In the Pressure Equipment Regulations , Regulation 6 details the duties of users . The user is required ensure that the equipment subject to the Regulations is operated and maintained within its design and operating specification . The identified equipment is the refrigeration portion of the installation , whether it is a room air-conditioning unit , water chiller or cold store plant where they are all operating at above 50kPa in terms of Regulation 2 ( 1 ). This places a responsibility on the engineer employed to carry out the design and supervision of the installation on behalf of a client , owner or user . Where the installation is based on a design and supply contract like most room unit installations

are , the contractor and his registered practitioners have that responsibility .

The user / owner has to provide the manufacturer , contractor , repairer or maintenance mechanic with technical information of the operating conditions of the refrigeration or air-conditioning installation . In terms of the OH & S Act , the ‘ employer ’ who is in fact the owner / user of the plant is subject to the relevant health and safety standard incorporated into the Regulations under sections 43 and 44 of the Act .

The plant or installation size does not really matter until one looks at SANS 10147 and SANS 347 . The size of the pressure vessels and piping are governed by the categorisation and conformity assessment in SANS 347 . The responsibility for issuing a certificate of conformity ( CoC ) is dictated by the category the plant or equipment falls into . The tables in SANS 347 that are applicable are graph figures 1 and 3 for vessels , and graph figures 6 and 8 for piping with either a dangerous gas or dangerous liquid .

Sound engineering practice is equipment that is not subject to a conformity assessment but shall be designed and manufactured to best engineering practice to ensure safe use . As with all room air conditioning units and small refrigeration equipment , user and operation instruction information must be given to the owner .

Equipment with vessels and piping that falls into category 1 requires a CoC from the manufacturer confirming that the equipment is designed and manufactured to an applicable design , and health and safety codes .

In both the above cases the user must receive a CoC issued by the registered refrigeration gas practitioner after installation and after any maintenance or repair .

Air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment and plant that is categorised in category II and above needs to be approved by an appropriately registered professional to a health and safety standard and verified by an approved inspection authority . The manufacturers of equipment sourced from

Barney Richardson is the director of South African Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association ( SARACCA ) and sits on various other boards within the HVAC industry , including the South African Qualifications and Certifications Committee for Gas ( SAQCC ) Gas .

outside South Africa are required to provide approved certification also verified by an approved inspection authority .

The requirements of piping design for refrigeration are also given in SANS 347 annexure B . The user is required to keep records of the design and manufacture for the life of the installation . Water piping below its boiling point is excluded from the pressure equipment regulations . CLA