News Updates - November 14, 2012

New and Improved Specialized Finals Inspector Certification (SFI) Training
"The SFI certification program has been a great help to our jurisdiction"

The newest edition of the SFI will be available in January. The SFI certification was introduced last spring as part of the HB 3462 pilot project. The class filled up quickly and we have received continuing requests to reoffer it. BCD has evaluated the SFI program in recent months and with the information gained we will be making some major changes to our next offering of the certification. The idea is to provide a SFI course and requirements that are even more user friendly.

Steve Graham, city of Springfield, took our first SFI certification course and had this to say about it:
"The new certification is being used almost every day, usually with small projects, eliminating the inefficient two inspector inspections. Minor label inspections are being 'picked up' while conducting permitted inspections, eliminating a possible second trip, making the inspection process very efficient and convenient for both the jurisdiction and the property owner"

Beginning in January the certification will contain three segments. First the participant will take an updated online course put together by BCD experts using the Chemeketa Community College elearn system. The second part of the course will be a 2-3 day live course that will include questions and review. The live class will end with the final certification test. The third part, a live practicum, will also take place at the live session. At the end of this 2-3 day event the participants will have completed all the requirements for the certification. If they pass the exam and practicum they will receive a certificate at the end of the last day. This format will allow individuals to begin to use the new certification faster than has been possible in the past.

If you would like to get information on registering for this certification course please contact Aeron Teverbaugh at 503-373-1354.

New HB 3462 course for Permit Techs on Simple Plan Review

BCD has developed a course on simple over- the-counter plan review as part of the HB 3462 pilot program. Although this is not a certification course, it is part of a new effort by the division to allow permit support staff to perform simple over-the-counter reviews without obtaining full plans examiner certification. The division will be modifying administrative rules to exempt this work from certification. This class is a resource for jurisdictions wishing to take advantage of this new approach.

The course will use a blended learning method. Each topic will have a 20 minute instructional video that participants will have access to via our web site. After watching the video they complete an assignment. The video lectures and assignments will be available 24/7 for a week before a live virtual class session. During these live classes the instructor, Scott Caufield, will lead a discussion on the subject matter of the video lecture and participants will talk about the assignment. These sessions will also include activities and discussion around other related topics. The first portion of the course will deal with plan intake procedures, and the rest will concentrate on the 2011 Oregon Residential Specialty Code and specific types of simple plan review.

While future offerings may have a registration fee, BCD is excited to offer this initial course at no cost. However, we do want participants to understand that all students will be making a commitment to completing the whole course. The video lectures and live online sessions build on one another and there will be no time during the live class to catch people up.

The first of five video lectures will be available the week of November 26. The first live online class will take place on Tuesday, December 4, at 9:00 a.m. The other live virtual classes will be held at the same time on December 11, 18, January 8 and 15. You can register for the course online. We will email the web site URL where the videos and assignments are located on November 26. We will also send participants an invitation to the first live online class via email.

Please register as soon as possible. We will be taking registrations on a first come, first served basis. We will be keeping the registration at 30 for this course. If we have more registrations we will create a waiting list for another class in the spring. We are only allowing two registrations from each jurisdiction until November 26. If we don't have 30 students by that date, we will add additional participants. Also, if a student fails to participate in the first online class we will drop them and take someone off of the waiting list.

Thank you for your interest in this course. The response from our article last month was great. If you have any questions please contact Sherri West at 503-373-7509 or Aeron Teverbaugh at 503-373-1354.

Plumbing Board forwards FOG code amendments to public hearing

The Oregon State Plumbing Board, at it's October 18 meeting, approved proposed amendments to Chapter 10 of the 2011 Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code to go to public hearing. These changes are regarding grease inceptors for fats, oils, and greases (FOG). The public hearing will be held November 27 at 10:00 a.m. at the Building Codes Division.

These proposed amendments are a result of an agreement reached between wastewater treatment utilities, plumbing contractors, and the restaurant association. They are designed to benefit the wastewater utilities, contractors and building owners. These changes will support the statewide building code model, reduce confusion, and ultimately reduce the amount of FOG introduced into the wastewater collection system. Key changes proposed are:

• Removes discretionary language about installation of grease interceptors.

• Requires grease interceptors for food service establishments.

• Clarifies that the installation of grease interceptors falls under the plumbing code with the final code decisions made by the building official, or building official designee.

• Cleans up language about maintenance.

There were additional concerns raised during the process; but a consensus was not achieved with those issues and they were not included in these proposed amendments.

If these rules are adopted by the division, they are scheduled to become effective January 1, 2013.

For more information, contact Terry Swisher at 503-373-7488.

Reminder: Last chance for 2010 Oregon Energy
Efficiency Specialty Code (OEESC) course

The 2010 OEESC is still available during Chemeketa Community College's (CCC) fall quarter. This is the last chance to take this course; it will close for good December 8, 2012. Individuals holding the Commercial Building Inspector and/or Building Plans Examiners certifications were required to take a code change course covering the 2010 OEESC at some point during the code cycle. Please check your records and determine if you still need to take this course. If so, you need to register for the course on or before November 21 and complete it by December 8.

You can find out about registration for the course on our website.

If you need more information or have questions please contact Sherri West, training and public affairs coordinator, at 503-373-7509.

Code Adoption Process begins

The code adoption process for both the 2014 Oregon Structural Specialty Code (OSSC) and the 2014 Oregon Mechanical Specialty Code (OMSC) began on November 1, 2012. Interested parties may submit code change proposals through December 17, 2012. To review the public notice and listed criteria, please click on the above links for each code.

For additional information, please contact Richard Rogers at 503-378-4472.

A Smarter Electrical Grid for Oregon

By some estimates, the US power grid is the largest machine in the world. It is also an old machine. The average age of transformers is 42 years.

While Oregon's power grid provides the electricity that enables us to use the latest in electronic devices, it has been largely untouched by the digital revolution. The smart grid is an effort to modernize our aging analog, electromechanical infrastructure. It will do this through the use of smart, digital communication technology in order to:

• Deliver electricity more efficiently

• Increase grid reliability

• Better integrate renewable energy like wind and solar into the electrical grid

Even though the smart grid will not directly impact building codes and the construction industry, it will affect how homes and buildings that use energy.

For info on smart grid projects currently underway in Oregon check out the Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project or read the latest post on BCD's Better Buildings for Oregon blog.

Enforcement

Summary of enforcement cases presented
to the State Plumbing Board
Summary report: These cases were resolved by the division's enforcement section without going to a contested case hearing. No action was required by the State Plumbing Board.

Plumbing License Suspensions and Revocations