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Plumbing product and qualification standards
The American Society of Sanitary Engineering is an ANSI Accredited developer of both product and professional qualification standards which encompass all aspects of the plumbing industry. From its beginnings in 1906 to the present day, the ASSE is dedicated to protecting public health. ASSE's product performance standards, professional certifications and product listing programs have been developed in the interest of their motto, "Prevention Rather Than Cure."
The American Society of Sanitary Engineering owes its beginning to Mr. Henry B. Davis, Chief Plumbing Inspector for the District of Columbia. In 1906, Mr. Davis believed it was vital that plumbing practices in the United States be standardized to protect the nation’s health and welfare. One of the first goals of the Society was to “formulate regulations for a consistent and uniform modern sanitary advancement of plumbing.” This led to the development of “The National Plumbing Code.”
Today, ASSE has over fifty published product standards with many more standards in the development stages. ASSE also has three professional qualifications standards for the plumbing and pipefitting industries - the ASSE/ANSI Series 5000, Cross-Connection Control Professional Qualifications Standard, the ASSE/ANSI Series 6000, Professional Qualifications Standards for Medical Gas Systems Personnel and the ASSE/ANSI Series 7000, Professional Qualifications Standards for Plumbing-Based Residential Fire Protection Systems Installers and Inspectors. The ASSE/ANSI Series 5000 is the only voluntary consensus standard for backflow prevention professionals in the United States.
ASSE’s product standards are minimum performance requirements for component parts of the plumbing system. These standards detail how a product is intended to function under normal operating conditions, not how it is designed or manufactured. This led to the development of the Product Listing (Seal) Program in 1964, with the first listing granted in 1965. This program has proved to be a help to both manufacturers and local plumbing officials. Today, the Product Listing Program has continued to grow internationally and continues to promote ASSE’s motto “Prevention Rather Than Cure”.
The next program that ASSE established was the Professional Certification program. ASSE is a third party certifier, certifying individuals to the professional qualifications standards. Cross connection control professionals may be certified to one or more of the standards within the Series 5000 Standard. Individuals may also be certified as an Installer and/or Inspector within the Series 7000 Standard for Plumbing-Based Residential Fire Protection Systems. Each individual must pass both a written and a practical examination on the criteria established in the course outline.
Throughout its history, ASSE’s motto, “Prevention Rather Than Cure” has guided the Society’s activities in a wide range of programs designed to educate the industry and the public on the necessity of correct plumbing installations.