MCABC | Spring 2016

SPRING 2016 Vol.6 No.1

PlumbING & mechaNIcal

the official publication of the mechanical contractors association of british columbia

New eRa PlumbING & heatING ltd. | hVac | SafetyPM

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CadenCe Condos

Whether for new buildings or for retrofi ts, our new wa-ter-source, 2-pipe VRF system uses less materials than 4-pipe systems and has a signifi cantly lower maintenance cost. Best of all, it’s 575V, so no transformer is needed.

And because it’s modular and installed indoors, there is no need for cranes or heavy equipment. In fact, our new 575V VRF system is so compact it is easier to incorporate into any design, plus it is less expensive to install and maintain.

Mitsubishi Electric’s new water-source, 575V VRF system is a game changer.

ANNOUNCING THE WORLD’S FIRST WATER-SOURCE, MODULAR 575V VRF SYSTEM

HVAC Design hasChanged Forever

MULTIPLE SPLIT-TYPE VRF SYSTEMS

For more information: CityMulti.ca

T:8.75”T:12.25"

B:9”B:12.5”

f11317CLIENT: Mitsubishi ACC. MGR: Angela PROD. MGR: Laura

FOLDER NAME: ...r_Ad Mat Folder:f03_11317_EN_Mitsubishi_CityMulti_Engineer_Ad Mat.indd

FILE NAME: f03_11317_EN_Mitsubishi_CityMulti_Engineer_Ad Mat.indd

START DATE: 6-7-2013 1:55 PM ART DIRECTOR:Anson ARTIST: Ryan

REV. DATE: 6-7-2013 1:57 PM ARTIST: Attilio

PREP TO DISK #: 1 DATE: 6-7-2013 1:57 PM PREP ARTIST: Attilio

Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

PROOF #: f03

C&F #: None

THIS ARTWORK HASBEEN CREATED AT 100%

OF ACTUAL SIZE.TRIM: 8.5” x 11”

LIVE: 8.25” x 10.75”BLEED: 8.75” x 11.25”

THIS LASER PROOF HAS BEEN SCALED TO None

TO FIT IN THE PAGE.

FTP

Whether for new buildings or for retrofi ts, our new water-source, 2-pipe VRF system uses less materials than 4-pipe systems and has a signifi cantly lower maintenance cost. Best of all, it’s 575V, so no transformer is needed.







S:8.25”

S:10.75”

T:8.5”

T:11”

B:8.75”

B:11.25”

contents

08 cover StoryNational Hydronics Group is delivering another successful collaboration with Cressey Development for the Cadence Condos in Richmond.

12 ProfileNew Era Plumbing & Heating Ltd. of Squamish, B.C. has grown signifi-cantly in only five years, and is now the biggest mechanical company in the Sea to Sky corridor.

16 hVacIAQ and Best Practices

17 SafetyProviding Workers with Mental Safety

ON the cOVeR: Cadence Condos, Richmond

Departments

features

04 executive Vice President’s message

06 President’s message

18 Safety Scene

19 toolbox

20 association corner MCABC’s Annual Conference and AGM

22 Industry News

Dana Taylor ExECuTIvE vICE PRESIDENT

Jane Andrew DIRECToR of MEMBERSHIP DEvELoPMENT

SERvICES AND EvENT PLANNING

Abigail Thom CoMMuNICATIoNS AND MARKETING CooRDINAToR

Berry Lam ADMINISTRATIvE ASSISTANT

Mechanical Contractors Association of BC (MCABC)223 - 3989 Henning Drive, Burnaby BC v5C 6N5

Ph: 604.205.5058 fax: 604.205.5075Email: [email protected] visit us online: www.mcabc.org

PRINTED IN CANADA

PuBLISHED BY

PRESIDENTKevin Brown

vANCouvER offICE 2221 Hartley Ave.Coquitlam, BC v3K 6W9Tel: 604.549.4521fax: 604.549.4522

ToRoNTo offICE 1000-5255 Yonge St.Toronto, oN M2N 6P4Tel: 416.512.8186fax: 416.512.8344

Copyright 2016Canada Post Canadian publications mail sales publication agreement no. 40063056 – ISSN 0834-3357Return all undeliverable Canadian addresses to:Suite 1000 – 5255 Yonge Street, Toronto, ontario, M2N 6P4

MCABC Plumbing & Mechanical Magazine is published three times a year by MediaEDGE Communications Inc.

REPRINTS: No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form — print or electronic — without written permission from the publisher. Requests for permission to reprint any portion of this magazine should be sent to the publisher.

for all subscription inquiries or address changes, please contact [email protected] or call 416.512.8186 ext. 259.

SPRING 2016 vol. 6 No.1

Plumbing & Mechanical magazine is the official magazine of the Mechanical Contractors Association of BC published three times a year by MediaEdge Communications Inc. opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily endorsed by the MCABC or MediaEdge Communications. Editorial inquiries should be sent to the editor at [email protected].

PuBLISHERDan Gnocato

[email protected]

MANAGING EDIToRCheryl Mah

GRAPHIC DESIGN Tang Creative Inc.

CoNTRIBuTING WRITERSTracey Block, Robin Brunet

Michael Glassco, Leslee Montgomery

B.C./ALBERTA SALESDan Gnocato

604.549.4521 ext. 223

Whether for new buildings or for retrofi ts, our new wa-ter-source, 2-pipe VRF system uses less materials than 4-pipe systems and has a signifi cantly lower maintenance cost. Best of all, it’s 575V, so no transformer is needed.







