UK to offer certified flammable refrigerant training

Last month (21 December 2018), the UK-based Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) announced it had developed training and certification programmes for flammable refrigerants.

Two national certification bodies, BESA Training (BESA stands for Building Engineering Services Association) and Logic Certification (a certficiation body for the UK building services engineering sector), will use this ACRIB flammable refrigerant programme as a basis to qualify technicians to use hydrocarbon and HFO refrigerants.

ACRIB decided to develop the programme, “as a result of industry concerns about new low flammable refrigerants which are becoming more widely used and a lack of experience and knowledge about the characteristics of these substances amongst technicians who are expected to work with them”. 

The ACRIB course specification can also be used by individual training centres and can be updated or developed depending on the needs of UK technicians.

The Board acknowledged that hydrocarbon refrigerant training has been available “for some time”, but believes this new training course will grant technicians more information.  

The course programme covers:

• The difference between the various flammability classifications;
• Different methods used to calculate maximum safe charge sizes;
• Equipment and component compatibility, and;
• Key safety and environmental standards and regulations that need to be taken into account when preparing method statements and risk assessments.

To find a training course in the UK near you, ACRIB provides a searchable map of training centres on its website here.