Marco Buoni Director Centro Studi Galileo

(www.centrogalileo.it) VicePresident, AREA

Air Conditioning & Refrigeration European contractors’ Association

(www.area-eur.be)

Secretary General Italian Association of Refrigeration Technician, ATF

(www.associazioneATF.org)

Establishing and implementing

the certification scheme the development process, the enforcement, registration/certification and

monitoring mechanisms, training Component

DUBAI, 2nd November 2015

Certification

is the best practical method to

verify the competence of personnel

handling refrigerants and to ensure

the correct installation,

maintenance, repair and

dismantling of a refrigeration,

airconditioning and heat pump

systems.

The Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps systems

containing fluorinated refrigerants in EU should have:

- Logbook

- Periodical inspections

- Installation, repair only by certified craftsmen

In Pills: To prevent refrigerant

emissions

Training and certification

Refrigerant to be sold by distributors

only to certified craftsmen

Refrigerant to be withdraw

only by certified craftsmen

Why creating

Training, Assessment, Certification

Certification is an important tool and a must to organize the labor market

according to the national qualification classification system

Through legislation, this will have the effect of:

• Reducing Refrigerant Emissions, GHG, ODS

• Increasing energy efficiency (reducing CO2)

Contractor-driven:

• More aggressive competition requires proof of higher quality and

certification

Customer-driven:

• Wholesalers, distributors, big customers … require environmentally

friendly and energy efficient products

• Protects the interests of customer through

providing services according to applicable standards

Certification of the personnel and

of the companies who handle air conditioning,

refrigeration and heat pumps equipment

How to create

Training, Assessment, Certification

Certifying

bodies

Advisory Committee

of Experts

National Authority

Recommended general structure

The National Authority is the governmental institution, for instance a Ministry or a National Agency,

responsible for controlling the implementation of the overall certification scheme.

The scheme includes a Certifying Body or Certifying Bodies carrying out the functions of

assessment and certification / registration of personnel and companies’ working procedures and

structure: the National Authority has to recognise the competence of such a Body or such Bodies in

accordance with standards ISO 17024.

The Certification Bodies must have experience within the refrigeration sector and employ subject

competent specialists in refrigeration and air conditioning.

The Advisory Committee of Experts assists the National Authority in its controlling mission and

serves as a counsellor to define and update – when needed – the criteria for certification (e.g.

demands and terms of assessment, structures and terms of inspections, …). The members of the

Advisory Committee are experienced representatives of the government, refrigeration vocational

education bodies / schools, certifying bodies and relevant trade associations (industry and end

users).

Natural persons (personnel) carrying out certain tasks on certain types of equipment must be

certified or qualified.

Equipment

Stationary refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pump and fire protection equipment

Refrigerated trucks (above 3.5 t) and trailers

Air conditioning equipment in road vehicles

Tasks

a) Installation, servicing, maintenance

b) Repair

c) Decommissioning

d) Leakage checking

e) Recovery

Who needs to be certified?

(1 - Personnel)

*some countries worldwide offer the certification of companies. It is likely that developing countries could

use a different method to ensure the compliance of the requirements described below, for example

provided that the single service installer, as self-employed person, provides the compliance

Companies carrying out certain tasks on certain types of equipment for other parties must

be certified.

Equipment

Stationary refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pump and fire protection equipment

Tasks

Installation, servicing, maintenance

Repair

Decommissioning

Companies should fulfils the following requirements

(a) employment of personnel certified in accordance with Article 5, for the activities

requiring certification, in a sufficient number to cover the expected volume of activities;

(b) proof that the necessary tools and procedures are available to the personnel engaged

in activities for which certification is required.

Who needs to be certified?

(2 - Companies)

Equipment and tools

Equipment and tools of the certified personnel to be supplied by his employer RC

Manifold x

Vacuum Gauge or Vacuum Meter x

Temperature meter x

Portable leak detector x

Refrigerant weight Scale x

Vacuum pump x

Recovery set x

Nitrogen pressure regulator x

Recycling cylinder x

Figure 4 Recovery cylinder, how to label it

Figure 5 Vacuum pump

Figure 6 Refrigerant recovery machine

Figure 7 Leak detector

Figure 8 Scale

Figure 9 Vacuum Gauge

Figure 10 Pressure Manifold

Figure 11 Temperature Meter

Who needs to be certified?

