Building a Future with SAIRAC Membership 2.2.1 | Page 2

FOUNDING
On 17 July 1951, the South African Institute of Refrigeration was founded at a meeting of
refrigeration engineers and food scientists held at the Bordeaux Hotel in Cape Town. The
founding membership of 41 elected Dr Guido Dreosti as the Institute’s first President, an
office that he held for the next 5 years and again in 1957 and in 1962.
In 1962, the Institute widened its scope to include air conditioning and became the South
African Institute of refrigeration and Air Conditioning (SAIRAC).
In 1961 SAIRAC started establishing Centres in the other major cities of South Africa. Port
Elizabeth was established in 1961, followed by Durban in 1963 and Johannesburg in 1964.

PURPOSE
SAIRAC serves the Environmental Control Industry. The purpose of the Environmental
Control Industry is to implement environmental control measures to ensure:




The health, safety and comfort of people.
The processing and preservation of perishables.
The protection of the environment.

The environmental control measures include:







Control of airflow
Control of air quality
Temperature control
Humidity control
Noise control
Energy control

The purpose of SAIRAC within the Environmental Control Industry is to:



Generate, manage and disseminate data, information and knowledge related to the
science and technology of Environmental Control.
Promote professionalism in the Environmental Control Industry.

MISSION
The mission of SAIRAC is to offer our membership the following:










Regular Technical Meetings, in each of the Centres.
Site visits and plant tours.
Enrichment courses.
Feedback related to the revision of SANS/NCRS codes of practice.
Feedback on the HCFC phase-out programme.
The SAIRAC Technical Data Manual in CD format.
The Dreosti Memorial Lecture.
FRIGAIR exhibitions, conferences and workshops.
The creation of a culture of learning and improvement by means of:
- The recognition of the achievements of SAIRAC members, in their working
environments and
professional capacities, in the Environmental Control Industry.