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Associations
A GUIDE TO GAS PRACTITIONER REGISTRATION AND COMPLIANCE IN SA
This article is derived from a presentation delivered by Virginia Mtshali, SAQCC Gas, at FRIGAIR 2025.
Image supplied by SAQCC Gas
Virginia Mtshali, SAQCC Gas.
Her talk provides insights on the essential registration process, the transition to digital Certificates of Conformity( CoCs) and the ongoing commitment to safety and compliance in the industry.
For every gas practitioner in South Africa, adherence to stringent safety standards and legal frameworks is paramount, said Mtshali. The South African Qualification and Certification Committee for Gas( SAQCC Gas) plays a key role as the national registration body, ensuring that all individuals handling gas installations, maintenance and distribution are qualified, competent and accountable.
THE LEGISLATIVE BACKBONE: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT SAQCC Gas ' s mandate stems directly from the Department of Employment and Labour, specifically under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1983. Within this act, the Pressure Equipment Regulations( 2009), particularly Regulation 17, outline the legal requirements for handling and working with gas. This regulation explicitly states that:
• No person shall handle, store or distribute gas, including the filling of containers, other than in accordance with health and safety acts incorporated in this regulation.
• Crucially, no person shall install or remove a gas appliance, gas system or gas reticulation system unless that person is an authorised person.
This is where SAQCC Gas steps in, registering individuals to ensure only authorised and competent practitioners undertake such work. The regulation further mandates that a CoC must be issued whenever there is a change of ownership, modification or alteration to a gas system. These CoCs can only be issued by a registered gas practitioner.
DIVERSE DISCIPLINES UNDER ONE ROOF SAQCC Gas registers practitioners across four key gas types, each represented by a member association:
• Liquefied Petroleum Gas( LPGas): Handled by LP Gas Association
• Pipeline Gases: Specialised under the Southern African Gas Association
• Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Gases: Covered by the South African Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association( SARACCA)
• Compressed Gases( Industrial and Medical): Managed by the Southern African Compressed Gas Association
Practitioners involved in design, maintenance, construction, installation, instrumentation, commissioning and inspection within these gas fields are required to be registered with SAQCC Gas.
THE REGISTRATION JOURNEY FOR GAS PRACTITIONERS The path to becoming a registered gas practitioner involves several key steps:
• BRE training: prospective practitioners must first complete accredited BRE( Basic Refrigeration Education) training with SAQCC Gas-accredited service providers. For those in air conditioning and refrigeration, the SARACCA website provides a list of these providers.
• License application via association: once training is complete, the application for a license is submitted through the relevant member association. For air conditioning and refrigeration, SARACCA handles these applications on behalf of SAQCC Gas. SARACCA ' s technical committee assesses the applications and forwards recommended candidates to SAQCC Gas for registration.
• SMS confirmation and license number: upon successful registration, practitioners receive an SMS confirmation, including their unique licence number.
• Three-year validity and renewal: licences are valid for three years. To renew, practitioners must complete a refresher course to ensure their knowledge remains current with industry standards. SAQCC Gas has a system in place that sends reminders via SMS, email and the dedicated app three months before a license expires.
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RACA Journal I October 2025 www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za