Associations
UNQUALIFIED?
UNREGISTERED? ILLEGAL!
By SARACCA
Ten years after the first SAQCC Gas Practitioner was registered, we still
find hazardous practices in the gas industry.
H
VAC contracting company, 52 Engineering, attended to a or refrigeration equipment. Such work must be undertaken by a
freezer which, according to the client, required ‘gasing’ – and registered Refrigeration Gas Practitioner who holds an SAQCC Gas
what was discovered was appalling.
issued card.
A disposable cylinder had been converted to a refillable cylinder
Refrigerant gases in refrigeration systems are not dangerous; in
and left on site. This is an illegal and dangerous practice. The new fact, it is safe if correctly applied and very efficient. However, when
compressor was not bolted down and the copper piping was a poorly installed these can prove to be more of a hazard than of help.
mishmash of sizes, with an incorrectly-sized filter drier installed. The Therefore, contracting a trained and qualified refrigeration gas
electrical wiring was a total dangerous spaghetti mess. practitioner who is skilled to work on that specific scope of work is not
a debatable matter.
“Users must only employ the services
of a qualified SAQCC gas practitioner,
this is for their own good”
There are specific guidelines stipulated by the Pressure
Equipment Regulations (PER) which all skilled and SAQCC Gas
registered refrigeration gas practitioners fully understand and abide
by. These individuals have been trained and are qualified to work
effectively and legally on refrigeration systems.
When employing the services of a refrigeration gas practitioner
Despite clear guidelines on disposable cylinders, illegal practitioners please request:
weld on valves to refill these cylinders; this is not only illegal but •
extremely dangerous. This involves bypassing an integral safety
device built into the disposable cylinder itself to prevent refilling.
A license issued by the SAQCC Gas with that individual’s
credentials.
•
Ensure the person issues the correct gas Certificate of
“This was an accident waiting to happen” commented SARACCA Conformity (CoC) upon completion of the air conditioning
President, John Parry. “This unknowing client was ripped off by this and refrigeration installation work or maintenance work
incompetent practitioner” he adds. completed on site.
It is common knowledge that equipment and systems using fuel
gases such as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Natural Gas have “Users must only employ the services of a qualified SAQCC gas
to be installed by a registered gas practitioner, however, it seems practitioner, this is for their own good,” Parry warns.
many people do not realise that fridges and air-conditioners also use To validate if a Gas Practitioner is registered to work in South
gas under high pressure in their systems. For that reason, the same Africa, or to find a registered gas practitioner in your area, visit www.
criteria must be followed when dealing with an air-conditioning saqccgas.co.za or dial *120*926#.
RACA
QUOTE
OF THE MONTH
Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
– Robert F. Kennedy
www.hvacronline.co.za
RACA Journal I January 2020
33