July 6, 2007

Mechanical Contractors

Standards program eases geographical limits for welders

Since development and implementation of a Standard Provincial Welding Procedures Program (SPWPP), welders are showing up certified work ready, ensuring the Mechanical Contractors Association of Ontario (MCAO) is meeting is goals “to promote and maintain improved methods of business”.

“Having our welders tested to MCAO standard procedures allows our members to access work in various areas of the province without the need for retesting, saving the time and aggravation under the old system,” says Neil McCormick, Ontario Pipe Trades Council (OPTC) business manager.

Established in 1998, the program has obvious benefits for the MCAO-member contracting firms (numbering 400 the ICI sector), the contractors and the unions.

Welding is one of the many functions performed by workers covered by the provincial collective agreement between MCAO and OPTC, representing the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry (commonly referred to as the UA).

Standards governing proper and safe welding procedures are outlined in the internationally-recognized ASME Code; and are monitored in Ontario by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA).

Prior to MCAO’s Provincial Welding Procedures Program, a welder would have to be retested whenever they moved from one geographic area to another, even if working for the same contractor.

Working closely with TSSA, MCAO identified a set of six procedures commonly used by its members: two for carbon steel welding; two for stainless steel; and two for copper brazing. The procedures were formally registered with the TSSA as MCAO Standard Provincial Welding Procedures.

Among other terms and conditions, contractors must be signatory to the MCAO provincial collective agreement with the UA and must complete and sign an MCAO declaration form agreeing to abide by specified terms and conditions of the program.

Dave Crawford, of Comstock Canada Ltd., past-president of MCAO, and chair of the MCAO Standard Welding Procedures Committee, says, “The Standard Provincial Welding Procedures Program ensures consistency and quality in the performance of these procedures among the participating member contractors, in all MCAO zones across the province, to meet TSSA specifications and MCAO criteria for participation.”

Since the inception of the program, three more carbon steel welding procedures have been added to the standard procedures available, as further improvements to the methods of business for MCAO contractors participating in the program.

During the last round of collective bargaining, the MCAO and OPTC/UA developed a framework – referred to as the Welder Test Fund (WTF) – to centralize the payment of invoices relating to welder testing. MCAO is working with TSSA to explore possible program improvements that would reduce costs or create efficiencies.

Don Del Vecchio, director of membership services at MCAO, gets plenty of program cooperation and support from labour and management across the province.

“The new welding procedures added to our program over the last five years were developed in cooperation with contractors and UA training centre personnel. They even helped in the documentation and registration of those procedures at the TSSA.

“We developed the WTF protocols with input from the training centres and our zone affiliates. I believe their assistance, cooperation and enthusiasm shows the program has value for all concerned.”

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