T:8.75”

T:12.25"

B:9”

B:12.5”

f11317CLIENT: Mitsubishi ACC. MGR: Angela PROD. MGR: Laura

FOLDER NAME: ...r_Ad Mat Folder:f03_11317_EN_Mitsubishi_CityMulti_Engineer_Ad Mat.indd

FILE NAME: f03_11317_EN_Mitsubishi_CityMulti_Engineer_Ad Mat.indd

START DATE: 6-7-2013 1:55 PM ART DIRECTOR:Anson ARTIST: Ryan

REV. DATE: 6-7-2013 1:57 PM ARTIST: Attilio

PREP TO DISK #: 1 DATE: 6-7-2013 1:57 PM PREP ARTIST: Attilio

Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

PROOF #: f03

C&F #: None

THIS ARTWORK HASBEEN CREATED AT 100%

OF ACTUAL SIZE.TRIM: 8.5” x 11”

LIVE: 8.25” x 10.75”BLEED: 8.75” x 11.25”

THIS LASER PROOF HAS BEEN SCALED TO None

TO FIT IN THE PAGE.

FTP

Whether for new buildings or for retrofi ts, our new water-source, 2-pipe VRF system uses less materials than 4-pipe systems and has a signifi cantly lower maintenance cost. Best of all, it’s 575V, so no transformer is needed.







S:8.25”

S:10.75”

T:8.5”

T:11”

B:8.75”

B:11.25”

4 PLuMBING & MECHANICAL | SPRING 2016

executive vice president's message

changing the formula

e ach year MCABC provides an opportunity to meet and conduct its requisite business as prescribed in the bylaws. With those obli-gations met, the remaining time the membership spends together

resembles more a family reunion than a convention. Over the years, our once three day affair has been clipped to two days and the hard educational sessions replaced with both education and entertainment. A mainstay of our event has been the Associates Night, a grand scale ice-breaker that enables attendees to participate as a group in some faux competition, the main object of which is simply to enjoy one another’s company.

What is certainly appreciated by those who do attend, numbered in re-cent years between 170 and 200 persons, is the dedication and effort made by our Associate members to ensure that a good time is had by all. Per-haps less known is that a committee of Associates meet, beginning several months in advance of the AGM, to develop and deliver a program. Once a theme is established, assignments are made to the dozen or more com-mittee members, and the group kicks into action. Intelligence is gathered regarding the venue, supplies are sourced and purchased, and leading up to the night itself, a net is cast to invite local associate representatives nearby the host hotel to beef up the volunteers available at the function. The en-ergy expended to make this work is colossal and reflects the generosity of our members to one another.

We, of course, wish more would attend, if for no other reason than for colleagues and competitors to enjoy the pleasure of one another’s com-pany under the MCABC tent. Family programs have been introduced over the years providing a mini vacation for the kids and teens and a relief for parents to spend their time with adults while the children are nearby but not underfoot.

It seems upon review our ‘family’ conventions may have been too suc-cessful. We have managed to attract several families that have made the MCABC event a return destination vacation and companies have made the visit a perk. The result is our numbers come from the same 12 -14 mechanical contractor firms. We are thrilled the convention is so popular — but the number of attending contractors has remained static. The ques-tion has popped up: should we do something different? Maybe it’s time to change the formula.

MCABC’s new board of directors, installed at the AGM, will have this and other matters to consider in the months ahead. Some suggest we might consider suspending the traditional AGM and convention for a period, and instead conduct the AGM in or near Vancouver, and perhaps do so in conjunction with a major attraction of either a general interest or business nature. We might opt for an afternoon of meetings, a couples’ dinner and a keynote speaker of national or international repute.

Readers: if you have an opinion on this, please let us know. We recognize that this association is competing with other activities and organizations for your attention, your interest and your investment in representation of your interests. Rather than being just another roadside attraction, our goal is to organize and host events that rivet your attention and compel your at-tendance. Should you know a story that begs to be told to a large audience of keen mechanical contracting competitors, pass it on and we’ll make sure it gets heard. Meanwhile we’ll continue to celebrate another successful convention while we mull over the options for a 2017 AGM and just how we might next convene.

Dana TaylorExecutive Vice President, MCABC

7388 Hedley Avenue Burnaby, BC V5E 2P9O: 604-522-4798 F: 604-522-9587

www.davidsonbros.ca

HVAC | Plumbing | Heating Drain Cleaning | Refrigeration

Davidson Bros. welcomes the opportunity to provide our proven expertise from bid specifications work to any new existing HVAC, plumbing or specialized mechanical

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At Davidson Bros. Mechanical we believe the future is bright for British Columbia and look forward to increasing

our construction relationships, new or existing, over whatever project requirements you may have.

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president's message

w ith the completion of the Mechani-cal Contractors Association of Brit-ish Columbia (MCABC) 2016

AGM, the presidency of the organization has been passed to me. I consider this ‘my new be-ginning’, and I would like to thank the executive board, the board of directors, Dana Taylor, Jane Andrew and the support staff of the MCABC of-fice in Burnaby for their assistance, and having the confidence to appoint me president of the MCABC.

It’s been 45 plus years since I started work-ing my way up from being a 1st year appren-tice in the plumbing industry. Upon becoming a journeyman I have since worked on a variety of projects in both Alberta and B.C., the last 25 years in the latter. I believe I have the passion and knowledge to promote MCABC to more of our industries’ associates, because I see the benefit our association can provide, whether it is educational programs and courses, network-ing opportunities, the golf tournaments or the charities we benefit. Members of MCABC also have complimentary membership in the MCA Canada (www.mca.ca).

We have been very fortunate to have had numerous great past presidents, and I can only hope to be referred to one myself when my term comes to an end. It would be remiss of me to not mention Wayne Davidson, from Davidson Bros Mechanical Contractors Ltd., Dean Loewen,

from Altac Mechanical, Mike Ohlmann, from Fred Welsh Ltd., and Andrew Wong, from Alpha Mechanical Con-tracting Ltd. as some of the upstand-ing gentlemen who have preceded me, along with the subsequent presidents in the preceding years. I thank them for continuing to improve and build our as-sociation. These gentlemen have worked hard to create an outstanding legacy for MCABC and I look forward to continu-ing that tradition, with some of you aforementioned.

