FEATURE
SANS 10147 clearly defines the skills legally
needed to perform the different tasks in
the servicing, repair, and maintenance of
pressurised HVAC&R systems.
The PER requires that all persons who
perform the tasks mentioned, be registered
by an authority as being competent to
perform the required tasks. The South
African Qualification and Certification
Committee for Gas (SAQCC Gas) has
been appointed by the Minister of Labour
as the registering authority for those in the
HVAC&R industry and other sectors that
work on pressurised systems such as LPG
installations and bulk gases.
To summarise, pressurised systems
require a certification of conformity to
verify that all the components, grade of
piping, selection of safety valves, pressure
vessels, pipe jointing, provision of safety
devices, pipe bracketing, and so on, meet
the relevant standards.
Most commercial and industrial systems
will have several certificates of conformity
for the various parts, like the pressure
vessel, receiver, or piping. The individual
certificates are checked as part of the task
of the inspector, such as an authorised
inspection authority (AIA) in issuing a
certificate of conformity for the entire plant
and design.
A second certificate is required to
be issued by those that pressure test,
evacuate, and charge systems or repair
them. The second certificate, referred to
as the certificate of compliance, verifies
that all the work performed has been
done within the standards and good
engineering practices.
The certificate of conformity and
certificate of compliance are distinctly
different, and the skills/knowledge required
by persons who issue such certificates are
also distinctly different.
A technician/practitioner who has met
all the requirements by SAQCC Gas for
registration in category B, is authorised
to issue a certificate of compliance after
completion of work done on a system. The
certificate verifies that all work was done
safely and responsibly with the least impact
on the environment.
The skills required to issue a certificate of
conformity for a plant or a system is far more
complex and requires a thorough technical
understanding of the standards and codes.
A misconception exists that a certificate
of conformity is the same as a certificate
of compliance and that it can be issued
by persons registered by SAQCC Gas in
category B.
There is also the misconception that a
certificate of conformity is only required
for large industrial or large ammonia
refrigeration plants.
SANS 347 clearly defines the level of
conformity required for piped systems.
Many of the large commercial plants
installed in supermarkets or on cold
stores or chilled water systems require
a certificate of conformity for the plant
and a certificate of compliance issued
by those that charge or work on the
pressurised circuit on site.
The number of persons in South Africa
qualified to issue the required certificate of
conformity is much fewer than those able
to issue a certificate of compliance and
is driven by demand and enforcement
of the legal requirements. The issuing of
the required certificates is costly, time-
consuming, and requires the necessary
infrastructure. Regretfully, there are many
plants that on completion, because of cost
cutting or mere lack of awareness, do not
have the required certificate of conformity
nor have certificates of compliance issued
by the contractor. Adherence to the legal
requirements rests with the contractor and
the plant owner. The saving on the cost
of certificates may appear attractive but
could be short-lived.
Accidents have no boundaries in time or
place or injured parties. Any accident with
injuries will inevitably be followed up with an
investigation by the Department of Labour.
All pressure vessels require certificates of conformity.
Continued from page 45
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
Chilled water systems also require certificates of conformity and certificates of compliance
for those that perform tasks with refrigerant.
The absence of the legal documents could
be costlier than having the installation done
and certified correctly from the start.
In concluding, let us not forget that the
standards are all about minimum safety
COLD LINK AFRICA • March/April 2019
and do not impact on plant performance
and efficiency. A plant may be compliant
with all the legal standards but could lack
efficiency or performance because of a
poor design. CLA
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
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