Associations
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
FOR A GAS SAFE FUTURE
By the South African Qualification and Certification Committee
The fuel and compressed gas industry like any other industry evolves new technologies , product development , practitioner techniques , and practices that are constantly being introduced into the sectors . The air conditioning and refrigeration industry are also seeing major developments in refrigerant gas use .
The global gas industry has been in existence since the early
1800s . 1892 saw the first production of gas in South Africa . Since then , the use of gas has grown both in the domestic , commercial , and industrial markets .
Our local gas industry is considered established and is governed by key legislation with enforcement falling under the jurisdiction of the Department of Employment and Labour ( DEL ). Any persons working on gas shall be registered with the South African Qualification and Certification Committee or SAQCC Gas .
SAQCC Gas is mandated by the DEL . Persons registered with SAQCC Gas are termed , gas practitioners . A gas practitioner is issued with a three-year license . Initial registration and renewals both require proof of competence . This is also supported by three associations in terms of training and refresher training .
The associations are :
• The Southern African Gas Association or SAGAS trains for industrial gases
• The Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association of South Africa or LPGSA trains for domestics and industrial gases
• The South African Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Contractors Association or SARACCA trains for air conditioning gases .
• The Southern Africa Compressed Gas Association ( SACGA ) ( or 4th Association ) assesses the competence of the Gas Practitioner at both the initial registration and on renewal of registration based upon documentary evidence proving competence based upon theoretical qualification , knowledge , and practical experience .
The practitioner ’ s registration application and the supporting documentation is assessed by the association ’ s registrations committee , if the application is accepted , they will be approved
for registration by the SAQCC Gas .
BUILDING A BETTER INDUSTRY The gas landscape is constantly evolving . Evolution rings in changes to technology , products , and techniques . Undergoing training and development prepares a practitioner for these changes and helps those registered to practice safely alongside the regulations .
It is a matter of life or death for a person working in the gas industry to register and undergo training . Trained gas practitioners help build a better industry and safeguard the future of gas . South Africa has seen its fair share of nonregistered gas practitioners who have bypassed the training and development process and are , therefore , potentially not competent to carry out the work they are doing that is a big risk to themselves and others .
A gas practitioner is issued with a three-year license .
CERTIFICATION OF WORK A registered gas practitioner will be able to issue a Certificate of Conformity or CoC . Non-registered gas practitioners will not be able to certify their work . Work undertaken by a non-registered gas practitioner will be deemed illegal .
Registration is the right thing to do . It allows gas practitioners to ensure they are deemed competent from both SAQCC Gas and their respective associations . Working on gas is a profession . Much like a health practitioner , a gas practitioner is a skilled worker . With adequate training and development , the gas practitioner will remain proficient , competent , and knowledgeable . RACA
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I January 2022 21