Refrigerants
The Environment Protection Act forbids the deliberate discharge of refrigerants into the atmosphere. Where refrigerant has to be removed from a system and cannot be immediately reused, it is recovered and sent for recycling or disposal by suitably qualified companies who employ competent engineers to undertake this task.
These engineers need to be up-to-date with the latest legislation and practice if they work on the installation, commissioning, servicing or repairing of refrigerant equipment.
The BES refrigerants scheme covers:
- Safe Handling of Refrigerants
- Anhydrous Ammonia
- Pipework and Brazing.
Passing the appropriate assessments earns you a ConstructionSkills certificate and card, which you can use to prove that you are competent to work with refrigerants in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act.
Who's it for?
Refrigerant engineers who need to renew or extend their scheme categories. New entrants to industry must have some experience with the recovery and charging of refrigerants.
How to get one
If you are already working within the industry and wish to renew your certificate you can attend an approved ConstructionSkills centre and undertake an assessment.
New entrants should have some knowledge of working within the refrigerants industry but not necessarily recognised qualifications. Formal training should be undertaken through one of CITB-ConstructionSkills approved training providers to gain a better knowledge and understanding of the industry and its practices. A training centre certificate is issued on completion of training. This is a pre-requisite to achieve the above scheme categories.
Renewals and Conversions
ConstructionSkills refrigeration cards have a three year renewal period. Don't wait until the card expires to get re-assessed. ConstructionSkills sends you a letter detailing categories which need renewing in the next six months.
Why have one?
If you are working within the refrigerants industry, having a registered card will ensure you:
- meet the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act
- have evidence of holding an approved qualification in the Safe Handling of Refrigerants, Anhydrous Ammonia and Pipework and Brazing (this can be used onsite for employers/clients)
- can join the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) with the
ConstructionSkills qualification - Information for existing ‘Refrigerant’ cardholders.
Individuals who hold a current registration in one area (Safe Handling of Refrigerants, for example) and wish to extend the range of work they do to another (Pipework and Brazing, for example) can apply to their nearest centre and undertake the appropriate assessment to enable them to achieve this.
Approved ConstructionSkills training centres provide publications to you which will form part of the training they delivery and may be used in some assessments. They can also be used for reference in the workplace or self-study prior to taking assessments and can be kept by you, following completion of training.
Working to the correct industry standards is vital. With regular updates being made to British Standards, Codes of Practices' and Regulations, our publications are constantly updated to reflect these changes.
You can download the relevant list of all our available approved centres. This list is updated on a regular basis.