News on company certification and qualifications under F Gas - 28/7/2009
News received from F Gas Support (www.defra.gov.uk/fgas)
1. Company Certification
DEFRA have now designated three bodies are now able to issue Company Certificates – Refcom, Bureau Veritas and Quidos.
It is now a legal requirement for all businesses that install, maintain or service stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning or heat-pump (RAC) equipment that contains or is designed to contain "F gas" refrigerants to hold a Company Certificate issued by an appointed Company Certification Body. It is an offence to carry out these activities without a Company Certificate. This legal requirement applies to RAC maintenance contractors and installers, including sole traders, and to RAC end users and facility managers that employ their own qualified staff to carry out the activities described above. The details of Company Certification requirements are also set out in the supporting Commission Regulation 303/2008 as are the definitions of the listed activities.
For an interim company certificate you need:
- Basic information about the business.
- Details about employed engineers - to work on equipment over 3kg charge size they must hold a valid qualification either City & Guilds 2078 or 2079 or CITB J01 or J11-14. Please see note below in relation to expired CITB J01 certificates.
To apply for a Company Certificate contact one of the following:
- Refcom: Website: www.refcom.org.uk telephone: 01768 860409 or email: info@refcom.org.uk
- Bureau Veritas: Website: www.bureauveritas.co.uk/fgas, telephone: 0207 661 0726 email: fgas.mail@uk.bureauveritas.com
- Quidos: Website: http://fgasregister.com, telephone: 01225 318400 or email fgas@quidos.co.uk
2. Expiry of Construction Skills CITB J01 qualifications
The European Commission has just agreed (14 July 2009) that CITB J01 certificates valid on 9 March 2009 (i.e. when the GB F gas Regulations came into force) but which have since expired, or are due to expire count as interim certificates for the entire transitional period through to 3 July 2011. Therefore, personnel holding a valid CITB J01 certificate on 9 March 2009 are deemed to be holders of an appropriate interim personnel certificate and would meet the requirements for the issue of an interim company certificate. However, those personnel whose CITB J01 certificate had already expired prior to 9 March 2009 are not deemed to be holders of an interim personnel certificate and an interim company certificate cannot be issued unless they have either refreshed their expired J01 or obtained one of the new F gas qualifications meeting the minimum requirements of EC/303/2008.
3. RAC Information Sheets updated
F-Gas Support’s Information Sheets have been updated for the RAC sector. Please visit their website at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/air-atmos/fgas/sectors/rac.htmto download current copies.
4. European Commission publishes its own guidance on EC F gas Regulations
The Commission have now published their leaflets relating to each sector on their website and these are available via the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/fluor/publications_en.htm