plumbing codes and regulations in the United States and Canada; the International Code Council (ICC); the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and the C3 Coalition; the National Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC-NA); a comparison of the code development processes; plumbing code objectives; manufactured housing; accessibility provisions; state and federal regulatory agencies; major state and local jurisdictions; standards developers; standards accreditation; the standards development process; third party certifier accreditation and certifying agency services; methods of indicating conformity with standards, and conformity assessment requirements in plumbing codes. Those who attended both days of the workshop received certificates of completion.
The Plumbing Manufacturers Institute is the voluntary, not-for-profit trade association of manufacturers of plumbing products. Member companies of PMI produce a substantial quantity of the nation's plumbing products. For more information on PMI or its semiannual meetings, contact the Institute at 1340 Remington Road, Suite A, Schaumburg, Ill., 60173; or via phone (847) 884-9PMI (9764), facsimile (847) 884-9775, or website www.pmihome.org.
Editor's Note : Photographs and quotes from workshop attendees are available upon request