(2 - Companies) (2)

REGULATION (EC) 303/2008 (or EN 133133 becoming ISO)

MINIMUM COMPETENCE OF PERSONNEL

T = THEORETICAL P = PRACTICAL CATEGORIES

DUTIES AND KNOWLEDGE I II III IV

1 Basic thermodynamics T T T

2 Environmental impact of refrigerants and corresponding environmental regulations

T T T T

3 Checks before putting in operation, after a long period of non-use, after

maintenance or repair intervention, or during

operation

P P

4 Checks for leakage T/P T/P T/P

5 Environment-friendly handling of the system and refrigerant during installation, maintenance, servicing or recovery

P P P

6 Component: installation, putting into operation and maintenance of

reciprocating, screw and scroll compressors, single and

two-stage

P P

7 Component: installation, putting into operation and maintenance of air cooled and water cooled condensers

P

8 Component: installation, putting into operation and maintenance of air cooled and water cooled evaporators

P

9 Component: installation, putting into operation and servicing of Thermostatic Expansion Valves (TEV) and other components

P

10 Piping: building a leak tight piping system in a refrigeration installation P P

Maximum 20-25 candidates per class dependent on number of assessors

Assessor/s should be independent and not involved in the training of the candidates

Multiple answers tests, 30 questions for 90 minutes duration

The same test among candidates with variation of questions to prevent predictability among candidates

Closed books, only specific technical tools such as calculator and pressure-temperature comparator

allowed

NO! mobile phones or cameras NO! copying or communication between candidates

YES! speaking to the assessor to ask explanation of the modalities and of the questions if not

understood; many candidates use different words and vocabulary to identify the same concept (eg. Valves)

Theoretical assessment: Pass mark above 60% correct answers

Laboratory is properly equipped for performing the practical test

Practical assessment: Pass if candidate proves competence in performing main RAC service technicians

activities without or with only small hesitations (remember candidates could be knowledgeable but be

nervous!):

• Thermodynamic parameters reading through gauges and

devices, temperature, pressure, subcooling, superheating

• Parameters interpretation, troubleshooting

• Perform a leak test

• Vacuum, charge, recovery with minimum emissions

• System Logbook reading, understanding and competition

• Brazing leak tight joints

Assessment: practical

organization issues

Monitoring systems consists of putting in place several tools

within the National Certification Scheme:

• A register of certified personnel and companies publically

available online (recommended) or held by a national

authority

• Only certified personnel and companies can purchase

refrigerants and refrigerant containing equipment

• Only certified personnel and companies can install, repair,

maintain, recover and dismantle RAC systems

• A register with the quantity of purchased and recovered

refrigerants (both at a certified personnel or company level

and from at the distributors) available to the authorities

• Refrigeration System Logbook containing relevant

historical data of the installation, maintenance and repair

available for each system (a threshold to avoid small

systems, like domestic refrigeration and air conditioning,

could be evaluated)

The above allows the checking and monitoring of the whole

sector, whether the Service Technician and the company

doing the job is competent and prevents loopholes in the

certification system

Monitoring the results of the certification

Certification

the numbers

Country N° of Service Technicians Australia 55.000 (including

automotive mechanics) Germany 25.000 Italy 45.000 Philippines 3.000 United Kingdom 32.000

Number of certified personnel in different

countries (2014)

Certification

the numbers – the costs

The certification costs vary quite largely between countries -

even between developed countries - as they depend on:

• Paperwork behind the certification

• Registration procedure for public list

• Assessment organizational aspects

• Validation, confirmation procedures of the assessment

from third party

NB. Certification normally has to be renewed periodically,

preferably every 5-10 years due to technological changes in

components, equipment, refrigerants, standards and

regulations

Certification

the numbers – the costs (2) Installer certification cost (€=Euro)

Australia € 800

Belgium €1,200

Czech Republic €200-250

Finland €0 to €3,000 depending on training needs

France €2,000-3,000

Germany €50 for people who already hold a master craftsman´s

diploma or certificate of apprenticeship in air-condition

technology.

Hungary €200-300-600 up to €1,500-2,000 depending on categories

and former level of certification

Ireland Between €1,400 and €2,000

Italy €500-600

Philippines €25

Portugal €750

Slovakia €80+80 (training + exam and certification)

Spain €2,000

Sweden €700-2,500

United Kingdom €500 to €1000

Note: some countries include training in the certification, the costs above are

for certification only for the majority of countries. Ideally, certification and

training costs should be left separate.

Training and certification worldwide • CSG have over the last few years

been deeply involved in helping

developing countries improve living

conditions, by improving refrigeration

and air conditioning systems and

processes, through capacity building

and training technicians to install,

repair, maintain and design numerous

Certification Sessions with United

Nations in Africa and Asia (Rwanda,

Ghana, Tunisia, Eritrea, Benin,

Gambia, Montenegro, Saudi Arabia,

Turkey etc…).

• IIR Informatory Notes

on the Qualification

and Certification

THANK YOU!

Email: buoni@centrogalileo.it

Marco Buoni VicePresident, AREA

Air Conditioning & Refrigeration European contractors’ Association

(www.area-eur.be)

Secretary General Italian Association of Refrigeration Technician, ATF (www.associazioneATF.org)