Wisconsin Construction Codes Report, June 2002, Safety and Buildings Division The WCCR is a monthly publication of the Safety and Buildings Division, Wisconsin Department of Commerce, delivered to about 13,000 readers - people who hold S&B plumbing, POWTS, and fire sprinkler credentials, to local inspectors, and to fire departments. Subscriptions are also available. May's WCCR provided a number of WebSite addresses that won't work if you type them as printed. The ending ".html" was left off some of the Internet addresses listed. You may choose the number of the article titles listed here, or scroll down:
1. Renewed credential cards may not be mailed by the end of June
2. Plan submittal during transition to new July 1 Wisconsin CBC
3. Building inspector supervisors set, districts adjusted
4. New services are pluses in plan review processes (Emailing plan review letters - Internet plan review status check)
5. Certified Municipalities
6. Credential Questions
7. Contact information for plan review submittals
8. C&I Safety Continuing Education Advertisement (PDF file)
9. Send an email if you wish to be notified when the latest Wisconsin Construction Codes Report is available on the S&B WebSite
10. Governor proclaimed state Pool Safety Week
11. Swimming pool Q&A is on the WebSite
12. Education could lead to advancement for JPs
13. Plan Review Scheduling
14. Buy your combination of Wisconsin Commercial Building Code and model codes
15. The Plumbing Products Register will be updated monthly on the Internet, will be printed less often
16. Email technical questions to:

1. Renewed credential cards may not be mailed by the end of June
Some Spring credential renewals may be late in getting processed by the Safety and Buildings Division. The S&B Credentialing Unit has shrunk by half because of retirements, moves to other jobs, and a freeze on filling vacant positions. The division expects a backlog in processing the response from customers to the large number of credential renewals that were mailed in mid-May. Credential holders and inspectors should know that renewed credential cards may not be mailed by the end of June. (Please note: If many individuals start telephoning to check credential status, the telephone time will further reduce staff processing time.) You can check credential status on the S&B WebSite, http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-CredentialStatusCheck.html. The individual credential check provides computer records up to the date of the check. It will be the first sign that the renewal has been processed. The category-by-category lists of card holders will not be current in reporting renewals. The date of the lists will be noted on the index of lists. Credential categories with June 30 expiration dates include a variety of inspectors, fire sprinkler personnel, soil testers, and electricians. S&B has put a priority on processing new applications and exam requests in the shortest possible turn-around time. 2. Plan submittal during transition to new July 1 Wisconsin CBC
by Randy Baldwin, Bureau of Integrated Services Director, rbaldwin@commerce.state.wi.us, 608-267-9152 The Safety and Buildings Division expects a rush of building plans to be submitted just prior to the July 1, 2002 Commercial Building Code change. S&B also expects that initial new code submittals after July 1 will require more review and consultation time, and probably a higher percentage of re-submittal reviews. We anticipate a review backlog in July, thus we need submitters' help in prioritizing the review of projects, to minimize the effects of the backlog. Please do not make an unnecessary appointment for post-July 1 projects just for the purpose of staying under the current code. If your plan is received prior to July 1 (scheduled or not), it will be reviewed under the current code. If your project is further down the road, you don't want to use up a pre-July 1 scheduled plan review slot that someone with a more pressing project could use. When sending in plans without an appointment, indicate at the top of the form or on a cover letter your desired plan review date (based on estimated project start time minus a couple of weeks in case there is a hold). This will allow us to juggle the plan reviews to meet your needs. Use the proper forms. Especially near the end of June, it will be important to use the new July 1 application form if you are submitting for plan review under the new July 1 code. The July 1, 2002 new submittal kit forms are on the WebSite, http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-Form Submittal KitContents.html. If you have a pre-scheduled plan review, be sure to include the transaction number you were given when making the appointment. Plans received without transaction numbers are typically set aside until the scheduled plans are processed and then scheduled to the next available reviewer. It is important to pay special attention to detail. Fill out the forms correctly. Double check to be sure all needed calculations are included. Do an extra scan of the plans for completeness and compliance. Ship early to avoid mail delays.

3. Building inspector supervisors set, districts adjusted
Brian Ferris is now supervisor of Safety and Buildings Division Commercial Building Inspectors in the western part of Wisconsin. The supervisor for the inspectors in the eastern part of the state is Mark Stevenson. Contact information for the two supervisors and for all the inspectors, some of which have had their districts adjusted, is on the inspectors' districts map, http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-CommercialBuildingsInspectorsDistricts Map.html. 4. New services are pluses in plan review process
Emailing plan review letters
Plan review letters are being emailed to customers who have email addresses on file in the Safety and Buildings Division plan review computer system. Submitters, as well as municipal agents, health officials, and state inspectors, are emailed notification of plan review letters as soon as the reviewer creates the letters. This reduces the amount of time it takes to get information to the recipients, compared to processing paper mail. Hard copies of the letters are not being sent, if the email address is available, other than final action letters of conditional approval, attached to the approved plans' index. The email information is provided to the division via the plan review application form. Or, someone can submit their address by sending a message to madisonsch@commerce.state.wi.us. Indicate the subject as EMAIL ADDRESS and include the customer number. Internet plan review status check
To provide customers with the ability to check the status of plan reviews, S&B has created an Internet plan review status check service. By entering their customer number in a search field, submitters can see the status in S&B records of their projects, including those in the recent past (up to four days prior). To access this feature, go to the S&B WebSite, http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-DivReviewStatusSearch.html. 5. Certified Municipalities
Some municipalities in Wisconsin have authority to do plan review, inspections, and otherwise carry out code-related functions as delegates of the Department of Commerce. For information and a list of current delegated municipalities, see the S&B WebSite, http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-Commercial BuildingsCertifiedMunicipalities.html.