As my mandate is to increase member-ship while continuing to provide excel-lence in educational programs, I encour-age you all to share the opportunities you learn about through our website, emails, or good old fashioned word of mouth. All the programs MCABC offers are of a first class calibre and are highly rated with some top notch instructors. These courses continue to assist our members in achieving a high level of professional expertise, and calibre. In order to not only satisfy your clients’ needs, but surpass

them, MCABC offers courses that are Gold Seal Certified by the Canadian Construction Association. Having this designation under your belt will differentiate yourself from the competition as well as provide you with a sub-stantial competitive advantage.

Along with sustaining our current mem-bership, it is my hope to encourage new con-tractors to join MCABC and become active members, join a committee, aspire to a board position and make a difference. We welcome new ideas and fresh blood so to speak; in this time of “connectivity” we understand the im-portance of not becoming “old school.” We understand the familiar mantra “but that’s how we have always done it” and we know it will kill membership growth.

I hope my passion for the mechanical in-dustry, being a rewarding and honourable profession, will encourage others to become a part of our professional organization. All of us at MCABC have made changes as society has demanded and I am looking forward to doing my part.

Over the next two years as I work with all past and newly elected executive members and directors, I hope our paths will cross while in my term as president.

Dale MillerPresident, MCABC

a New beginning

BoARD of DIRECToRS 2016-2018

ExECuTIvEPresidentDale Miller

Division 15 Mechanical Ltd.

vice President, Lower Mainland Richard McLatchie

Lockerbie & Hole Contracting Limited

vice President, Lower MainlandBrian Bradshaw, Altac Services Inc.

vice President, Lower MainlandMike ohlmann, fred Welsh Ltd.

Secretary Treasurer / Past PresidentWayne Davidson

Davidson Bros Mechanical Contractors Ltd.

Executive vice PresidentDana Taylor

DIRECToRSAssociates Chairman

Mark HumphreyBartle & Gibson Co. Ltd.

Associates 1st vice-ChairmanJohn fu

Noble BC

DirectorBrad Haysom

Tight5 Insulation Contracting Ltd.

DirectorHenry DeJong, ESC Automation Inc.

DirectorChad Kinsley

R.H Jones and Son Mechanical

Director Stuart Morrison

Northland Mechanical

DirectorDan Taillefer

viaduct Sheet Metal Ltd.

DirectorLen voon

Aarc-West Mechanical Insulation (2013) Inc.

DirectorAndrew Wong

Alpha Mechanical Contracting Ltd.

MIRA Rep Mike vesterback

National Hydronics Group

IMIRA Rep Dave Erb

Erb Technical Contracting (victoria)

Natural gas line

Sewer service line

Blocked sewer? Call before you clear.On rare occasions, a natural gas line may have been unintentionally installed through a sewer service line. These intersecting lines can go undetected and co-exist safely until the clearing of a blocked sewer damages the pipeline.

Don’t risk hitting a gas line.1. Call BC One Call at 1-800-474-6886. It’s free and available 24 hours a day.

2. Tell the agent you’re calling about a sewer service line blockage.

3. Wait for FortisBC to come on site and identify if lines are intersecting. We’ll make every effort to respond within two hours or less.

4. Smell gas? Go outside and call FortisBC’s 24-hour emergency line at 1-800-663-9911 or call 911.

Learn more at fortisbc.com/callbeforeyouclear.

FortisBC uses the FortisBC name and logo under license from Fortis Inc. (15-252.1 09/2015)

15-252.1_CBYC-MCABC_8.75x12.25-P1.indd 1 10/7/2015 9:02:49 AM

Natural gas line

Sewer service line

Blocked sewer? Call before you clear.On rare occasions, a natural gas line may have been unintentionally installed through a sewer service line. These intersecting lines can go undetected and co-exist safely until the clearing of a blocked sewer damages the pipeline.

Don’t risk hitting a gas line.1. Call BC One Call at 1-800-474-6886. It’s free and available 24 hours a day.

2. Tell the agent you’re calling about a sewer service line blockage.

3. Wait for FortisBC to come on site and identify if lines are intersecting. We’ll make every effort to respond within two hours or less.

4. Smell gas? Go outside and call FortisBC’s 24-hour emergency line at 1-800-663-9911 or call 911.

Learn more at fortisbc.com/callbeforeyouclear.

FortisBC uses the FortisBC name and logo under license from Fortis Inc. (15-252.1 09/2015)

15-252.1_CBYC-MCABC_8.75x12.25-P1.indd 1 10/7/2015 9:02:49 AM


cover story

BY RoBIN BRuNET

SuCCESSfuL Collaboration

One of the advantages of a long-term re-lationship between a contractor and a developer is that each is keenly aware the other’s abilities and expectations; this in turn helps streamline the actual

construction process — or at least lessens unfore-seen problems.

Such a dynamic is shared by National Hydronics Group and Cressey Development, whose latest proj-ect, the Cadence condominiums located in Rich-mond’s emerging Oval Village, consists of more than 250 homes that deliver the superior design and qual-ity craftsmanship that have become the hallmarks of the Vancouver-based developer.

9SPRING 2016 | PLuMBING & MECHANICAL

cover story

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The two shimmering glass and steel tow-ers and mixed-use podium of Cadence contain thoughtful elements such as a luxurious roof-top garden with an Oriental theme and a `jewel box’ glass pavilion with entertaining lounge and kitchen; but Rick Musil, project manager for National Hydronics, views the project more as another successful collaboration in what is now a voluminous portfolio.

“Cressey and our firm have been working together for over 20 years,” he says. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that as soon as Cressey final-izes its drawings for a new project these days, it automatically contacts us — which is a huge compliment.”

