Plumber & Gasfitter SSSP
An SSSP for plumbing and gasfitting, covering hot work, confined spaces and work near services.
A plumber & gasfitter SSSP is a Site-Specific Safety Plan for one job on one site. It sets out the plumber & gasfitter hazards, the controls in the order required by reg 6 of the General Risk and Workplace Management Regulations 2016, task analyses for the higher-risk tasks, and how you meet your duties under HSWA 2015. It is what a New Zealand main contractor checks before your crew starts.
What a plumber & gasfitter SSSP must cover
- •HSWA 2015 section 36: the PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of its workers and anyone else affected by the work
- •General Risk and Workplace Management Regulations 2016 reg 6: apply the hierarchy of control measures, eliminating the risk so far as is reasonably practicable before minimising it
- •AS/NZS 2865: safe working in a confined space
- •WorkSafe New Zealand Good Practice Guidelines for Working at Height: eliminate the fall risk first, then use scaffolds, edge protection or a total restraint system before fall arrest
- •Gasfitting must be carried out by a person authorised under the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 2006; gas work follows the Gas (Safety and Measurement) Regulations
- •HSWA 2015 section 34: consult, co-operate and co-ordinate with the main contractor and the other PCBUs on site (the 3Cs)
- •Asbestos and plumbing and gasfitting work: the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 lines that follow (demolition and refurbishment) apply to plumbing and gasfitting work only where the job is refurbishment that disturbs the structure itself (for example cutting into walls, floors or wet-area linings, or cutting out or removing old pipes, flues or vent stacks) in a structure or plant the application line covers (constructed or installed before 1 January 2000, or where asbestos has been identified or is likely to be present). Minor or routine maintenance work, and other minor work, is excluded. On a job that does not disturb the structure in such a building, do not state these duties as applying
- •Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 reg 19: the asbestos duties for demolition and refurbishment (reg 20 to reg 26) apply to the demolition or refurbishment of a structure or plant that was constructed or installed before 1 January 2000, in which asbestos has been identified, or in which asbestos is likely to be present from time to time. Demolition or refurbishment does not include minor or routine maintenance work, or other minor work. Where these duties apply they are law, never good practice
- •Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 reg 20: the PCBU who intends to carry out the demolition or refurbishment must not carry it out until the structure or plant has been inspected to determine whether asbestos or ACM is fixed to or installed in it, and must ensure that the determination is undertaken by a competent person. It must assume that asbestos or ACM is fixed to or installed in the structure or plant if the competent person is, on reasonable grounds, uncertain, or if part of the structure or plant is inaccessible and likely to be disturbed. If asbestos or ACM is determined or assumed to be present, it must inform the occupier and the owner of the home or, in any other case, the PCBU with management or control of the workplace
- •Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 reg 25 and reg 26: all asbestos that is likely to be disturbed by the refurbishment must be identified and, so far as is reasonably practicable, removed before the refurbishment is commenced. For a home this is the duty of the PCBU carrying out the refurbishment (reg 26); for any other workplace it is the duty of the PCBU with management or control of the workplace, or of the structure or plant (reg 25)
Common plumber & gasfitter hazards
- Hot work and ignition of gas during gasfitting
- Confined space atmospheres in tanks, pits and sub-floors
- Falls during roof plumbing and mains work
- Underground and in-wall service strikes
- Biological exposure from wastewater
Task analyses included
Your SSSP comes with task analyses for the higher-risk tasks. The Trade Pack (NZ$149) includes the full library below plus a toolbox talk set.
- ✓Hot water and gas appliance installation (hot work controls)
- ✓Gas line installation and pressure testing
- ✓Roof plumbing, spouting and downpipe work at height
- ✓Confined space entry for tanks and drainage pits
- ✓Core drilling and penetrations through structure
- ✓Mains and backflow connection work
- ✓Working near underground and in-wall services
- ✓Bathroom and wet-area rough-in
What the main contractor expects
- •An SSSP that separates plumbing and gasfitting hazards clearly
- •Task analyses for hot work and any confined space entry
- •Registration and current licence details for the plumbers and gasfitters
- •Gas commissioning and certification arrangements
- •How you coordinate isolations with other trades under section 34
Get your plumber & gasfitter SSSP, sorted in minutes
Answer a few questions about your site and crew. We write your SSSP against HSWA 2015 and the General Risk and Workplace Management Regulations 2016, check it, and email it, ready to hand over.
SSSP Pack
NZ$89 one-time
A personalised SSSP with your hazard register, task analyses and emergency plan.
Trade Pack
NZ$149 one-time
The SSSP plus the full task-analysis library for your trade and a toolbox talk set.
One-time payment in NZ$. No subscription. Free revisions within 24 hours.
Plumber & Gasfitter SSSP: common questions
Is gasfitting hot work in an SSSP?
Gasfitting frequently involves ignition sources and pressurised gas, so it is treated as hot work in the SSSP with a dedicated task analysis covering isolation, ventilation, leak testing and a fire watch. Only a person authorised under the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 2006 may carry out the gas work.
Does the SSSP replace my gas certification?
No. The SSSP is your site safety plan; it sits alongside your gas certification and registration. Main contractors expect to see both: the SSSP for how you control the site hazards, and your licence details for who is authorised to do the work.