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| F-GAS | F GAS Regulations & Legislation, News, Articles & Information
Air-conditioning Specialists
| F-GAS | F GAS Regulations & Legislation, News, Articles & Information
| F-GAS | F GAS Regulations & Legislation, News, Articles & Information

COUNTDOWN TO THE F GAS REGULATIONS

What needs to be done and when?

The European Union's F-gas Regulation No 842/2006 became law on 4 July 2006 and many of the requirements came into force on 4th July 2007 however, some of these requirements are still awaiting clarification from the Commission. The table below helps to outline what you need to do now.

F-gases include all HFC refrigerants, such as R134a, and blends containing F Gases such as R407C, R410A, R404A. If you are handling, recovering, supplying, installing, manufacturing or own equipment containing HFC refrigerants in stationary equipment you now have new legal obligations under the F Gas Regulations.


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Updated 04/04/08 10:27

UK RAC industry prepares for mandatory assessment of workforce skills

The European Commission has now finalised its detailed requirements for the training and certification of engineers working on stationary refrigeration and air conditioning equipment under the European Fluorinated Gases Regulation – known as the F Gas

Whilst most UK engineers have been assessed in refrigerant handling to the City and Guilds 2078 or CITB standard over the past 15 years, the new F Gas standard will be a much more thorough and wide ranging examination. It will include a range of observed practical assessments and a multiple choice examination which will test the knowledge of underpinning principles.  
 
 John Ellis, Past President of the IOR and Past Chairman of ACRIB who has reviewed the specification in detail comments “This is the first time that an assessment specification has been written into a Regulation on refrigerant handling. There is no doubt it will be tough to comply with but it would have been a lot worse without the work of ACRIB and DEFRA negotiating at a European level.”
 
Since the Commission finalised the requirements in December 2007, industry representatives through ACRIB have been working with existing awarding bodies (City and Guilds and CITB) to come up with a top-up qualification for those who already have refrigerant handling or S/NVQ qualifications. The new F Gas qualification is still under development and consultation, and will be presented to UK Government at the end of January.
 
Given that the whole of the existing workforce of up to 40,000 engineers will need to take all or part of the new assessment, one of the key briefs was for this to be as efficient as possible in terms of the time taken. It is expected that it will take approximately 4 hours for each candidate to be assessed by a qualified assessor. The level of training needed to get technicians up to the standard necessary to pass the assessments will depend on the prior qualifications, experience and knowledge of the individual. It is likely that this could be up to four days however, because much of the assessment is theoretical and covers principles of refrigeration required to assess performance of systems and their energy efficiency.
 
Jane Gartshore President of the IOR welcomed the work ACRIB is doing and said “We should not forget that whilst there will be a cost to industry, the F Gas training will also improve standards of competence throughout the workforce”
 
Training providers and colleges should be able to register to deliver the new qualifications early in the Spring with the first assessments going ahead in early July, when the requirements for F Gas Personnel Certification were due to come in. However with the current limited provision of training and the significant changes and challenges that the new F Gas qualifications will present, it is expected that it will take some years to get the whole of the UK workforce re-certified. Only those who have taken the new F Gas assessment will be recognised as competent throughout the whole of Europe, so in order to work with F Gas refrigerants, the sooner the new certificate is obtained the better.
 
The Commission requires that all technicians should have obtained this new qualification by January 2009. However the  UK Government will be consulting in the early summer on whether to allow a further three years (up to July 2011) for existing personnel to obtain the new qualification. ACRIB is pressing to ensure that the UK is granted an extension of the full three years to complete certifications. In the mean time , of course,  the existing certificates C&G 2078 or CITB equivalent  continue to be the existing national legal requirement for both F Gas and ODS refrigerant handling. The ACRIB voluntary register provides proof of competence through a register and card scheme. 
 
These requirements will be enforced by a Statutory Instrument expected to be published early this year which will lay down penalties for infringement. A programme of enforcement is currently being prepared by Government based on an awareness campaign targeting the key business sectors responsible for emissions of F Gases and gaining high level commitment to meeting the requirements of the Regulation from these businesses.
 
