DAY ONE OF CERTIFICATION OF RAC TECHNICANS IN AFRICA

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Jocelin McDowell
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DAY ONE OF CERTIFICATION OF RAC TECHNICANS IN AFRICA KIGALI RWANDA: UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME WORKSHOP FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF CERTIFICATION SCHEMES AND NATIONAL/REGIONAL

1 DAY ONE OF CERTIFICATION OF RAC TECHNICANS IN AFRICA KIGALI RWANDA: UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME WORKSHOP FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF CERTIFICATION SCHEMES AND NATIONAL/REGIONAL RAC ASSOCIATIONS 13 th June 2014 was a crucial date for the refrigeration and air conditioning sector in Africa. Thanks to his strong cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), AREA Vice-President Marco Buoni was invited, to share his experience and to be the assessor of the certification session during this important workshop for the future of African RAC technicians. On this occasion, AREA, the leading Refrigeration European Association for technicians, supported the certification of 11 technicians on the basis the European scheme. Technicians from a variety of African countries were invited to attend in order to maximise the dissemination of the knowledge gained about the certification scheme, which has been functioning well in Europe since In Europe, all technicians who handle fluorinated refrigerants need to have passed this assessment and hold a certificate which is identified with a personal badge. The badge is a useful tool, both for the customer who can check if a technician is competent in their job and for the authorities to know how many and which personnel can buy and handle the controlled substances. In the one-day session held in Africa in Kigali, Rwanda, 14 technicians participated in the theoretical test which evaluates the basic minimum requirements of competence about thermodynamics, unit of measure, components, good practices, international protocols, etc. This part of the exam is often the most challenging as technicians are used to working in the field and not in front of a desk. Two of the technicians failed this part of the assessment, scoring less than the 60% of correct answers required by the Italian certification scheme. The 12 technicians who passed the initial theory test then participated in the practical exam for which they are required to be able to correctly undertake typical operations, such as recovery of the refrigerant, vacuum, charge, leak detections, temperature and pressure evaluation. The technicians, who were selected from the most skilled technicians across the African continent, were very well trained and demonstrated a high level of knowledge to prevent emissions of refrigerants. In particular, these technicians are in the process of phasing out R22 in their countries and as such they are very careful about the recovery of these refrigerants which are dangerous for the tropospheric Ozone. The practical session was held in the University Polytechnic IPRC (Kigali) where a laboratory is completely dedicated to air conditioning and refrigeration. The equipment was to a high standard, with multiple examples of recovery machines, leak detectors, vacuum pumps and tools. The material was made available by the United Nations Environment Programme, under various projects involving capacity building and phasing down of dangerous ozone

2 depleting substances (ODS) in developing countries. The practical side was failed by only one technician who was unable to demonstrate to the assessor his ability to carry out the essential operation of recovery and vacuum of the system. At the end of the three-day workshop (during which the Minister of the Environment and Energy of Rwanda was present) the candidates who were expert technicians from various countries in Africa, and the 28 Ozone Officers who attended from Anglophone African countries, have all expressed the desire to implement the European Certification Scheme and adapt it to their national requirements. They believe that training without certification is less effective. AREA will continue to give support to those countries in order to ensure a uniform and adequate implementation in line with EU standards. Vice President of AREA, Marco Buoni, has also recently participated in two other events on the same subject. Thanks to the strong relationship held with UNEP, AREA has been nominated as the distinctive expert for capacity building within emerging and developing economies for the competence of personnel handling refrigerants. On 28 th - 29 th May, a workshop held in Sri Lanka targeted Asian countries. During the last week of April, a Video Conference was held with Suriname for the Caribbean regional workshop. In the workshop, 3 speeches led to discussions about new F-gas regulation in Europe, certification and training schemes for handling refrigerants and the step-by-step creation and strengthening of National Associations. COLOMBO-SRI LANKA: SEMINAR ON REFRIGERATION ASSOCIATION AND TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION AND NEW OZONE OFFICERS TRAINING AREA was invited to the Network Meeting of Ozone Officers Seminar on Refrigeration Association and Technician Certification and New Ozone Officers Training to present the achievements in Europe of the revision of the F-gas regulation 842/2006, with particular reference to training and certification. The European Commission DG Clima was also present at this event and represented by Cornelius Rhein, as well as the Australian Association of Refrigeration with its president Kevin O'Shea. Cornelius Rhein expressed his satisfaction for Europe to take the lead on hydrofluorocarbon (HFCs) reduction through an ambitious regulation process. Europe wishes to set the standard for an international agreement on F-gas reduction. AREA can take the lead in making this process homogenous between EU Member States and also internationally through UNEP. In fact from all sides, including many institutions and associations, there is the desire for AREA to have the leadership in disseminating EU certification scheme and minimum competence around the world. This is in order to implement common minimum requirements for handling powerful refrigerants which are dangerous for the environment and also alternative refrigerants which can be dangerous to handle because of their flammability, toxicity and high pressures. AREA has received further invitations to exchange knowledge with Arabic and Balkan Countries (Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia etc.) about certification schemes for handling refrigerants in these regions.

3 Below is the recommendation, relevant to AREA, with which the UNEP conference ended. Many of the below recommendations came from AREA inputs: Training, Certification and Associations 1. Countries which have not yet done so to consider establishing and implementing national certification systems for refrigeration technicians that are able to address the needs for handling all types of refrigerants i.e. HCFCs, HFCs and alternative refrigerants (notably HCs and CO2) as well as safe use requirements. 2. Countries are also requested to ensure that training and certification programmes address clearly low-gwp alternatives. 3. Countries are requested to further explore, in cooperation with respective international and regional organizations, how the certification programmes should be regionally recognised throughout Africa and subsequently worldwide, if possible 4. Countries are encouraged to strengthen, or establish if not available, national refrigeration associations that are able to support and sustain the HPMPs (HCFC Phase out Management Plan) activities related to the refrigeration and airconditioning sector. Countries are encouraged to benefit from the experience of relevant international associations with support from Bilateral and Implementing Agencies The important role of AREA is now even better recognised globally, as the European Association takes the lead in advocating and supporting uniform worldwide requirements in handling refrigerants for the design, installation, repair and maintenance of all kinds of refrigeration and air conditioning systems. This is despite the different types of refrigerants which could be included in the systems themselves and could be environmentally unfriendly (HCFC, HFC), flammables (HC, HFO, R32), toxic (R717-Ammonia), high pressure of operation (R744-Carbon Dioxide). AREA is keen to be a facilitator and a reference globally and to be the focal point globally in order to enable a homogenous implementation of the high quality standards of the work of technicians worldwide Captures of the below pictures: Practical exam with Rwandese technicians: vacuum, recovery through proper pressure gauges to monitor the correct procedure is essential for a certified technician.

4 Theoretical exam to obtain the EU certification for handling refrigerants.

5 In Kigali, Rwanda on 13 th June. 11 technicians were certified from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Lybia, Swaziland, Gambia, Rwanda, Zambia.. Marco Buoni AREA Vice President

EU training and certification scheme Alternative Refrigerants

EU training and certification scheme Alternative Refrigerants Sarajevo, 20 Nov 2015 Marco Buoni VicePresident, AREA Air Conditioning & Refrigeration European contractors Association (www.area-eur.be) Secretary