Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 260 - Department of Labor and Training › Chapter 30 - Workforce Regulation and Safety › Subchapter 15 - Professional Regulation › Part 2 - Bureau of Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians, Sprinklerfitters, Sheet Metal Workers and Oil Heat Contractors › Section 260-RICR-30-15-2.3 - Definitions

Current through June 14, 2024
A. For the purposes of these regulations,
				 except as provided below, the following terms shall have the following
				 meanings:
1. "Air" means all air supplied to
				 mechanical equipment and appliances for combustion, ventilation, cooling
				 exhausting, etc.
2. "Air
				 distribution system" means any system of ducts, plenums, and air-handling
				 equipment that circulate air within a space or spaces and include systems made
				 up of one or more handling units.
3. "Air exhaust" means air being removed from
				 any space, appliance, or piece of equipment and conveyed directly to the
				 atmosphere by means of openings or ducts.
4. "Air makeup" means air that is provided to
				 replace air that is being exhausted.
5. "Apprentice" means a person employed with
				 a sponsor receiving skilled training under a written agreement which provides
				 specific terms of apprenticeship and employment including, but not limited to
				 wage progression; specific hours of job training processes; hours and courses
				 of school instruction which satisfactory completion thereof provides
				 recognition as a qualified professional, technical, craft or trade worker.
a. Shall be at least 18 years old.
b. Shall be working at the business of
				 pipefitting, refrigeration, air conditioning, sprinkler fitting or sheet
				 metal.
c. Shall be sponsored
				 (employed) by a licensed Master Contractor.
d. Shall be under the direct supervision of a
				 licensed Master or Journeyperson.
e. Minimum of 4,000 hours (2) year program to
				 10,000 hours (5) year program of on the job training with a minimum of 144
				 hours of trade related schooling per year. The apprentice shall be registered
				 in a Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training approved apprenticeship
				 program.
f. Two (2) years of school
				 in an accredited institution recognized by the Rhode Island Department of Labor
				 and Training may be deducted from the apprenticeship program.
6. "Apprentice pipefitter" or
				 "Ap-P" means a person who is engaged in learning the trade of pipefitting by
				 working with and assisting a qualified journeyperson on heating systems,
				 process piping and steam systems. This person shall be indentured to a Master
				 Pipefitter who shall have an approved registered program with the State of
				 Rhode Island and shall conform to R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 28-27.
7. "Apprentice refrigeration" or "Ap-R" means
				 a person who is engaged in learning the trade of refrigeration by working with
				 and assisting a qualified journeyperson on the installation and service of
				 refrigeration and air conditioning systems. This person shall be indentured to
				 a Master Refrigeration Technician who shall have an approved registered program
				 with the State of Rhode Island and shall conform to R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter
				 28-27.
8. "Apprentice combination"
				 or "Ap-C" means a person who is engaged in the trade of pipefitting and
				 refrigeration by working with and assisting a qualified journeyperson on
				 heating systems, process piping, steam systems, and all types of refrigeration
				 and air conditioning systems. This person shall also work on large systems such
				 as absorption and centrifugal units to qualify for this classification. This
				 person shall be indentured to a Master Pipefitter and Refrigeration Master or a
				 Master Mechanical Contractor. They shall have an approved registered program
				 with the State of Rhode Island and shall conform to R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter
				 28-27.
9. "Apprentice sprinkler
				 fitter" or "Ap-S" means a person who is engaged in learning the trade of
				 sprinkler fitting working with and assisting a qualified journeyperson on
				 sprinkler systems. This person shall be indentured to a Master Sprinkler Fitter
				 who shall have an approved registered program with the State of Rhode Island
				 and shall conform to R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 28-27.
10. "Apprentice sheet metal" or "Ap-SM" means
				 a person who is engaged in learning the trade of sheet metal installations
				 working with and assisting a qualified journeyperson on sheet metal
				 installations. This person shall be indentured to a Master Sheet Metal
				 Contractor who shall have an approved registered program with the State of
				 Rhode Island and shall conform to R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 28-27.
11. "Class II restrictions on ratios" means a
				 company shall be permitted to train one (1) apprentice per two (2) properly
				 licensed persons for on-the-job training. Exception, sheet metal class ll has a
				 one (1) apprentice per one (1) properly licensed person for on the job
				 training. Properly licensed individuals may be a combination of Rhode Island
				 Licensed Masters or Journeypersons.
12. "Direct supervision" means that the Class
				 II licensed individuals shall be working with a Master Class I or Class II, or
				 licensed individual with a Journeyperson Class I or Class II license.
13. "Installation" means the handling, moving
				 or locating of any device equipment or material referring to the heating,
				 cooling, process piping, sheet metal or sprinkler fitter industry. This does
				 not mean to refer to the final resting place for hook up, but refers to any
				 stage of the handling of said above equipment or material to where the final
				 location may be for the piping of the equipment.
14. "Lapsed license" means if a license has
				 lapsed for a period of less than two (2) years, said license may be reinstated
				 upon payment of all license fees, which are due to the Division of Professional
				 Regulation. If licenses are not renewed before the two (2) years have lapsed,
				 the applicant will be subjected to re-examination. However, in the case of
				 military service personnel, who are licensees, their validity will continue for
				 the duration, not to exceed four (4) years.
15. "Louver, architectural" means an opening
				 provided with one or more slanted fixed fins that does not provide for any air
				 movement, for aesthetic purposes only.
16. "Louver, mechanical" means a finned or
				 vaned device to provide air.
17.
				 "Maintenance" means preserving or repairing anything that exists. Maintenance
				 does not cover the replacement of piping or equipment, which is normally
				 covered under R.I. Gen. Laws §
											28-27-28,
				 entitled "Practices for which a license is required". Also as referred to in
				 R.I. Gen. Laws §
											28-27-29(b).
18. "Natural ventilation" means the movement
				 of air into and out of a space through intentionally provided openings, such as
				 windows or doors or through non-powered ventilators.
19. "Outdoor opening" means a door, window,
				 louver or skylight openable to the outside atmosphere.
20. "Pipefitter" means a person employed as a
				 pipefitter. The work of a pipefitter includes laying out piping systems for
				 their construction and installation; supporting pre-fabricated items;
				 assembling equipment and appurtenances (both new and existing), maintaining the
				 systems and equipment; Systems may include steam, condensation, air, gas,
				 chemical, hydraulics, lubrication, heating and process piping.
21. "Process" means any piping used in a
				 system, which results in a series of actions or operations directed toward a
				 particular result. Examples are, the manufacturing of a product, water and
				 waste water treatment plants or the generating of energy.
22. "PJF" means Pipefitter Journeyperson
				 Fuel.
23. "Service" means work
				 performed by properly licensed and qualified tradespersons. As referred to in
				 R.I. Gen. Laws §
											28-27-29(c).