Pipe laying work includes measuring and designing pipe routes, digging trenches, removing, and installing pipes and repairing pipes for water mains, sewers, and drains. Pipe layers can work on civil, commercial, and domestic jobs.

Industry award coverage

An industry award can cover a pipe layer labourer if:

• their employer operates in the industry defined in the award
• there's a classification which matches the employee’s duties and qualifications.

Pipe laying work will most likely fall within the building or plumbing industry.

If further guidance is required, employers and employees may need to seek independent advice about the exact nature of the business.

Building Award

The Building Award covers employers doing general building and construction, civil construction, and metal and engineering construction, and their employees. This can include the construction, repair and maintenance of fittings and services to buildings, pipe tracks and sewerage works done as part of construction work.

Example

Shaun works for an employer that installs concrete sewer pipes for municipal councils. He marks out pipe tracks using engineering maps, digs trenches, lays, and connects concrete pipes to pump pits.

Shaun’s employer does civil construction work. Shaun is covered by the Building Award.

Plumbing Award

The Plumbing Award covers employers and employees in the plumbing industry. Pipe layers who aren’t qualified plumbers are classified as plumbing labourers. Plumbing labourers assist licensed plumbers who are doing plumbing work for a plumbing business. They work on-site or in connection with buildings or structures, pipework, and materials which has usually been fixed by plumbers.

Example

Sherri works as a pipe layer for a company that does domestic plumbing. She assists the licensed plumbers, who oversee all her work.

Sherri digs trenches and lays pipe for water and sewerage services to be run from the public road to the customer’s house. She assists the plumbers in connecting the pipe to the building.

Sherri’s employer is in the plumbing industry. She’s covered by the Plumbing Award.