Cold Link Africa May/June 2016 Vol 1 No 5 | Page 21

EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN

Industry forum challenges
SAQCC Gas registration
By John Ackermann

SARDA recently hosted a meeting in Cape Town to iron out confusion surrounding
compliance regulations in an effort to improve standards in the HVAC&R industry.

D

oes the principle of registering
artisans contribute to improving
standards in the HVAC&R industry?
Is the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Industry Council of South Africa (ACRICSA)
registration in the safe handling of
refrigerants still valid? With respect to the
registration requirement by the South
African Qualification and Certification
Committee for Gas (SAQCC) Gas, is there a
difference between a practitioner and an
artisan? These were part of a questionnaire
that the 109 attendees at the industry forum
held in Cape Town on 16 March 2016, were
asked to complete anonymously on arrival.
Attendees included contractors,
consultants, training providers,
government, original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs), equipment
suppliers, wholesalers and a leading
supermarket chain. The survey showed that
99% of the attendees agreed that SAQCC
Gas registration of practitioners, as required
by the pressure equipment regulations
(PER), made a positive contribution
towards uplifting industry standards.
All too often there is the misconception
that repairing refrigeration or air
conditioning systems can be done by a
handyman or that the required skills can
be gained in a six-week crash course.
SAQCC Gas registration clearly dispels that
misconception and recognises that the
many applications of refrigeration requires
expertise and specialised skills that can
only be gained through formal training.
Skills and SANS 10147
For the first time, the primary safety and
technical standards for an HVAC&R
plant (SANS 10147: 2014 – Edition 5), also
incorporates the skills required for all of the
different tasks on the plant. For the ease
of having one document only, SANS 10147
cross references with the different levels of
SAQCC Gas registration.

Andrew Perks was clear in his message
to forum attendees: “SANS 10147 is not
the only legislation that regulates the
safety and technical requirement of air
conditioning and refrigeration plants and
the work procedures by personnel. All
HVAC&R plants are also subject to the
stringent requirements of the Occupational
Safety and Health (OSH) Act for plant and
machinery and workplace safety.”
Prior to the promulgation of the PER
in 2009, the only form of registration of
HVAC&R skilled persons, was done by
ACRICSA.
In a presentation at the forum, John
Ackermann explained the fundamental
difference in ACRICSA registration and the
current SAQCC Gas registration.
Voluntary vs legal requirements
Registration in the safe handling of
refrigerants was initially an ACRICSA
initiative to promote the responsible use of
refrigerants as a positive step towards the
implementation of the Montreal Protocol
(phase-out of ozone depleting substances)
in South Africa.
ACRICSA registration required
competency in a two-part test done over
two days. One part covered the theory
while the other involved a practical
component. Although evacuation,
pressure testing and charging of systems
was included in the two-day test, it did not
cover all the other skills required to work on
an HVAC