Last year was OTTC ’ s 30th anniversary . Now , its flagship course , Ammonia Safe Handling , similarly celebrates it ’ s 30th anniversary with a full contingent of 20 students .
BUSINESS AND TRAINING
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
30 years of OTTC Ammonia diploma qualification
Written by Eamonn Ryan
Last year was OTTC ’ s 30th anniversary . Now , its flagship course , Ammonia Safe Handling , similarly celebrates it ’ s 30th anniversary with a full contingent of 20 students .
All photos by © Eamonn Ryan | Cold Link Africa
The OTTC Ammonia diploma with the Ammonia Safe Handling course was developed on 1 September 1993 by the late Peter Dobelin , founder member of OTTC , and offered to the HVAC & R industry worldwide , explains current owner Isolde Dobelin .
“ At that time there was no ammonia training from any training institute – only product training from individual companies for their own customers and staff . At that time knowledge was passed from technician to technician and hence to Peter at the college . That ’ s how Peter gained his 11 years of experience in Ammonia .”
She says that the OTTC Ammonia diploma has been recognised by the international industry ever since that time . “ So far , we have graduated 550 ammonia technicians who are today working all over the world in high positions . OTTC
Isolde Dobelin and OTTC technical director Ana- Marie Sibiya .
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1 and 2 : The 30th anniversary of OTTC , held in December 2022 .
developed and registered the OTTC Ammonia Safe Handling qualification with the experts – Anders Lindburg from Sweden , Kurt Johannsen and Bob Vuletic from South Africa for ACRICSA ( now known as SARACCA ). This followed controls being introduced in the form of the issue of a SARACCA card in South Africa requiring that only qualified people with training on safety should work on ammonia systems .”
Speaking previously at the college ’ s 30th anniversary , Dobelin had lauded tradespeople in the following terms as being “ the ones who can run our cities and are essential in the world today .”
“ While other professionals can think up concepts and designs , it is tradespeople who can make those designs and ideas a reality and improve the world . Learning and experience through training is what makes
that happen – and by the opportunity to gain from masters in their fields ,” she said .
Dobelin said that she was proud that OTTC had passed around 550 ammonia
Ammonia class of September 2023 .
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graduates , demonstrating the value of that knowledge offload by master mentors such as Kurt Johannsen , who is a long-time lecturer on Ammonia at OTTC . CLA
20 www . coldlinkafrica . co . za COLD LINK AFRICA • November 2023