6. Credential Questions
If you have questions concerning the status of licenses, certifications, or registrations administered by the Safety and Buildings Division, information is on the S&B WebSite, http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-CredentialStatusCheck.html. You may aslo contact the Credentialing Unit, 608-261-8500, madisoncred@commerce.state.wi.us. 7. Contact information for plan review submittals To schedule an appointment (commercial/multifamily buildings):

FAX: 24 hr. toll-free number for appointment scheduling, 877-840-9172 Email: madisonsch@commerce.state.wi.us

For application forms:

On the S&B WebSite (choose "Forms" on left of screen):

Call any of the offices. Info about next available review appointment: http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-DivDailyDoc.html 8. C&I Safety Continuing Education Advertisement 9. Send an email if you wish to be notified when the latest Wisconsin Construction Codes Report is available on the S&B WebSite
The Safety and Buildings Division is setting up an email list to inform message recipients when the WCCR is on the S&B WebSite. People who wish to receive a monthly email notice, can send a request to Todd Taylor, S&B WebSite Manager, ttaylor@commerce.state.wi.us. Please include your name in the request as well as a typed email address. Free issues to "Frequent Submitters" will be discontinued
A request is especially important to a number of people who have been receiving the WCCR free due to their status as what S&B considered a "frequent submitter" of commercial building plan reviews. The June 2002 WCCR will be the last free edition sent to this group, about 500 people who had submitted more than five building plan review submittals in a year. Subscriptions for the WCCR may be ordered from S&B Material Orders, PO Box 2509, Madison, WI 53701. The cost is $20 for one year. Please be sure to include name and mailing address with your check., and identify what you are ordering. Some people who have received the WCCR free will need to either subscribe to receive a paper copy, or use the WebSite copy, www. commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-DivPublications. Individuals or groups who will continue to receive the WCCR free via the mail:
PPeople who hold one or more of 29 credentials administered by S&B*.
PEach of the public fire departments in the state. *Automatic Fire Sprinkler Contractor / Journeyman Automatic Fire Sprinkler Fitter License / Automatic Fire Sprinkler System Apprentice / Automatic Fire Sprinkler Contractor - Maintenance / Automatic Fire Sprinkler Fitter-Maintenance / Automatic Fire Sprinkler System Tester / Boiler - Pressure Vessel Inspector /Commercial Building Inspector / Commercial Electrical Inspector / UDC - Construction Inspector / UDC - Electrical Inspector / UDC - HVAC Inspector / UDC-Plumbing Inspector / Soil Erosion Inspector / Elevator Inspector / POWTS Inspector / Rental Weatherization Inspector / POWTS Maintainer / Master Plumber / Master Plumber - Restricted Service /Master Plumber - Restricted Appliance / Journeyman Plumber /Journeyman Plumber - Restricted Service / Journeyman Plumber - Restricted Appliance / Plumbing Apprentice / Plumbing Learner-Restricted Appliance / Plumbing Learner-Restricted Service / Soil Tester / Cross Connection Control Device Tester

