Who is a plumber
This employee belongs to the category of workers and is engaged in physical labor. Nevertheless, the specialty requires knowledge, experience and the ability to make complex, responsible decisions, and is associated with certain risks. The job responsibilities of a plumber involve the need to constantly improve their skills, due to the fact that plumbing equipment is being improved and modernized - you have to keep abreast of innovations in the market, regularly study instructions and characteristics of materials and devices. A plumber works in all life and life support facilities of society, including hospitals, airports, schools, etc.
Job description
Performs job duties as a plumber on the basis of the Unified Tariff and Qualification Directory of Work and Professions of Workers (approved by Resolution of the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation dated November 15, 1999 N 45), which contains:
- characteristics of the work;
- list of knowledge, skills and abilities;
- examples of types of work (disassembly, repair, assembly of various plumbing equipment).
The job description of a plumber is developed by the administration taking into account the specifics of production and usually consists of five sections:
- General provisions.
- Functions.
- Responsibilities.
- Rights.
- Responsibility.
General provisions
Typically, persons with secondary vocational education and at least one year of work experience are appointed to the position of plumber. Additionally, it is desirable to have a document confirming the rank, or a certificate of successful completion of advanced training courses.
What to include in the job responsibilities of a plumber is determined individually at each production site. In general, when applying for this job, not only knowledge of sanitary equipment is required, but also the presence of certain personal qualities:
- physical endurance;
- attentiveness and accuracy;
- responsibility and patience;
- intelligence and accuracy of the eye;
- good coordination;
- politeness in communication.
Functions
A professional standard is necessary for an employer to understand clear functional requirements from an employee. Such requirements are drawn up on the basis of Order of the Ministry of Labor dated December 21, 2015 N 1076n “On approval of the professional standard “Fitter of house sanitary systems and equipment”.” Based on the provisions of this document, the administration determines what is the responsibility of a plumber:
- performing routine maintenance of home sanitary systems and equipment;
- preparing home sanitary systems and equipment for seasonal (autumn-winter and spring-summer) operation;
- repair of home sanitary systems and equipment.
How to call a plumber for the management company
The category of mandatory services of housing and communal services includes work prescribed in Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 491 of August 13, 2006 and the Housing Code of the Russian Federation.
The management company is obliged to take measures to prevent emergency situations. To do this, they create a 24-hour dispatch service or enter into an agreement for this with a third-party organization. Information on how to call a plumber is placed in a visible place. It’s right when every resident has an emergency recovery service number. Serious management companies print the dispatcher's phone number on the receipt.
If in an emergency situation the call and voice message were not answered, and the call was not returned within 5-10 minutes, you should complain to the State Housing Inspectorate. The party affected by the accident has a real chance of receiving compensation for material losses at the expense of the person at fault. All cases where the dispatcher’s phone did not answer should be reported to his management.
Troubleshooting deadlines
Resolution of the State Construction Committee dated September 27. 2003 No. 170 “On approval of the Rules and Standards for the Technical Operation of the Housing Stock” established deadlines for completing applications from residents:
- faucet leaks, toilet leaks, other minor faults - during 1 shift
- leaks in ceilings between floors – no more than 3 days
- if there is a risk of an emergency, report immediately
The emergency dispatcher is given 30 minutes to clarify the circumstances. After this time, the applicant must receive information about the time the accident will be eliminated.
Circumstances when a locksmith from a management company is more reliable
The question often arises: if a housing maintenance repairman has to pay for plumbing work on indoor equipment, why not call a private contractor. You will have to invite a private plumbing specialist if:
- dispatch service is not responding
- the call is made, but the repairman is in no hurry
- it is known that the professional qualities of a particular management company employee are not up to par
- the blockage or breakdown happened on holidays or weekends, but you don’t want to wait
In other cases, the advantage is on the side of a specialist from the management company or a locksmith hired by the HOA. He has access to the pipe overlap area. If there is a leak in the common part of the pipe, it will be repaired free of charge. The housing and communal services plumber will leave documents confirming the repair, and this is equivalent to a guarantee. In addition, if the repairs were done poorly and water got to the neighbors, the company will be responsible.
Payment methods for fixing plumbing breakdowns
There are 2 ways to pay for the services of a housing department employee.
- Pay in cash. The customer comes to the office and pays through the cash register. A check is issued in hand
- Cashless payments. The receipt can be paid at a bank or post office. It is possible to make a payment through mobile banking. In any case, the check remains in hand
You should not accept the repairman’s offer to pay past the cash register. The money will go away, but there will be no document left about the repairs performed.
