Qualification and Certification for Refrigerant Handling

 

In the UK all refrigeration service and maintenance engineers involved in the installation, commissioning, service, maintenance and leak testing of stationary refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment containing or designed to contain refrigerants covered by the F Gas Regulations need to hold current F Gas qualifications. 

 

 

The European Commission want to ensure that the standard of the assessment is the same across the whole of Europe. They have agreed minimum standards which are the basis for the all qualifications. These qualifications cover in detail theory and practice related to leak checking, leak prevention and basic refrigeration theory. 

 

Category I to carry out all activities on all stationary r&ac and heat pumps (leak checking, recovery, installation or service and maintenance)

Category II to carry out these activities in equipment with a charge of less than 3 kg, (6kg if hermetically sealed and labelled)

Category III recovery activity only

 

Most stationary rac and heat pump service and maintenance engineers will need a Category 1 Certificate as this will cover all activities. Some larger end users may wish to train in-house maintenance engineers to carry out regular leak checking – but a Category 1 Certificate holder will  be needed to fix any repairs identified.  Category II was designed for small equipment specialists such as domestic equipment operatives.

 

The amount of training required to pass this assessment varies according to the individual‘s knowledge, expertise and current qualifications. The training can be delivered in various ways including taught courses at a training centre, on line theory support and training booklets.  Centres offer courses from 1 tor 5 days in length.  The final assessment includes a theory and a practical test.  You should speak to your preferred or local training provider for individual advice about what how much and what type of training may be necessary for existing workers. Apprentices and trainees who do not hold these qualifications can only work under supervision of a qualified person and must be enrolled to obtain an F gas Certificate within two years. More information about qualifications here. 

 

The F Gas Qualification includes practical assessments and a multiple choice examination to test knowledge of theory principles. The theory test covers areas such as:

Basic thermodynamics

The practical test is similar to existing refrigerant handling assessments but will incorporate  some extra tasks. It is carried out on a test rig and assessed on a standard marking sheet:

Successful candidates are issued with a Certificate stating which Category and type of work they can carry out.   The Certificate may be withdrawn or suspended if necessary and end users or employers will be able to verify they are valid.

 

 

From 4th July 2009 it became a legal requirement for all businesses that install, maintain or service stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning or heat-pump equipment that contains F gas refrigerants to hold an F Gas Company Certificate. It is an offence to carry out these activities without a Company Certificate. This applies to RAC maintenance contractors and installers, including sole traders or training providers, and to RAC end users and facility managers that employ their own qualified staff to carry out these activities. See www.defra.gov.uk/fgas for a list of company certification bodies.

 

 

The Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) operates a voluntary ACRIB SKILLcard registration scheme for individuals who hold the necessary qualifications. Although registration is voluntary, this provides a convenient way of proving to employers and end users that an individual holds the correct qualification. Individuals are issued with a photo ID card showing the validity of their qualifications.