Responsible Refrigeration
BARNEY RICHARDSON
Barney Richardson is the director of South African Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association ( SARACCA ) and sits on various other boards within the HVAC industry , including the South African Qualifications and Certifications Committee for Gas ( SAQCC ) Gas .
WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO BE REGISTERED AS AN AUTHORISED REFRIGERATION PRACTITIONER ?
By Barney Richardson
The answer is because competence in the handling of refrigerant gases is necessary to ensure that the threat to the Ozone layer is minimised and Global warming is avoided .
Regulations have been gazetted and entrenched in the
Law of the Occupational Health and Safety ( OHS ) ACT number 85 , and , regulations originally published in 1993 . The Pressure Equipment Regulations in particular were written and published in July 2009 as part of the Act .
The regulations define an “ authorised person ” as a “ person who is registered as competent within the scope of work for which an organisation approved by the chief inspector has registered that person ”. This authorised person has been confirmed as being the registered “ authorised refrigeration gas
practitioner ” for the refrigeration and air conditioning industry . The SAQCC Gas is mandated by the Department of Employment and Labour with the responsibility for registration , setting training and assessment criteria , and maintaining a database of active registered practitioners . In consultation it was agreed that the registration card would be valid for three years and that renewal would be required at the end of the third year .
The regulations within the Pressure Equipment Regulations that are of concern here to us are Regulation 2 and Regulation 17 .
Regulation 2 states that : “ These regulations shall apply to the design , manufacture , operation , repair , modification , maintenance , inspection and testing of pressure equipment with a design pressure equal to or greater than 50 kPa , in terms of the relevant health and safety standard incorporated into these Regulations under section 44 of the Act ”.
This is very clear that refrigeration systems operate at pressures in excess of the 50kPa . It is therefore the requirement and responsibility of a mechanic in the refrigeration industry to be compliant . Compliance is , therefore , a legal commitment and requirement in the OHS Act . Regulation 17 states that : “ No person shall – a . Handle , store or distribute any gas in any manner , which includes the filling of a container , other than in accordance with the relevant health and safety standard incorporated into these Regulations under section 44 of the Act ;
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I May 2022 57