The Commission also recently agreed the principles for a Company registration scheme. Companies employing certified personnel will need to be registered, but again the deadline may be extended until July 2011. If so, companies will need an interim certificate by July 2009. The Government will be consulting on possible arrangements for the issuing of these interim company certificates and the length of the transitional period.
 
Guidance on the education and training requirements and all other aspects of the Regulation including the full text of the Regulations are available from ACRIB and its member organisations in the dedicated section of this website.

Updated 28/01/08 08:47
| F-GAS | F GAS Regulations & Legislation, News, Articles & Information
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Worried about FGAS in your workplace?

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Updated 29/11/07 14:15

Commission guidance and interpretation paper on certain issues arising from Regulation (EC) 842/2006 on certain f-gases

Commission's guidance and interpretation pa...

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Updated 28/03/08 15:40

New obligations from 4th July - 3/7/2007

 EC Regulation No842/2006 on certain fluorinated greenhouse gases
 
The principal objective of the EC Regulation is to prevent and thereby reduce emissions of F Gases covered

Obligations coming into force on 4 July will have direct effect on those affected without any f...

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Updated 01/02/08 16:03

NEWS UPDATE MARCH 2007

The Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board has added two new guidance notes to its website.

F Gas Regulation update

The first provides information for End Users (ow...

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Updated 01/02/08 16:03

Consultation on Proposals for offences and penalties and enforcement in relation to EC Regulation 842/2006 on Certain Fluorinate

 

  1. I am writi...

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Updated 01/02/08 16:03
| F-GAS | F GAS Regulations & Legislation, News, Articles & Information
"As part of the European Union’s obligations under the Kyoto protocol, the community has taken action to regulate fluorinated gases."

F-GAS REGULATIONS

After a long process through the European Parliament the F-Gas regulations became law when they were published in the EU Official Journal in June 2006. They entered


Updated 01/02/08 16:02

EC Regulation No 842/2006 on Certain Greenhouse Gases

The principal objective is to contain, prevent and thereby reduce emissions of F gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol.


Updated 31/01/07 17:34

Air-conditioning Engineers Required ASAP!

We urgently require service engineers, please visit www.denmanair.com for more information.


Updated 31/10/07 10:50
| F-GAS | F GAS Regulations & Legislation, News, Articles & Information
"This guide will help you choose an alternative"

Drop-In Replacements

The term "retrofit" refers to replacing the refrigerant in a system for a more environmentally-friendly fluid.

Click HERE to join FGAS.org for FREE.

Drop-in replacements do not require an oil change, and may require little or no replacement of el...

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Updated 31/01/08 12:07

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning industry asked to help shape registration schemes under new F Gas Regulation consultation

ACRIB has produced a Briefing Document summarising the key issues within the consultation and a template for responding to the consultation which can be downloaded below:

More detail - At a press briefing held on 5th August  the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board, which represents key trade and professional associations in the sector, outlined the impacts of recently issued DEFRA draft legislation on the stationary refrigeration and air conditioning sector. The Board issued a call to action for the whole of the industry in response to the 11th July consultation on further implementation measures on F-Gases and Ozone Depleting Substances Regulations
 
The consultation and the draft Regulations reflect decisions that have been made at a European level over the past year few years. However significantly, DEFRA is now inviting views on establishing UK registration schemes which will influence the effectiveness of the application of these decisions in the UK. ACRIB is calling on the refrigeration and air conditioning industry to put forward a strong message of support on the critical issues of registration of companies and individuals.
 
ACRIB member organisations believe that only a fully integrated registration scheme will make these Regulations work in practice. This means company registration with regular audits and at least five yearly renewal, backed up by a single source low-cost individual registration scheme. This would reflect the current voluntary registration schemes which have had widespread support from industry to date, and which are managed for and by the industry by REFCOM and ACRIB.   No other bodies have the past experience and understanding of the RAC sector to be able to satisfy the requirements of the Regulations in the time available.
 
