EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
Quality installations
topic tackled on national scale
#QualityMatters
In May, Charel Marais teamed up with SAIRAC and SARACCA to reach out to members
across the country in his fight against substandard onsite HVAC&R installations.
C
harel Marais is using his experience
as a quality, maintenance,
commissioning and assurance
manager to try and improve the quality
of installations in the HVAC industry. He
has been volunteering his weekends to
give training to contractors in this regard,
but this fight is too big for one person. So
the next logical step was to join forces
with the South African Refrigeration and
Air Conditioning Contractors Association
(SARACCA) and the South African Institute
of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
(SAIRAC) to enlist the help of its members.
“I am feeling very positive after the
meetings and we managed to share
The KZN presentation in progress.
During the Cape Town meeting.
our message of concern with more than
130 people in the industry,” says Marais.
In his presentation, Marais shared some
have all consultants, contractors and
But Marais vowed to return to assist the
“After seeing all the slides, the feeling was
photos of various installation defects on
manufacturers implement and apply
local contractors in their battle against
unanimous that South Africa definitely has
ducting, steel piping, refrigerant piping
quality standards for the upliftment of the
poor quality installations.
a major problem regarding the quality of
and anchors that he has been taking
entire industry.”
workmanship, and that something drastic
during site inspections. He then touched
has to be done to address this.”
on HVAC quality standards and inspection
SAIRAC and SARACCA Johannesburg at
stop here. The feedback I received was
procedures.
the Woodmead Country Club on 19 May.
very positive and encouraging. I’d like
The turnout was overwhelming with not an
to extend my sincerest thank you to
The first stop on the tour was at the
Royal Yacht Club in Cape Town, where
The topic was too vast and the time
Next up was a combined meeting for
“Personally I think the experience
was well worth it and I do not want to
Marais addressed SARACCA members
too little, so after two hours, Marais
empty seat in the room as Marais pleaded
everyone from SAIRAC and SARACCA
at the centre’s regular branch meeting
unfortunately had to cut the talk short
his case for better quality installations in
who attended and helped make these
on 18 May. About 40 people were in
to make it back to the airport on time.
South Africa.
events possible.”
attendance, and Marais took them on a
Nonetheless, he was very positive about his
journey of his world based on what he’s
experience and interactions with members
meeting at the Westville Country Club
experienced on sites in terms of quality
on the day.
in KwaZulu-Natal on 24 May where 14
His last stop was the SARACCA branch
installations and equipment standards. He
“This meeting was hopefully an
showed them shocking images of what is
eye opener for all of us to start doing
Marais speak. Unfortunately his time was
really happening — images that clients,
something to improve the quality of
more limited for this presentation due to a
owners of HVAC companies, engineers
equipment and workmanship in South
shortage of outbound flights, so he had to
and directors have never seen.
Africa,” says Marais. “The goal is to
cut his presentation short to only an hour.
1
optimistic people turned up to hear
“I believe that if we all work
together, we will make a
difference to the quality of
HVAC&R installations in South
Africa, setting an example for
the rest of the world.”
2
The goal is now to visit all the other cities to
disseminate the word that quality should
be the norm; not the exception. But in the
meantime, Marais will carry on sharing his
knowledge and trying to reach as many
people as possible through his regular
RACA Journal articles.
“I’d also like to encourage the ongoing
training of contractors as the only means
of improvement for the industry and ask all
contractors to support our training facilities,”
says Marais. “We can only be successful
in our goal if we give people adequate
training on the proper standards and
specifications. I believe that if we all work
together, we will make a difference to the
quality of HVAC&R installations in South
1. Charel Marais in action during the combined Johannesburg meeting.
Africa, setting an example for the rest of the
2. A captive audience in Johannesburg.
world. We can’t stop now.”
COLD LINK AFRICA • July | August 2016
CLA
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
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