Cadence is a rare case of a new residence whose construction challenges have been rela-tively easy to overcome. “It should be stressed that quality control is always high at a Cressey

cadence is a rare case of a new residence whose construction challenges have been relatively easy

to overcome


cover story

job site, because it is also the builder,” says Musil. “Cadence broke ground two years ago, and about the only significant task was ensur-ing watertight-ness in the solitary level below grade in the sandy terrain of Richmond. Once that was achieved, construction proceeded smoothly and is still progressing without any hiccups.”

National Hydronics, which has been a par-ticipating MCABC member since its incep-tion in 1973, provided a complete heating and plumbing mechanical package for the podium, two towers, and a series of 15 town-houses on the south side of the site, the latter built to fulfill Richmond’s affordable housing requirements.

“It was a generic package, and I say this be-cause the systems we provided and their config-uration have been proven to work well for earlier

Cressey projects, and therefore their usage here means we can be assured of achieving high lev-els of performance,” explains Musil, adding that in today’s fast-track construction market, when one wrong decision can lead to a domino effect of delays and extra spending, a proven way of doing things is the best option for any wise de-signer and builder.

But the plumbing and heating package Mu-sil refers to is for the podium and two towers; different mechanics were installed in the rental townhouses.

“We equipped those residences with electric baseboards and hot water tanks, whereas the condos were outfitted with heat pumps,” he says.

In Cadence’s common areas, the domestic water, district energy, and controls are DDC, with the capability of off site monitoring. “Again, this is the most efficient system for the type of high rise residences Cressey is build-ing,” says Musil.

As of May 2016, construction was at peak and required the attention of about 20 plumbing trades, six sprinkler specialists, eight sheet metal workers, “a few control guys, and a few pipe in-sulation experts. This is a big project with lots of targets to be met,” says Musil.

National Hydronics also provided Ca-dence with energy recovery systems. Elec-trical vaults and other heat loads are cooled through the use of the water source heat pumps; this rejected heat, which would nor-mally be exhausted into the atmosphere, will

...the domestic water, district energy, and controls are ddc....


cover story

in Cadence’s case be captured and used to preheat domestic water.

Another example of efficiency is Cressey’s im-plementation of an inspection process whereby each floor of the towers is completed, inspected, and defects corrected as work progresses on sub-sequent floors.

Musil remarks, “That’s typical of Cressey, and we do our testing after the concrete pours so that by the time homeowners move into their suites, there’s very little if any defects that have to be mended.”

Musil singles out Cressey project manager Jay Young and assistant project manager Nelson Quan, as well as mechanical engineer Jason White and his successor Rob Gregg of MCW Consul-tants Ltd. “for doing a fantastic job and maintain-ing a high level of professionalism.”

Already sold out even though the project won’t be completed until this summer, Cadence promises to advance the superior lifestyle that Richmond has become known for in the 21st century.

Musil, who has worked for National Hydron-ics for 36 years, pauses to summarize what a cli-ent like Cressey means for his firm. “Their name is synonymous with quality in Vancouver’s resi-dential market, and they’re the ideal client to have because we too have built our business based on quality and never walking away from a problem.

“Cadence joins a long list of memorable Cressey/ National Hydronics collaborations, including University Marketplace and The Elan, and we look forward to many more.” PM

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profile

by Tracey block

DELIvERING Quality Work

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Do you use social media yet? Well, maybe it’s time to start. New Era Plumbing & Heating Ltd. of Squamish, B.C. not only posts on Facebook and Twitter, but its blog keeps cli-ents, crew and apprentices current on proj-

ects, materials and monthly training workshops.Identical twins Kodi and Jhye Hopkins pride them-

selves on living up to the vision they chose for their company five years ago and strive to take advantage of everything 21st century technology can offer.

1665 Mathers Ave

Kings Plumbing finishing


profile

New Era Plumbing incorporates “old school values with a new-school mindset,” says Kodi, 31, the older of the twins by one minute. “We’ve been raised from a generation of hard workers and we’ve instilled that into our lives, while also fol-lowing with the times.”

According to Kodi, all their employees in the field use iPads, Dropbox [application], management pro-grams and Google Drive. “Everybody has access to real time work orders and changes,” he explains.

Since opening five years ago, the company has quickly grown to a 40-person crew.

“We started out as small, residential plumbers,” Kodi explains. “We ended up taking on residential homes and we grew into projects. Then we decid-ed to start an HVAC division.”

Aaron Loveless was brought in to specialize as New Era’s HVAC division manager and Kodi’s wife, Keli, also a part owner, works as its office administrator.

Since opening five years ago, the company has quickly grown to a

40-person crew.

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profile

The twins’ father, Brian, has owned a success-ful plumbing company for more than 30 years, making the work a part of the twins’ lives for as long as they can remember.

“We’d been going on job sites since we were two or three years old,” says younger twin Jhye. “Our dad even used to build us plumbing toys . . . so [it’s] been in our lives forever.”

The brothers have always been very close and completed their professional educations and ap-prenticeships alongside each other, attending BCIT.

“We took our plumbing levels one through four together and got our Red Seal tickets,” ex-plains Jhye. “That’s our gas tickets as well.”

The twins view New Era’s rapid growth from a staff of two to 40 as a testament to customer sat-isfaction, high quality workmanship and the suc-cess of word of mouth. “Now we’re the biggest mechanical company in the Sea to Sky corridor and the work just comes to us,” Kodi continues. “[But] we don’t just hire people to throw bodies on the job site. We look for people who want to make a career out of this.”

“We also keep ourselves very involved and do the estimating and quoting in the office,” adds Jhye. “With project managing — we’re on the site three or four days a week.”

The twins say they love jumping on new products as they come to market. “We go to the factory and to the wholesalers . . . to keep ourselves on the cutting edge of new technol-ogy,” says Kodi. “We’ve done the first reclaimed water system here in Squamish. We’ve done a lot of solar work.”

New Era’s flagship project was the Sea to Sky Gondola, says Jhye, where they were respon-sible for the mechanical side of the job. It was both interesting and challenging maneuvering the old service roads for the logging trucks.

