Jack Webster

Jack Webster

Before TABB holds its first conference, SNIPS sits down for a conversation with Jack Webster, director of TABB certification. Webster talks about the TABB program, its standards and the benefits of being a TABB-certified contractor.

SNIPS: What is the TABB Certification and when was the certification developed?

Webster: The Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau Certification of a contractor or supervisor certifies that the contractor or supervisor has all the necessary resources, competence and integrity to test, adjust, and balance building environmental systems as well as to uphold the design objective to maintain optimum system performance. The TABB certification for contractors and supervisors was introduced on July 1, 2001.

SNIPS: Who funds and administrates TABB?

Webster: TABB is funded by a man-hour contribution provided by every rank-and-file Sheet Metal Worker. TABB is administered by the National Energy Management Institute Committee, or NEMIC, which is a labor/management committee trust fund established by the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA).

SNIPS: Who determines TABB policies and curriculum? Why?

Webster: The International Certification Board (ICB) determines TABB's policies. The ICB establishes standards for international certification programs in the Sheet Metal Industry. It also implements certification programs for contractors and supervisors, via particular bureaus. One of those bureaus is TABB. The ICB is a sub-committee of the National Energy Management Institute Committee; both entities are made up from members of SMWIA and SNACNA. The curriculum is established by SMACNA, SMWIA, and their International Training Institute (ITI). TABB is confident that this provides the most comprehensive certification program on the market and maintains the high level of integrity that TABB expects from its contractors and supervisors. As a result, the certification ensures that the building owner will get the maximum effort from a company certified by TABB.

SNIPS: What are the primary goals of TABB and what sets this certification apart?

Webster: The primary goal of TABB is to ensure that an owner will get his or her facility tested, adjusted, and balanced, as well as meeting or exceeding the specifications established by the engineering firm. To become a certified technician, supervisor and contractor, all individuals have to meet TABB's established standards, and procedures. With TABB's checks and balances in place, no other organization can meet its stringent criteria.

SNIPS: How can a HVAC contractor become TABB certified? What are the minimum requirements?

Webster: To become certified, contractors must first be signatory to a collective bargaining agreement that provides for contributions, directly or indirectly, to NEMIC. Second, they need to employ at least one TABB certified supervisor on a full time basis and at least one TABB certified technician (ITI-TABIC-SMARTA). Contractors must also own and maintain all testing, adjusting and balancing equipment and instruments per the current TABB list, and maintain the standard calibration.

Next, they must possess and use all required manuals, forms and procedures per the current list and must follow the criteria of the customer satisfaction procedure, as established in TABB's certification manual (appendix 3B). In addition, contractors must have been in business for at least 12 consecutive months and can demonstrate (to TABB's satisfaction) competence and integrity in the balancing industry and must be able to furnish 5 references from local architects, building owners, or consulting engineers. Finally, contractors must demonstrate a history of balancing work that conforms to TABB standards and must pay reasonable application and certification fees to TABB.

SNIPS: Where are the training facilities located and what training is mandatory?

Webster: Currently there are 7 performance facilities and another 7 in the process along with 162 Journeyman Apprentice Training Centers (JATC'S) across the U.S. and Canada. The 7 completed labs are: Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Jose, Calif. and Seattle. The facilities in the process of being developed are in: Pittsburgh, Hartford, Conn., Kansas City, Mo., St. Louis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., Milwaukee, and Brewster, NY.

The training includes the basic and advanced testing and balancing curriculums, which are then followed by an average of 160 hours hands on training.

SNIPS: What are the benefits of becoming TABB certified technician, supervisor or contractor?

Webster: The true benefit of becoming TABB certified is knowing that you have become a member of an elite group of individuals who hold the balancing field in the highest regard. This is because you are asked to sign a Code of Conduct to confirm your consistency with TABB procedures, always to provide the highest quality of workmanship to the owner, as well as to meet TABB standards with integrity and honesty.

SNIPS: What mechanisms are in place to ensure a quality assured tested, adjusted and balanced HVAC system?

Webster: Both the TABB Code of Conduct and the Customer Satisfaction Procedure will ensure quality testing, adjusting, and balancing. The Code of Conduct's purpose is to document that a contractor and his or her technicians balance an HVAC system in an orderly, systematic, well-documented manner and that reports are checked by a TABB certified supervisor.

The TABB Customer Satisfaction Procedure has been put into place so that if a dispute does arise, all complaints (if any) can be resolved in a prompt and fair manner that preserves TABB's reputation for integrity.

SNIPS: What can happen when TAB work is improperly performed?

Webster: A major problem that can occur is the lack of a baseline set to ensure the HVAC system is working as designed. When an HVAC system is not operating in accordance to the specifications, the consumer is burdened with higher energy costs 24/7, and mold/IAQ problems can arise. When this occurs, building owners are faced with tenant complaints, losing tenants as well as facing the expense of acquiring new tenants.

The first place you look when there are mold and IAQ problems is to see if the HVAC system is operating correctly. However, without accurate documentation as a back up, a building owner can be held liable if litigation arises. TABB's quality assurance program addresses these concerns specifically with the Òintegrity clause," which mandates revocation of certification for any falsification of reports.