The Register

You can apply to join the ACRIB volunary Register of Safe Refrigerant Handlers here or renew your registration here. If you are looking for a list of F gas registered delivery centres follow this link

If you are a company you have two options:

You can join a voluntary company scheme for responsible refrigerant use and monitoring which is managed by REFCOM . Company members of Refcom are entitled to discounts on the ACRIB individual registration fee where the applications are pre-approved via Refcom using special application forms.
The current legal requirement is that all companies who are involved in work covered by the F Gas Regulations must hold a Company Certificate. This is obtained by meeting some basic criteria and details are available from the F Gas Support help service.

ACRIB currently manages a voluntary register of personnel qualified as Safe Refrigerant Handlers. Any individual who handles refrigerants should be able to do so safely and with due regard to the environment, and the scheme aims to provide a voluntary national register of all those individuals who have successfully completed an approved refrigerant handling competence assessment. If you have taken a refrigerant handling or F Gas assessment registration with ACRIB is not automatic - you must apply to join our voluntary scheme.

Why is it needed?

The object of the scheme is to update and raise the standards of individuals' competence as part of the refrigeration industry's response to the increasingly important environmental demands made by society and the constantly changing technological requirements. Whilst the legal requirement is that companies obtain certificates in order to carry out F gas related activities and that individuals hold a valid F gas qualification - the easiest way for employers or customers to verify that an individual is qualified is to request sight of their ACRIB photo-id card.

Who is running the scheme?

The scheme is being run by ACRIB which represents all of the main trade and professional institutions in the sector.

How does it operate?

The register is open only to individuals and operates on a voluntary basis. Registration is open to those who have successfully completed the City & Guilds 2079 F gas Assessment or the CITB J11 assessment. These two assessments provide a recognised standard of achievement and competence regardless of age or mode of training. A time limited card is available for those with older qualifications (C&G2078 or CITB J01). For a list of centres offering qualifications see our training pages.

How much does it cost?

The cost of training and qualification vary depending on the centre and method of training use. The cost of obtaining separate registration with ACRIB's Refrigerant Handling Register is £40 (including VAT). Registration normally lasts for three years however for operatives who hold older 2078/J01 qualifications the F Gas expiry date will be set at 4th July 2011.

Is there a company registration scheme?

A voluntary company registration scheme exists called REFCOM. This scheme is open to companies who can demonstrate that they meet specific requirements such as having an auditable procedure for refrigerant control, conformity with current legal requirements, use of refrigerant recovery equipment and certification of personnel. The REFCOM scheme demands that all relevant personnel have ACRIB registration. Further details of this scheme can be obtained from www.refcom.org.uk

There is a legal requirement for companies to obtain a certificate under the F gas Regulation if they are undertaking relevant activities www.defra.gov.uk/fgas for details of schemes. This is different to the REFCOM voluntary register of responsible companies.

Is individual registration compulsory?

Registration is purely voluntary, although ACRIB continues to press for a mandatory national register of individuals to help implement the Regulations. However it is current illegal to work on ODS or F Gas Refrigerants unless you hold an F gas qualification under GB legislation.

How can I prove I'm registered?

A registered refrigerant handler is provided with a unique registration number and a registration photo-ID card. Anyone can contact ACRIB to confirm the validity of this registration card.

Is registration for life?

An important aspect of the scheme is that registration is only valid for three years, after which renewal of registration is required. Registrations are responsible for ensuring that their qualifications are up to date if those qualifications carry an expiry date. Re-registration may require successful completion of a reassessment in order to provide verification of competence. New qualifications which meet the F Gas Regulation requirements are available from City & Guilds and CITB.

Why should I bother?

It is vital that the industry faces up to its responsibilities to protect the environment. Studies have shown that considerable amounts of refrigerants are used through unnecessary leakage and bad practice, and one way of overcoming this is to ensure that only competent people handle refrigerants. This also makes good economic sense, as it is likely that some refrigerants will become extremely scarce in the near future and efficient recovery of refrigerants will be vital. It is also clear that end users of refrigeration equipment are demanding that companies servicing and supplying equipment provide evidence of their personnel's competence.

The ACRIB registration scheme provides industry and individuals with an industry-led national standard which can be recognised by all. The registration scheme gives individuals, companies and customers the confidence that they are using recognised, competent personnel.

How can I apply?

If you wish to apply for registration you can find guidance, registration forms and lists of centres where you can gain refrigerant handling qualifications on this site, following the links to the left.

Why do you need my original training certificate, isnt a photocopy good enough?

The Board requires that we check the authenticity of certificates before a registration card can be issued. In order to do you need to send your ORIGINAL certificate along with your first application. City & Guilds cannot provide verification by email or telephone of photocopied certificates as they are unable to give out candidate details to third parties (such as employers or industry bodies) due to the Data Protection Act. Photocopies can be easily forged or altered and therefore the recommendation from City & Guilds is that ACRIB should insist on sight of the full certificate before confirming an individuals eligibility for ACRIB Registration. If you are worried about sending your original certificates by post we offer a Recorded Delivery Service or you can by prior arrangement present your certificate in person.

I have lost my ACRIB card, can you reissue?

Yes we can reissue lost cards. You will need to write to us including two new photographs and payment of £10 to cover administration costs.

I need to update my card with my new qualification?

If you were issued with a card with an expiry date of less than 3 years because you only held the older 2078/J01 qualifications, and have now updated your qualification to 2079/J11 we can reissue the card to give you a full 3 years from the original issue date. The fee for the reissue is £10 to cover administration costs.