“It was pretty cool getting the materials up there . . . 2,400 feet above sea level. And being the first people to be on the gondola,” he says.

“There were just so many aspects of that job that were not typical,” explains Jhye, “such as building a massive restaurant on top of a moun-tain.” The project took a lot of planning “since it crossed through three jurisdictions: the City of Squamish, the RMOW [Resort Municipality of Whistler] and the native lands.”

A large project New Era is just wrapping up proved to be one of its most challenging. “It’s

Sea to Sky Gondola

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called the Rainbow Plaza in Whistler and is set at all different heights,” explains Jhye.

Their work encompassed the project’s 66 units in three separate buildings set over vary-ing levels of parkade, a grocery store, four com-mercial units including a coffee shop, and a gas station across the street. “We pretty much have our name on that whole side of the hill,” says Jhye of the breadth of the company’s work.

A few setbacks included contractors not hav-ing enough information, adds Jhye. “We’re used to things going a little more smoothly. It all worked out in the end, but it was challenging in the process.”

New Era has its future sights set on the Squa-mish Oceanfront Development — a six-phase, 20-year project including hotels, apartments

and single-family units. “It’s basically going to be a Whistler on the water,” says Kodi. “We are definitely hoping to do a lot of work in that.”

Since becoming members of Mechanical Con-tractors Association of BC (MCABC) a year ago, “We’ve been soaking up their advice,” says Kodi. “As we grew bigger, it was time to join.”

In addition to MCABC advice and informa-tion, Kodi says he and his brother are benefit-ting by the professional development courses it offers. “We’ve done both estimating courses and are preparing to take an MCA management course this weekend or next.”

In the end, Kodi and Jhye say they also owe a big shout out to their father who they believe was a driving force behind their achievements. “For all his help and inspiration all these years,” says Kodi. “We have to thank him.” PM

Rainbow Plaza parkade

New era’s flagship project was the Sea to

Sky Gondola...

1 855 922 [email protected]

This Isn’tPractical This Isn’tPractical

Employee Benefits AREEmployee Benefits ARE


HVAC

m echanical contractors do have quite the challenge when it comes to pro-viding acceptable indoor air quality

to buildings. Balancing the needs of the building with the wants of clients/tenants do not neces-sarily always agree. Now when we introduce ef-forts to conserve energy, we have a new dynamic that complicates matters further.

As someone in the mechanical contracting business, you are likely knowledgeable in the fact that ventilation rates for buildings have fluctuated over the past 40 plus years and these fluctuations have largely been associated with energy savings concepts. In the late 70s and early 80s, ventilation rates dropped significantly which inadvertently created conditions that led to poor indoor air quality. Some experts have weighed in recently and have suggested that our present energy conservation efforts are repeat-ing the events of the 70s and 80s.

So what would be considered best practices for indoor air quality? Well that would vary de-pending upon the type of building. For larger and mid-sized office buildings, the primary best practice is regular and thorough preventative maintenance on the air handling systems. And this preventative maintenance effort is support-ed by a third party that conducts annual proac-tive indoor air quality testing. This testing is con-ducted to allow someone outside of the property management group or the mechanical contrac-tor to provide verification that the air handling systems are operating well. Or this testing proac-tively identifies issues in the building that can be addressed before concerns develop or escalate.

Considering all the buildings across the country that a mechanical contractor would conduct work on, the large and mid-sized buildings mentioned above likely only consti-tute a small percentage.

So for those smaller buildings or for buildings without full time maintenance staff, what can be done to ensure satisfactory indoor air quality is provided to the workers/tenants? The following is offered and is based on 25 plus years of assess-ing indoor air quality issues for a variety of build-ings and workplaces:

eduCation — WorkersWorkers are well versed in the operating and maintenance needs of air handling and mechani-cal equipment, but these workers should also be educated on indoor air quality and the variety of factors that affect workers/occupants.

eduCation — Clients/tenantsInforming clients and tenants about basic op-eration of the air handling system and indoor air quality could be very useful. If these clients and tenants understand the importance of managing moisture to ensure no mould develops or if they understand occupant density requirements, they would be able to help maintain acceptable indoor air quality themselves.

inspeCtions With doCumentationPart of your service does include inspections on air handling systems to ensure they are op-erational. But factors like bird droppings near air intakes, water inside of an air handling unit, closed outdoor air dampers, etc. are factors that adversely affect the indoor air quality and should be brought to the attention of clients/tenants in a proactive manner.

outdoor airOf course it is common knowledge that one of the primary purposes of the air handling system is to introduce adequate amounts of outdoor air, but we have observed countless situations where outdoor air dampers are closed completely or nearly fully closed. There are a variety of reasons for this but regardless of those reasons, it is a requirement that we introduce sufficient levels of outdoor air to accommodate the number of people occupying the space.

thermostat settingsWhen there are thermostat controlled rooftop HVAC units or ceiling space mounted heat pumps/fan coil units, this equipment usually cycles on/off depending upon the temperature demands for the space. From an IAQ perspective, these thermostats should be set to have the fan on at all times ensur-ing a consistent delivery of air versus the on/off op-tion when the fan is not operating.

ability to adjust supply air diffusersWhen ventilating systems are operating, many tenants/workers complain about drafts or cold air being directed at them and they become un-comfortable. That is a real challenge for HVAC maintenance workers. Consideration should be given to using supply diffusers where the “throw” can be adjusted so that air is not direct-ed towards workers. This would reduce the oc-currence of tenants taping over supply diffusers.

moisture ControlWhen it comes to mould, it is very important to firstly ensure moisture is managed - then mould would not occur. This is true for water leaks from windows and doors etc. but it is also true to moisture inside of HVAC units. Except for moisture on the coils or in the condensate drain pan/pipes, there should not be moisture inside an HVAC unit.

radonRadon has long been thought to have only been an issue for residential homes. However, recent experience has shown that 25 per cent of the commercial buildings tested resulted in radon levels higher than guidelines. Since radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (after ciga-rette smoking), these results suggest that me-chanical contractors should be facilitating radon testing for their clients/tenants.

