REFCOM has 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 has been 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 have obtained by 4 July 2009 either an interim or full company certificate.

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
  • if engineers only work on equipment containing less than 3 kg of F gas an in-house qualification or “interim personnel certificate” based on previous experience.

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.