Cold Link Africa September 2025 | Page 32

By Andrew Perks, FSAIRAC Ammonia technician training.
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INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN

Ammonia refrigeration training in SA: addressing the‘ no trade test’ dilemma

By Andrew Perks, FSAIRAC Ammonia technician training.

Andrew Perks is a subject expert
in ammonia refrigeration. Since
undertaking his apprenticeship in
Glasgow in the 1960s he has held
positions of contracts engineer,
project engineer, refrigeration
design engineer, company director
for a refrigeration contracting
company and eventually owning
his own contracting company and
low temperature cold store. He is
now involved in adding skills to
the ammonia industry, is merSETA
accredited and has written a variety
of unit standards for SAQA that
define the levels to be achieved in
training in our industry.
One of my concerns is that Recognition of Previous Learning is no longer allowed

You may not be aware but currently there is no trade test for ammonia refrigeration technicians. As you can imagine this presents some problems with the industrial refrigeration contractors and the Pressure Equipment Regulations where it states that anyone working on the pressure envelope of a system must be registered with SAQCC Gas at the appropriate level of competency.

That said it has been generally accepted in industry if you are going to interfere with the pressure envelope you must be a SAQCC Gas Cat B Technician. All well and good but to be a Cat B Technician you must be a‘ red seal’( accredited) trade tested artisan. Bit of a problem when there isn’ t a trade test, don’ t you think?
So, to get around this SARRACA have opted to select certain trades as the base line and required four years’ experience in the industry to supplement this. Plans are afoot to develop the ammonia trade test but that is still some way into the future. We are talking about lots of funding to get to this level. Up until now the live, handson training has been undertaken at a clients’ facility. There needs to be training schools with subject matter experts plus the requirement for a live ammonia plant, but what about the costs associated with all the health and safety requirements? There are service providers presently looking at developing such a facility, but bureaucracy is taking its toll, and the project has stalled. There is still a lot of work to go into this.
The question is what are we doing in the meantime? With regard to a trade test ammonia refrigeration technicians are taking the‘ freon’ trade test to get a refrigeration qualification. That has its complications. I heard of one guy that they wanted to fail on the freon trade test because his copper welding was not up to par. Where do you see any copper in an ammonia plant? Complicated. I also know of a trade tested motor mechanic working in the industry that is not recognised. This is South Africa with such a shortage of skills we need to start to think about upskilling those with the correct aptitude.
One of my concerns is that Recognition of Previous Learning is no longer
allowed. There are people out there
Africa there is no further training available
who have been in the industry since Van
in the industrial refrigeration industry.
Riebeeck landed; competent, good people
However, there is a light at the end
but there is no way that they are going
of the tunnel. For those who have been
to take the time out of their life to do a
following some of my previous articles
trade test. However, there is good news
will remember a few years ago I spoke
for them. SARACCA have recognised
of a meet up in March 2023 at the IIAR
that we need to bring these people into
conference in Los Angles with ASTI and
the industry and can train them to CAT
RETA( Refrigeration Engineering Training
A3 Plant Operators, allowing them to do
Association). We had a great connection,
routine work on the plant- but excludes
so much so that two of RETA’ s top people
them from signing COCs as required
came to South Africa to attend the GCCA
on commissioning of a new plant, when
conference that year. Well, you will be
alterations are carried out or when
pleased to hear that this relationship has
charging ammonia into a system.
strengthened and expanded.
This means that all those clients out
As discussed in a previous article there
there who currently operate their plant
are moves to set up a local RETA chapter
illegally will now, with a bit of training,
where we will have access to their worldclass
meet the legal requirements.
technical training materials. There
But this leads me back to the trade test:
are a number of these chapters set up
as I said steps are afoot for a three-year
around the world with lots of skills to call
apprenticeship, the first two years of which
on- this is the next level of training for our
are the same for any apprenticeship, and
SAQCC Gas trainees and once the local
thereafter the apprentice will specialise
chapter has been set up the material will
in whichever section of the market they
be available. We need industry to be a
select. For the good of the industry and the
prime mover if we are going to take our
country, I think this will need some input to
training to world-class standards.
assist some of our impoverished students.
In short, let’ s get our people upskilled
The question is where we go with these
and safe. We no longer have to say that
young artisans when they have completed
everybody needs to be an artisan to work
their apprenticeships? Currently skills are
on an ammonia system, but they do need
added to staff at the company where they
to be properly trained and know their
are employed, however, we all know your
limitations.
education really starts when you get out
there into the field. Regrettably in South
Stay safe until next time.
CLA
Currently skills are added to staff at the company where they are employed.
Image by Prostooleh / Freepik

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