SPFA PCP Discussions in New Mexico - Next Step Takes Place Nov. 18

A public hearing was held Sept. 14 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to discuss the state’s movement toward requiring SPFA PCP certifications as license. Many professionals in the SPF industry were in attendance, both via phone and in person, including SPFA's Executive Director Kurt Riesenberg. This topic was also the subject of a roundtable meeting co-hosted by SPFA and The Sprayfoam Coalition of ACC in Albuquerque on August 26.

The Construction Industries Commission will consider pending agenda items at its Nov. 18 meeting.

The Construction Industries Division (CID) of New Mexico is proposing language requiring SPF professionals in the state to obtain an SPF license. (Proposed licensing language can be found online here.) SPFA PCP Project Manager (Insulation and/or Roofing) certification would be required to obtain Qualified Professional (QP) status. Additionally in the field, CID of N.M. would require that each worksite have either an SPFA PCP Master Installer OR the combination of a PCP Project Manager overseeing the work of a PCP Installer. Language to this effect has passed three Commission hearings in New Mexico in May, June and July 2015.

New Mexico officials expect the requirement of PCP certification as license to improve consistency and installation performance across the state. SPF professionals ranging from contractors to manufacturers suggested this as a testament to the effectiveness and completeness of the PCP program, others indicated that PCP adoption in this manner is too extreme, not what the program was developed for, and will not solve specific and limited issues the state is dealing with. Some SPF professionals would like to see the state focus upon education, training, outreach, and improving state permitting, inspection and code enforcement efforts, which they claim are lacking in the state, rather than implement a regulation dependent upon one program that would put specific additional burdens only upon SPF professionals instead of all insulation and roofing contractors.

Among the stated reasons the N.M. Commission chose SPFA PCP for the basis of their licensing program – it’s ISO-17024 standard compliant, it’s been consensus-developed by industry experts, and is independent (non-branded, non-product specific).

The state has also indicated a willingness to work with the industry to examine development of vo-tech, secondary, post-secondary or apprenticeship training program partnerships coordinated with various entities around the state in an effort to produce better availability of pre-trained and qualified workers. "These types of ongoing roundtable discussions are essential between the state and industry in our mutual interests of supporting the highest quality installations and product performance that only SPF can deliver," said Kurt Riesenberg, Executive Director of SPFA.