Of course, not all of the above suggestions are practical for every building or every situ-ation. But we provided these “best practices” ideas utilizing our experience in addressing indoor air quality complaints from a variety of different buildings.

One of the Environmental Quality (EQ) credits buildings can obtain is an EQ Credit 1.1 and it requires a thorough IAQ audit, com-pliant with the US-EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM), to be completed. The audit is quite a comprehensive assessment and actually does not involve much testing of the indoor air qual-ity. The purpose of the audit is to determine the IAQ status of the subject building and associ-ated grounds by thoroughly assessing the basic conditions of the occupied spaces, mechanical systems, and exterior.

The information obtained from the I-BEAM audits has been quite interesting because a building that has been measured to have good IAQ still has a long list of items to address after the audit. Most of these action items are low or no-cost options. However, the lesson learned was that there is always room for improvement.

In summary, as buildings become more ener-gy efficient, focus still needs to be given to the indoor environment so that we do not repeat the past. PM

Michael Glassco is president of Sterling IAQ Consultants Ltd. in Vancouver.

IaQ and best practicesby Michael Glassco


safety

Providing workers with mental Safetyby leslee MonTGoMery

t he construction industry has always been a hard place to work. It is not only physically demanding but emotionally

demanding as well. Fuelled by an emotional ego, it is hard to fathom a worksite free from bullying and harassment but as Bob Dylan said “the times they are a changin”.

Research into the effects of workplace bullying and harassment began in the 1980s by a gentle-man in Sweden named Heinz Leymann who coined the term “mobbing” which referred to hos-tile and unethical communication at work. The 1990s saw countries like Germany, Finland, and Australia put systems in place to protect people who are targets of workplace bullying. And while Canada may take a hard stand against bullying in the classroom, the workplace is a different story.

To date there are only five provinces that have legislation in place to protect workers from workplace bullying and harassment. British Co-lumbia became the latest province to pass legis-lation in 2012 amending the Workers’ Compen-sation Act, opening the door for compensation for a mental disorder that is a reaction to being bullied and or harassed at the workplace. So what does this mean? Well ask anyone on the jobsite and they will string a sonnet of profan-ity together indicating we have to be nice to each other, but it is more than just being nice, it is about creating a workplace that is not only physically safe but is also mentally safe.

Mental Health Commission of Canada esti-mates “In any given year, one in five people in Canada experience a mental health problem or illness, with a cost to the economy of well in ex-cess of $50 billion” and that mental health issues “account for 30% of short- and long-term dis-ability claims” (http://strategy.mentalhealthcom-mission.ca/the-facts).

Since 2012, B.C. has accepted 1,227 lost time claims for mental disorders or syndromes (As-sociation of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada National Work Injury, Disease and Fatality Statistics 2012 – 2014), across Canada there have been 7,089.

So if we are starting to recognize there is a growing problem in our workplaces in providing mental safety, what are we doing about it? The first recommendation is to develop policies and procedures that provide respectful workplaces and secondly, employers will need to educate the employees. That is a tremendous start - there needs to be a system of accountability, everyone needs to understand the rules and be held ac-

countable for their actions. But is this enough? In my opinion, no. As a health and safety advi-sor I have read my fair share of cookie cutter Bullying and Harassment Policies and they all say the same thing. They generally outline what is considered unacceptable behaviour and what employees can do if they are experiencing on the job harassment as well as discussing the levels of

training each level of seniority must go through. The majority of training consists of a short dis-cussion at an orientation possibly followed up with a toolbox talk and nine times out of ten employees will say they are not confident in the system’s ability to support them with a bullying or harassment issue on site. It is estimated there are at least 500,000 construction workers in the province of B.C. putting on their work boots and the rest of their safety gear every day that walk into a verbal minefield of hostility and unethi-cal communication — that is too many workers walking into unsafe conditions daily.

Policies and procedures do nothing if we are un-able to communicate with one another and work

our differences out. For generations we have avoid-ed dealing with each other (presumably because we don’t understand how to articulate ourselves prop-erly). Instead of confirming with people what we understand or misunderstand, we fill in the blanks in our heads to something that sort of makes sense. We decide people are rude and not nice based on the fact that they don’t talk; when people upset us we scream and yell or go home and drink.

If we want to really make some headway with bullying and harassment, we first need to know how to communicate with one another, and we need to understand how to resolve conflict. Employers that invest time in their employ-ees by educating them on the fundamentals of communication skills needed in the workplace and basic conflict resolution are demonstrating sound knowledge and eliminating the hazard at the source. This is the basis of health and safety.

With no time in schedules and no money in the budget, how can we achieve this? Possibly too cliché, but every relationship needs trust, and for employees to trust, leadership from the top has to improve. When leadership steps up and sets the example it is not okay to pass jokes at someone else’s expense, then we will start to see a reduction in workplace bullying. PM

Leslee Montgomery has been a health and safety advisor in the construction industry for the past 10 years. Now as a professional coun-sellor her goal is to help make the workplace mentally safe as well. Contact her at [email protected].

Since 2012, b.c. has accepted 1,227 lost time claims for mental disorders

or syndromes.


safety scene

be Proactive about construction Site Safetyby Mike Mckenna

a lthough everyone on a construction site has a role to play when it comes to safety, it’s the prime contractor who

is ultimately responsible for having a system to ensure compliance with WorkSafeBC rules and regulations. It’s a challenging endeavour that involves coordinating all H&S activities; often, say those on the front lines, with little in terms of clear guidelines or policies to guide their efforts.