Management company guarantees for services provided
Repairs made to plumbing and heating equipment should be confirmed by an act, protocol or receipt. If the work is paid for through a cash register or a receipt, then the act will be an accounting document. Consequently, the management company will send a specialist with a form to the task. The apartment owner’s task is to accept the result, sign the document, date it and receive his copy in his hands. In case of a defect, the document will confirm that the company’s plumber came to the call.
Responsibilities
To understand who a plumber is and what responsibilities he has at work, you need to refer to the job description. A plumber works in various organizations: in production, enterprises, schools, shops, in emergency teams, and even privately, and his job responsibilities depend on his specialization and qualifications. For example, the job responsibilities of a plumber at an enterprise include the following list:
- carry out inspection, preventive maintenance and repair of plumbing equipment of the enterprise with the permission of the chief engineer;
- know the complete structure of the entrusted systems and equipment, operating principles and troubleshooting methods;
- carry out a walk-through, inspection and check of equipment and record the results of the walk-through in a journal;
- record in the operational log the time when the system or equipment is turned off for repairs and the moment it was turned on;
- Immediately report to superiors about any dangerous and emergency situation and, by order of management, provide assistance in eliminating the accident or other urgent work.
Considering the question of what responsibilities of an industrial plumber should be included in job descriptions, here is an example of work:
- ensuring trouble-free operation of the water supply, sewerage, central heating and drainage systems;
- a thorough understanding of the structure of the above systems, the conditions of their operation, identifying the causes of premature wear and carrying out timely prevention;
- direct participation in the repair of system malfunctions;
- development of methods to improve the reliability, durability and quality of serviced systems;
- timely testing of repaired systems and their commissioning.
How to call a plumber to your home
The housing and communal services management company services apartment buildings in accordance with the approved regulations. Workers of the housing maintenance department (HOE) carry out inspections with established regularity and take preventive measures. What to do if the owner or tenant of the premises has an urgent need to solve a problem with plumbing equipment. We will tell you and teach you how to call a plumber from housing and communal services and what to expect.
What plumbing services are paid for with a receipt?
In the line in the housing and communal services receipt “Maintenance of housing stock,” a payment is calculated, which depends on the area of the premises. It’s worth considering how much work this option involves, in particular for maintaining the water supply, sewerage and heating systems.
Residents often believe that in case of any leak, it is easier to contact a private company. The master will come, do his job and get paid. Meanwhile, there is a list of repairs that housing department plumbers will carry out free of charge. And it’s not their fault that people don’t know this and apply for a paid service.
The list of free services is specified in the contract with the company that manages the residential building. You can get acquainted with it at the office of the management company or at your place of residence, at the board of the HOA. Although, where the board actually works, the list of free services is communicated to all members at the general meeting and posted on the information stand. The housing department plumber will eliminate problems in an apartment of any form of ownership that arise:
- on the heating riser, within the limits before the start of wiring
- on hot and cold water risers up to the first shut-off valve
- on the drainage system (riser, pipes, plugs, tees) to the point of connection of the apartment drainage pipe
- with water metering devices installed on a section of pipe belonging to the common property of the house
In simple words, common house plumbing installations running through the apartment are repaired under the heading “Maintenance of the housing stock.” For other services of a plumber in housing and communal services or management companies, there is a price list approved in the prescribed manner. The company must ensure that residents are aware of the prices.
Homeowners' associations (HOA) have the right to independently hire a specialist to service the plumbing equipment of the house, and pay him a salary from the funds paid by residents for utilities. This is convenient if the partnership has one house. A sample employment contract with a HOA plumber can be viewed on the website. The job description specifies services for which no fee is charged.
Rights
The Labor Code of the Russian Federation provides not only the duties, but also the rights of the employee. When we talk about what the responsibilities of a plumber are, we mean that we have certain rights:
- make proposals for optimizing the work process, offer developed schemes for troubleshooting and improving working conditions;
- request advanced training courses;
- receive paid leave;
- refuse to perform duties in the event of a threat to life or health;
- demand replacement of faulty equipment, safety of property in use, and assistance in performing official duties.
Where to complain about housing and communal services mechanics
It happens that the customer of services has claims against the contractor. For example, a plumber from housing and communal services:
- didn't come on time
- made poor quality repairs
- supplied used spare parts
- was rude to the owners, demanded payment in cash, without a cash register
It is worth writing a written complaint to the Criminal Code. If there are still victims of the negligent employee in the HOA, file a collective claim. In the appeal, indicate methods for transmitting information about the measures taken.
