Australian Refrigeration Council CEO, Glenn Evans, has announced details of a new refrigerant working group and explains why technicians need to keep their skills up to date. This is what he told CCN.
Technicians need to have a strategy in place to ensure their skills remain up to date at a time when the industry is confronting a 'refrigerant revolution'.
Over 60,000 ARC-licensed and qualified technicians have driven the standard and skill of the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) industry.
However, with a refrigerant evolution currently taking place as industry moves towards refrigerants with less environmental impact, it is incumbent on everyone to look at strategies and actions to ensure technicians keep-up with the pace of change.
ARC’s success in managing refrigerants to a ‘worlds-best’ standard – along with Refrigerant Reclaim Australia and the Federal Government – means we have an obligation to ensure technicians are “future-proofed”, and the high standards of the industry are maintained.
The ARC is acting on this need, with the creation of an industry-led Refrigerant Evolution Working Group to look at potential issues effecting technicians at the coal face as refrigerants evolve. These issues include:
Safety
Environmental implications
Training requirements
Preparing technicians for future technologies
The Working Group will identify issues, work through the options for change and submit recommendations addressing these issues for the ARC Board. Depending on appropriateness, recommendations will be referred to the ARC Board and may then be forwarded to the Federal Government for action.
Interested in joining the Refrigerant Evolution Working Group? There are conditions for participation.
As well as having a genuine desire to effect positive change for the refrigeration and air conditioning industry, Working Group participants must have a relevant ARC licence, or be a representative of an ARC member association.
From the applications received, the ARC will select between six to eight representatives, based on the individuals’ suitability to the role and stakeholder balance.
There is no cost to be a part of the Working Group, apart from any expenses incurred attending. Our proposed plan is to hold our first meeting in July, 2016. It is proposed that three, all day meetings will be held over a 12-month period.
Subsequent meetings may also be scheduled, dependent on need. The group will meet at a location in the Sydney, NSW area. Send your details and express your interest in participating to ARC manager (compliance and training), Rod Cumming at rcumming@arctick.org or call (03) 9843 1602.