The following Position Statement is being distributed in Tallahassee to the legislators in the hopes of getting the journeyman issue passed. This statement is supported by all three organizations comprimising the FBSC.

FLORIDA BUILDING SAFETY COALITION


Position on Supervisor Licensure February 3, 2001


In a meeting February 3, 2001, at Orlando, the Florida Building Safety Coalition (FBSC) voted to encourage the Florida Legislature to reintroduce supervisor/journeyman licensing requirements statewide. By legislative action, licensing standards have been virtually eliminated throughout Florida. The elimination of these rules has caused a general decline in quality and has led to a largely untrained workforce installing systems, products, and materials that affect both life-safety and property value. Some evidence of this trend is apparent in the recent electrocutions in South Florida. Additionally, building departments are wasting vast amounts of manpower acting as supervisors and trainers for this new unskilled workforce.

It is the position of this Coalition that all jobsites should have at least one licensed tradesman in each of the mechanical trades (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) on-site, when work in that discipline is being performed. It is unreasonable to assume that one qualifier at a corporate office can effectively supervise workers that may number in the hundreds, at locations throughout the state or region. It is equally illogical to expect local building authorities to find every error or omission created by these installers in the limited amount of time that inspectors are on-site.

The member organizations of this Coalition believe the first step toward raising industry standards and creating a safer Florida is the creation of a statewide Supervisor Licensure program. A license either issued by the State or issued locally and accepted statewide without additional paperwork or processing would be a major step forward for the industry. Such a license would provide contractors with the ability to move manpower throughout the state as needed, but would provide some assurance to the public that a competent tradesperson would be overseeing the installation in the field. The license could be issued in keeping with existing journeyman licensing criteria, adopted at the state level, such as completion of an approved training program and/or standardized examination.

The Florida Building Safety Coalition is a common cause entity comprised of the Building Officials Association of Florida, the Florida Association of Plumbing, Gas & Mechanical Inspectors, and the Florida Division of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors. The Coalition supports dialogue on issues of mutual importance among the three member groups relative to the health, safety and welfare of Florida’s citizens. The members of this Coalition and its supporting organizations are available to provide any assistance needed to help develop and implement new standards to protect the lives and property of Florida’s residents and visitors.