10. Governor proclaimed state Pool Safety Week
The Wisconsin Swimming Pool Safety Week was proclaimed as May 19-25, 2002 by Governor Scott McCallum. (The proclamation came after the printing dealine of the May WCCR.) This was the first such proclamation. This effort to raise the public's awareness of pool safety was brought about by the governor's office, the Safety and Buildings Division and its Pool Advisory Code Council, and the Department of Health and Family Services. A brochure advocating safety around swimming pools was developed by the groups. The brochure will be available on the S&B WebSite, http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-DivPublications.html. S&B does plan review of public swimming pool construction and DHFS licenses operation of the pools. There are over 3,000 licensed public swimming pools/water attractions in Wisconsin, and the numbers are growing. For more information, contact Lynita Docken, S&B Public Swimming Pool Program Manager, Ldocken@commerce.state.wi.us, 608-785-9349. Information on the S&B Pool Program is on the S&B WebSite, http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-SwimmingPoolsProgram.html 11. Swimming pool Q&A is on the WebSite
Questions and answers about technical aspects of Comm 90, the Wisconsin Public Swimming Pool Code, are now posted on the Safety and Buildings Division WebSite, http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-Swimming PoolsProgram.html. Similar to the Plumbing Technical Database Report, the swimming pool information is code technical details shared by S&B staff and now made available to interested customers. The information will be updated irregularly, as S&B staff discuss pool code matters and provide written answers. (P.S. The Plumbing program technical Q&A is linked from the Plumbing Program page, http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-PlumbingProgram.html. 12. Education could lead to advancement for JPs
by Lynita Docken, S&B Plumbing Program Manager New educational opportunities might be created for journeyman plumbers interested in advancing their education and possibly changing their process for becoming master plumbers. With the plumbing industry becoming more complicated, it is said by some that it is difficult for apprenticeship instructors to cover the entire needed curriculum. On the other hand, once someone attains the level of journeyman, it's a "wait for three years, then test" process to become a master plumber. The state Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards of the Department of Workforce Development (BAS) is investigating whether providing more optional education for JPs might advance their skills and give them a leg up on becoming MPs. The Wisconsin Technical College System and Safety and Buildings Division staff are working with BAS in the consideration of such a new program. As the first step, a survey will be sent to a statistically significant number of journeyman and master plumbers, asking them to evaluate the education and skills needed for their work. The survey will take about an hour to complete and the people responding will be eligible to receive one hour of continuing education credit. I strongly encourage professional JPs and MPs receiving the survey to fill it in and return it. It will be a value for the plumbing industry. (Councils from the three agencies previously mentioned - the Plumbing Licensing Council, the Plumbing Advisory Code Council, and the State Plumbing Apprenticeship Committee - for the first time ever held a joint meeting, and decided to support the consideration of a journeyman plumber voluntary educational program.) If you have questions or input concerning educational or licensing process changes, contact Lynita Docken, S&B Plumbing Program Manager, Ldocken@commerce. state.wi.us, 608-785-9349. 13. Plan Review Scheduling
For plan review scheduling for Plumbing and Buildings, you can fax a scheduling request to S&B. Please fax completed first two pages of plan review submittal forms to (toll free) 877-840-9172. (Information about the project is needed to schedule the plan review.) You can request the review be scheduled in a specific office or you can schedule the first appropriate plan review available statewide. You may also schedule a review online, http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-DivScheduling.html. Plan review for Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact one of the offices for information. For info on what scheduling dates are available in each office, see http://www.commerce. state.wi.us/SB/SB-DailyDoc.html. 14. Buy your combination of Wisconsin Commercial Building Code and model codes
Order your two-volume set of Comm 61 - 65, Wisconsin's recently adopted new Commercial Building Code, with relevant provisions of the International Code Council model codes! Each two-volume set costs $200, including shipping and handling. The enrolled code has all the needed provisions of the International Building Code, International Energy Conservation, International Mechanical Code, and International Fuel Gas Code, without unneeded text not relevant to Wisconsin. For more information, contact Roberta Ward, rward@commerce.state.wi.us, 608-266-8741, or look online, http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-CommercialBuildings CodeAdoptionEnrolled.html. 15. The Plumbing Products Register will be updated monthly on the Internet, will be printed less often
The Wisconsin Plumbing Product Register is a catalogue of plumbing products in seven categories, products which must be individually approved by Safety and Buildings Division staff before they can be sold or installed for use in a plumbing system in Wisconsin: 1. Chemical or Biochemical treatments for POWTS; 2. Health care plumbing appliances; 3. Laboratory plumbing appliances; 4. Prefabricated holding or treatment components for POWTS; 5. Prefabricated plumbing; 6. Water treatment devices; 7. Products not specifically addressed in the plumbing code. The WPPR is available on the S&B WebSite, http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-Pubs PlumbingProductsRegister.html. Beginning in May, 2002, the WebSite will be updated monthly, rather than quarterly, to provide more timely information. The publication will now be printed and distributed three times per year, in March, July, and November, for subscribers and for free to people having Plumbing or POWTS Inspector credentials with S&B. Previously, the WPPR was printed four times a year. A year's subscription can be purchased by sending $25 to: Safety and Building Material Orders Distribution, PO Box 2509, Madison, WI 53701. Please note what you are ordering and provide your name and address. The subscription will begin with the issue mailed after the subscription is entered in S&B's mailing database. In other words, subscriptions sent close to one of the mailing dates may not receive the immediately following issue.

16. Email technical questions to: - Commercial buildings, Comm 50-64, 66, 69, bldgtech@commerce.state.wi.us - Fire protection systems, fireprotech@commerce.state.wi.us - Plumbing, cross connection, plbgtech@commerce.state.wi.us - Private onsite wastewater treatment, powtstech@commerce.state.wi.us - Public swimming pools, pooltech@commerce.state.wi.us - Building and plumbings products, productech@commerce.state.wi.us - Licenses, certifications, registrations, madisoncred@commerce.state.wi.us - Manufactured/mobile homes, manf-homes@commerce.state.wi.us - One- and Two-family Dwelling Code, udctech@commerce.state.wi.us