Plumber Trade Regulations

made under Section 17B of the

Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act

S.N.S. 2003, c. 1

O.I.C. 2016-239 (effective April 1, 2017), N.S. Reg. 191/2016

amended to O.I.C. 2022-183 (effective July 5, 2022), N.S. Reg. 134/2022

Table of Contents

Please note: this table of contents is provided for convenience of reference and does not form part of the regulations.
Click here to go to the text of the regulations.

 

 

Citation

Definitions

Plumber trade is compulsory certified trade

Person other than plumber performing work in trade

Exemption application under General Regulations permitted for plumber trade

Term of apprenticeship for plumber trade

Wage schedule for apprentices in plumber trade

Certificate in plumber trade through trade qualification

Term and renewal of certificate of qualification in plumber trade

Compliance with identity card requirements of General Regulations

Transition

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Citation

1        These trade regulations may be cited as the Plumber Trade Regulations.

Definitions

2        (1)    In these regulations,

 

“Act” means the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act;

 

“Code” means the latest issue of the National Plumbing Code of Canada published by the National Research Council of Canada, as amended or revised, or its successor code;

 

“General Regulations” means the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act General Regulations made under the Act;

 

“plumber trade” means the occupation of a plumber, consisting of designing, installing, altering and repairing piping systems in accordance with the Code, including all of the following piping systems:

 

                              (i)      drainage systems,

 

                              (ii)     venting systems,

 

                              (iii)    water supply systems,

 

                              (iv)    specialty piping systems,

 

                              (v)     potable water distribution systems,

 

                              (vi)    residential or commercial hot water heating systems that operate under pressure of up to and including 30 psi,

 

                              (vii)   sewage disposal systems.

 

          (2)    A term defined in the General Regulations has the same meaning when used in these regulations.

Plumber trade is compulsory certified trade

3        The plumber trade is specified as a compulsory certified trade.

Person other than plumber performing work in trade

4        A person who does not hold a certificate of qualification in the plumber trade may perform work included in the definition of the plumber trade if the person holds a certificate of qualification in another designated trade and the work to be performed comes within the scope of that other designated trade.

Exemption application under General Regulations permitted for plumber trade

5        For the purposes of subsection 38(2) of the General Regulations, a joint application for an exemption from the application of subsections 22(2) and (3) of the Act is permitted for the plumber trade.

Term of apprenticeship for plumber trade

6        (1)    The term of apprenticeship for the plumber trade consists of all of the following:

 

                   (a)      7200 documented hours of the combination of practical experience and the portion of technical training spent learning the skills of the designated trade as described in clause 26(1A)(a) of the General Regulations and as approved by the Director;

 

                   (b)     related technical training as described in clause 26(1A)(b) of the General Regulations and as approved by the Director;

 

                   (c)      a certification examination.

 

          (2)    Any probationary period included in a term of apprenticeship for the plumber trade as permitted by subsection 12(2) of the General Regulations must be no longer than 3 months.

 

7        [repealed]

Wage schedule for apprentices in plumber trade

8        (1)    Subject to subsection (2) and to subsection 25(3) of the General Regulations, the minimum wage for each hour worked by a plumber apprentice in each portion of a level of their term of apprenticeship is a percentage of the wage for a plumber journeyperson in the same place of employment, as set out in the following table:

Wages for Plumber Apprentice
Level of Apprenticeship	Hours in Portion of Level of Apprenticeship	Minimum Wage (% of journeyperson’s wage)
1	0–900	45%
	901–1800	50%
2	1801–2700	55%
	2701–3600	60%
3	3601–4500	65%
	4501–5400	70%
4	5401–6300	75%
	6301–7200	80%

 

          (2)    An employer must not employ a plumber apprentice at a wage for actual hours worked that is lower than the wage that would be paid at the minimum wage rate prescribed in the Minimum Wage Order (General) made under the Labour Standards Code.

Certificate in plumber trade through trade qualification

9        The period of employment in the designated trade that is required by paragraph 30(1)(a)(ii)(B) of the General Regulations for a person who does not hold a certificate of apprenticeship and is applying for a certificate of qualification in the plumber trade is 10 800 hours.

Term and renewal of certificate of qualification in plumber trade

10      (1)    A certificate of qualification in the plumber trade is valid for 5 years from the date it is issued.

 

          (2)    A certificate of qualification in the plumber trade that is renewed in accordance with subsection 41(2) of the General Regulations is valid for a further term of 5 years from its most recent expiry date.

Compliance with identity card requirements of General Regulations

11      For the purposes of Section 34 of the General Regulations, which requires an apprentice or journeyperson to keep an identity card in their possession when practising the designated trade and produce it on request, a person is practising the plumber trade while the person is doing any of the following:

 

                   (a)      for an apprentice,

 

                              (i)      acquiring practical experience in the trade, or

 

                              (ii)     learning the skills of the trade during the technical training portion of apprenticeship training;

 

                   (b)     for a journeyperson, performing the duties of the trade as defined in these regulations or their duties as set out in the General Regulations.

Transition

12      A person who, immediately before the coming into force of these regulations, was an apprentice in an apprenticeship program under the Plumber Trade Regulations, N.S. Reg. 239/2011, continues as an apprentice in that apprenticeship program under these regulations.

Plumber Trade Regulations	N.S. Reg. 191/2016
Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act
Note:  The information in these tables does not form part of the regulations and is compiled by the Office of the Registrar of Regulations for reference only.

N.S. Regulation	In force date*	How in force	Royal Gazette Part II Issue
191/2016	Apr 1, 2017	date specified	Oct 14, 2016
134/2022	Jul 5, 2022	date specified	Jul 15, 2022

N.S. Regulation	In force date*	How in force	Royal Gazette Part II Issue

ad. = added am. = amended	fc. = fee change ra. = reassigned		rep. = repealed rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected		How affected
7........................................................		rep. 134/2022

	Note	Effective date

N.S. Regulation	Title	In force date	Repealed date
239/2011	Plumber Trade Regulations	Jul 19, 2011	Apr 1, 2017