REFCOM CONFIRMED AS F-GAS CERTIFICATION BODY - 11/6/2009
REFCOM has this week signed an agreement with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirming its appointment as a mandatory F gas company certification body for businesses operating in the stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat-pump (SRAC) sector in Great Britain. This concludes discussions between Defra and REFCOM to finalise the details of an agreement reached in principle in February 2009. A similar agreement is about to be signed with the Department of the Environment for SRAC businesses operating in Northern Ireland.
Company certification is a legal requirement under Sections 23 and 24 of the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (FGG) Regulations 2009 which became law in March this year. To comply with the regulations, businesses that install, maintain or service stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning and/or heat pump equipment containing F gases must obtain by July 4
Key to the new regime are the new personnel refrigerant handling qualifications City & Guilds 2079 and CITB J11-J14 which have been developed specifically to meet the requirements of the FGG regulations.
To obtain an interim company certificate, businesses must employ engineers holding either:
- the old City & Guilds 2078 or CITB J01, or
- the new City & Guilds 2079 or CITB J11-J14, or
Interim certificates are valid until July 2011 to allow time for engineers to gain the new qualifications. After July 2011 all businesses must hold a full company certificate. To obtain a full company certificate, businesses must employ engineers that have the new City & Guilds 2079 or CITB J11-J14 qualifications. In addition, businesses must also prove that they have in place appropriate recovery systems and refrigerant handling procedures.
REFCOM’s Chief Executive, Bruce Kirton, said: “Now that REFCOM has been appointed, we will work hard to process applications as quickly as possible. With the July 4 deadline being so close, businesses who haven’t yet contacted REFCOM should visit our new website at www.refcom.org.uk
Interim certification for the period to July 2011 will cost just
- £70 for sole traders;
- £90 for businesses with two to nine refrigeration engineers;
- £150 for businesses with 10 to 49 engineers;
- and £350 for businesses employing 50 or more engineers.
The three-yearly, full certification fee for the above categories will be £140, £180, £365 and £800.
If engineers only work on equipment containing less than 3 kg of F gas an inhouse qualification or “interim personnel certificate” based on previous experience is needed.
Compliance is required by law and customers and gas and equipment suppliers will expect businesses to be certificated.