Thus the goal of the Prime Contractor Tech-nical Advisory Committee (PCTAC), which brings together representatives from COR-certi-fied prime contractors to share experiences and develop proactive strategies aimed at meeting compliance. Established in 2012 by the BC Con-struction Safety Alliance (BCCSA), an important focus of the committee is on identifying ways to work effectively with subcontractors to ensure they are able to fulfill their safety responsibilities.

For example, members have recently been alerting subcontractors to issues surrounding formwork engineering and Baker scaffolding, both of which must meet CSA standards, as required by WorkSafeBC. TAC Chair Jeff Lyth (also BCCSA’s senior safety advisor) says an up-tick in accidents prompted WorkSafeBC to step up inspections, which in turn resulted in some orders being written. The PCTAC, through its member companies, heard about the problems early on and spread the word quickly through their network of projects and trades contractors about the need to be in compliance.

“The goal was to bring attention to these mat-ters in a way that was proactive and cooperative rather than waiting for WorkSafeBC officers to visit and potentially cite violations,” says Lyth, adding that the committee’s work in this regard is a good example of how safety can be improved by proactively using the contracting chain to com-municate and address safety issues. “The network created by the PCTAC can quickly reach hun-dreds of trade contractors and their workers.”

Members are also actively encouraging subs to ensure their workers get basic safety training before they arrive on a site and, to that end, are recommending BCCSA’s CSTS-09 on-line safe-ty training — recognized industry-wide for pro-viding a solid grounding in construction safety. More widespread adoption of CSTS would not only help improve overall site safety, they say, but could make a big difference to both subs and primes in terms of cutting time and costs asso-

ciated with site safety orientations — an often frustrating component of compliance that can involve training hundreds or even thousands of workers, depending on the size of the project.

“Many orientations are detail heavy and often include information that may not be specific to the job at hand because the prime is trying to compensate as much as possible for those work-ers who have little or no safety training,” says David Kerr, safety manager with Polygon Con-struction. “I often hear complaints about how long the sessions take, the cost, and so on, but if a sub was to come to me with documentation that his workers have taken CSTS-09, I can revise the orientation to focus more on site-specific hazards. Imagine the difference to even a smaller employer over multiple workers and job sites.”

Jacqueline Spain, regional safety manager at ITC, agrees. “Everyone on a construction site needs basic safety training and the ideal would be for them to get it before they arrive. As it now stands, we are the front line and we have no choice but to provide the training. But work-ers with CSTS would be eligible for expedited sessions, and in some cases might be able to go straight to work.”

Both Kerr and Spain add that employers whose workers complete basic safety training have also taken the right step toward meeting their own due diligence requirements with re-spect to site safety, which could be important if an accident does happen. PM

Mike McKenna is executive director of the BC Construction Safety Alliance.

the Prime contractor technical

advisory committee...brings together

representatives from cOR-certified prime contractors to share

experiences and develop proactive strategies...


tool box

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integrated thermostatThe Stelpro KI thermostat for the smart home is the first ever Z-Wave line voltage thermostat in North America. KI thermostats can easily be integrated into the Z-Wave network of homes.

Cheater pipe WrenChMilwaukee’s Cheater Pipe Wrench is the first adaptable pipe wrench in the industry. Through its new-to-world, 3-length adaptable design, the wrench offers versatility on jobs that previously required multiple sizes of traditional pipe wrenches.

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association corner

2016 annual conference and aGm

t he MCABC Annual Conference and AGM was held April 29th and 30th at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort and Con-

ference Centre in Kelowna. The new 2016-2018 board of directors was elected and Dale Miller of Division 15 Mechanical is the incoming president. MCABC raised $1,510 from the Associates’ Night, ‘Casino Royale’ which was donated to The Central Okanagan Foundation (COF). COF is a public foundation created by and for the people of the community. Working with private donors, service clubs, businesses, and charitable organiza-tions, they stimulate charitable giving, establish permanent endowment funds, and support initia-tives that make ongoing differences to the com-munity and beyond.


association corner

uPcOmING eVeNtSfind complete events listing at www.mcabc.org/events

june 10 vancouver Golf Tournament Northview Golf Club, Surrey

june 15MCABC & BCEA okanagan Joint Golf Tournament Sunset Ranch, Kelowna

june 17 & 18 Business Management Module 3 & 4 (projects under $100,000) MCABC Burnaby Classroom

august 26 Island Golf Tournament olympic view, victoria

september 17 & 18 Estimating 101 MCABC Burnaby Classroom

september 21 CIPH & MCABC Joint Golf Tournament Meadow Gardens, Pitt Meadows

members corner

ECCO Manufacturing is pleased to announce the restructuring of their management team with the appointment of two new positions, Kevin Haine as director of manufacturing sales and Glen Bolger as director of manufacturing operations.

Earlier in the year Division 15 Mechanical Ltd. donated $12,860 to the Alzheimer Society. Funds were raised through the company’s an-nual Christmas charity drive. Div 15’s generous employees donated $6,420 which was matched by the company. A deserving charity is selected each year and in past years, the company has also supported: Covenant House, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, BC Children’s Hospital and the Cancer Society.

This year the Fraser Valley Golf Tournament will be raising funds for Holmberg House (Ab-botsford). The Vancouver Golf Tournament will be raising funds for Alzheimer’s Society of BC. The CIPH & MCABC Joint Golf Tourna-ment will also be raising funds for a charity of our members’ choice. Please send your choices to [email protected].

Advanced Mechanical Solutions www.div15mechanical.com

604‐214‐8730

t:604.942.0012


industry news

bC firm Wins ahr innovations aWardInternational Wastewater Systems Inc. (IWS) has received a 2016 AHR Expo Innovation Award for Green Building Innovation. The prod-uct recognized was the Piranha wastewater heat recovery heat pump, which is a self-contained heat pump that extracts thermal energy from wastewater for domestic hot water production. Other Innovation Award winners included: Aeroseal in the ventilation category; Accutrol in the building automation category; Spor-lan–Parker Hannifin in the cooling, tools and instruments categories; Victaulic in the heating category; Semco in the indoor air quality, and plumbing categories; Carel Industries in the refrigeration category; and Plasma Air Interna-tional in the software category.