“Have no doubt about it. This piece of legislation will have an impact on every one of the 5,000 businesses and 35,000 individuals working in the use of F Gas refrigerants”. Mel Bridges, Chairman of the ACRIB Education & Training Committee comments: “Whilst is likely to cost us in this industry up to £35 million in training fees, Government is hesitating to specify the rigorous management structures which will be needed to ensure that everyone complies with these requirements. This is not acceptable. For a small cost of up to £700,000  to introduce mandatory individual registration and an additional £35,000 for a more rigorous company registration we can be reassured that the costs are shared by everyone, not just those responsible companies and individuals who would comply anyway. These costs also have to be weighed against DEFRA’s anticipated benefits of compliance with the Regulations of up to £257million when savings possible due to reducing leakage and improving energy efficiency are taken into account“
 
ACRIB F Gas Implementation Group Chairman Mike Nankivell commented “We are seeing for the first time some hard numbers from Government in terms of cost implications, cost savings and environmental benefits of the training and registration aspects of these Regulations. The ACRIB F-Gas Implementation Group have scrutinised the consultation documentation and come up with some key pointers for industry to respond to. We are working closely with end users, contractors and other representative bodies to make the most of the opportunity to influence the final shape of the regulations by the 3rd October deadline”.
 
This consultation is a unique window of opportunity to influence the future of the RAC industry. Widespread industry support for the registration schemes must be received by DEFRA by 3rd October 2008 so that the legislation can be finalised for implementation in February 2009. The basic company registration scheme must in place by July 2009. 
 
ACRIB wants to see 100% compliance with these Regulations to ensure that only responsible companies continue to operate and those who cut corners are prevented from undermining the sector. It sees the solution as an integrated registration scheme providing the benefits of:
  • Accurate and up to date records of individuals and companies operating in the sector to prevent fraudulent operation and use of forged certificates.
  • Single central databases for use by end users, employers and enforcement agencies to check the status of those working in the industry
  • An essential communication route to everyone in the industry to ensure they are up to date with any future changes in refrigerant handling legislation and to prove compliance in the future.
Mike Nankivell concludes “Questions 15,16,19 and 20 in the Consultation document are crucial. We need a strong and concerted message from industry if an integrated company and individual registration scheme is to be achieved. Without an appropriate steer from industry in response to this consultation, we will find ourselves subject to a series of bureaucratic, ineffective and impractical solutions”
 
ACRIB has produced a Briefing Document summarising the key issues within the consultation and a template for responding to the consultation which can be downloaded below:
 
 
Notes:
 
1. See full DEFRA Consultation at : http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/fgas-ozone/. This includes a consultation document, regulatory impact assessment from which figures quoted are drawn and the draft legislation.
 
 
2. Consultation Questions:
  • Company certification for stationary refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment and fire protection systems
  • Question fourteen: Views are invited on what body or bodies might be designated by the Secretary of State as certification bodies and on what type of certification scheme is preferred?
  • Question fifteen: Do you have any comments on regulations 22 (certification bodies for companies), 23 (certificates for companies) or 24 (interim company certificates) or 25 (mutual recognition)?
  • Question sixteen: Do you have any comments on how the company certification schemes should be operated (i.e. renewal or nonrenewal?)
  • Question seventeen: Do you have any comments on regulations 29 (certification bodies for companies), 30 (certificates for companies) or 31 (interim company certificates) or 32 (mutual recognition)?
  • Question eighteen: Do you have any comments on how the company certification schemes should be operated (i.e. renewal or nonrenewal?
  • Personnel registration
  • Question nineteen: Would you like the Government to propose regulations to require mandatory personnel registration in a future consultation?
  • Question twenty: What reasons do you have for supporting or not supporting mandatory personnel registration?
3. Responses to the consultation must be sent by 3rd October to:
Stephen Cowperthwaite
Defra
Climate, Energy and Ozone, Science and Analysis Division
3F Ergon House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
Tel 0207 238 3179
Fax 0207 238 3341
fgas@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Updated 13/08/08 22:02


The objectives of the F-GAS Regulation


The principal objective is to contain, prevent and thereby reduce emissions of f-gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol. This Regulation will make a significant contribution towards the European Community's Kyoto Protocol target by introducing cost-effective mitigation measures and to prevent distortion of the internal market. The main focus is on containment and recovery of f-gases, together with harmonised restrictions on the marketing and use of f-gases in applications where containment of f-gases is difficult to achieve or the use of f-gases is considered inappropriate and suitable alternatives exist.