The 2016 AHR Expo in Orlando, FL attracted nearly 61,000 people from 67 countries, includ-ing 3,500 Canadians. A highlight of the show, the Innovations Award competition, honoured inventive and original products, systems and technologies showcased at the event. Winners are chosen by a panel of third-party judges from ASHRAE.

prompt payment aCtThe Canada Prompt Payment Act has reached a second reading in the Senate of Canada. Bill S-244 will ensure contractors and sub-contrac-tors on federal construction projects are paid promptly.

Bill S-224 ensures that the government insti-tution must make progress payments to a con-tractor on a monthly basis, or at shorter intervals provided for in the respective contract. This pay-ment requirement is consistent down the con-tractual chain.

The bill also accounts for milestone payments, when applicable, and permits contractors the right to suspend work, terminate a contract and collect interest on late payment.

The legislation only covers contracts (and the sub-contracts of those contracts) with the feder-al government, as all other construction projects would fall under the purview of the respective provinces and territories.

The progress of the bill is being applauded by the National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada (NTCCC).

“Senator Plett has been a champion on this is-sue for our industry on Parliament Hill over the last several years. He is from our industry and he gets it,” said John Galt, chairman of the National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada. “This is a tremendous opportunity for Canada to join virtually every other country in the Western world that has some form of prompt payment legislation in place to address this worldwide problem.”

national Water Wise aWardThe Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating awarded WaterAid Canada with the inaugural Na-tional Water Wise Award to celebrate 2016 World Plumbing Day. This marks the beginning of a new awards program developed to recognize outstand-ing efforts to improve our relationship with water.

WaterAid Canada was selected because of its work to improve access to safe water, hygiene and toilets in the world’s poorest communities. The organization also stood out for its creative approach to raise awareness and connect with Canadians via traditional and social media. Wa-terAid operates in 37 countries across Africa, Asia, Central America and the Pacific region.

moving to solar poWerThe Alberta government is investing over $5 million to help municipalities make the move to solar power. This investment is part of Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan.

The Municipal Climate Change Action Cen-tre is receiving the money for its solar energy in-centive program entitled the Alberta Municipal Solar Program. This program provides rebates of up to $0.75 per watt to a maximum of $300,000 per project, to municipalities for installing solar on municipal buildings.

Additionally, a program entitled the On-Farm Solar Management Program has been designed for agricultural producers, however the program, which offered $500,000 in both provincial and federal funding for solar energy on Alberta farms, is presently suspended. “It will re-open later this year, however the exact opening date and budget are still unknown,” explained Kelly Lund, research engineer, On-Farm Energy Systems.

The investment is expected to create jobs in the project design and construction sectors, while supporting jobs and growth in the renew-able energy supply chain.

CagbC’s energy benChmarking guideThe Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) launched a national guidance document for provinces and local governments considering implementing an energy benchmark program within their jurisdiction.

Energy, Benchmarking, Reporting, and Disclosure in Canada: A Guide to a Common Framework sets parameters for what a consis-tent approach to energy benchmarking on a na-tional scale would look like. The paper’s goal is to drive municipalities across the country to es-tablish or enhance local energy benchmarking and reporting requirements, while simplifying the process of policy development and imple-mentation. It provides reliable data that will support the pursuit of strategic investments in achieving building improvements and helping to meet energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets.

The white paper highlights recommendations to all levels of government, utilities and associa-tions, in several key areas including:

• Program Administration: the key roles and tasks essential to program delivery, including the expected time and resource expenditures associated with each phase;

• Program Delivery: the steps and consider-ations necessary for building consistent, ef-fective energy benchmarking programs, from setting building thresholds to encouraging compliance;

• Data Quality Control: the challenges associat-ed with the collection of high quality building energy data, and recommendations for their resolution; and

• Building Industry Capacity, or identified needs, opportunities and recommendations for providing industry support and training.

telus garden aChieves leed platinumTelus Garden has achieved LEED Platinum certification, distinguishing it as one of North Amer-ica’s greenest buildings. Developed by Westbank with Telus, the project includes the 22-storey office tower (opened last fall) and a 47-storey residential tower that’s under construction (target-ing LEED Gold). TELUS Garden boasts a district energy system, reducing conventional energy demand by 80%, rainwater capture systems to irrigate gardens throughout the development and the city’s largest solar panel array, located on the office tower rooftop. Tenants include Amazon, Accenture and Capstone Mining.

2016-2018

MCABC BOARD MEMBERS

presidentDale Miller

Division 15 Mechanical Ltd.

vice president, lower mainland Richard McLatchie

Lockerbie & Hole Contracting Limited

vice president, lower mainlandBrian Bradshaw

Altac Services Inc.

vice president, lower mainlandMike ohlmann

fred Welsh Ltd.

executive vice presidentDana Taylor

secretary treasurer / past presidentWayne Davidson

Davidson Bros Mechanical Contractors

associates ChairmanMark Humphrey

Bartle & Gibson Co. Ltd.

associates vice-ChairmanJohn fu

Noble BC

directorBrad Haysom

Tight5 Insulation Contracting Ltd.

directorHenry DeJong

ESC Automation Inc

directorChad Kinsley

R.H Jones and Son Mechanical

director Stuart Morrison

Northland Mechanical

directorLen voon

Aarc-West Mechanical Insulation (2013) Inc.

directorAndrew Wong

Alpha Mechanical Contracting Ltd.

mira rep Mike vesterback

National Hydronics Group

imira rep Dave Erb

Erb Technical Contracting (victoria)

directorDan Taillefer

viaduct Sheet Metal Ltd.

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MCABC | Spring 2016