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F gas company certification
From 4 July 2009 it became a legal requirement for all businesses that install, maintain or service stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning and/or heat pump equipment containing or designed to contain F gas refrigerants to obtain an F gas Company Certificate.
If you have not already applied for a Company Certificate you should do so immediately, without further delay.
It is now a criminal offence to carry out the above activities without a Company Certificate.
You can use this site to apply and pay on-line for a Company Certificate but we recommend that you read the following information first.
For more detailed information on the F gas Regulations click here to view Defra's F-Gas Support web pages.
What is the purpose of the F gas Regulations?
The principal objective of the EC Regulation is to contain, prevent and thereby reduce emissions of F gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol, so as to help combat climate change.
There are obligations in the F gas Regulation (EC Regulation 842/2006) and the Ozone Regulation (EC Regulation 2037/2000) that affect many industry sectors. In some cases the obligations lie with the owner / operator of the equipment. In other situations the obligations lie with third parties, such as equipment suppliers, maintenance contractors and waste handling companies.
The following is a summary of uses and sectors affected. More details of the various obligations and a full listing of affected sectors can be found in a series of Sector Information Sheets available on the F- Gas Support website.
Stationary Refrigeration and Air-conditioning - Users of these systems have numerous obligations to prevent leakage of F gas refrigerants, especially for any equipment containing 3 kg or more of refrigerant. RAC systems using hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) refrigerants such as R22 need to address a ban on the use of this refrigerant which comes into force in 2010 for virgin refrigerant and in 2015 for recycled fluid.
There are also many obligations that apply to RAC system suppliers and maintenance contractors, especially related to the use of appropriately qualified personnel and certification of companies.
Fire Protection - users of fire protection systems have many similar obligations related to leakage prevention and use of qualified personnel.
Mobile Air-Conditioning, Solvent Cleaning & Switchgear containing sulphur hexafluoride the obligations for these sectors are more limited in scope mainly relating to proper recovery of gas during maintenance and at end of life.
Bans - A number of sectors are affected by bans on F gas usage, these include novelty aerosols, one component foam, magnesium die casting and non-refillable containers.
Other sectors - Some sectors such as electronics manufacture, foam blowing and aluminium smelting have no specific obligations under the Regulations, but all users should be aware that emissions of F gases are very harmful to the environment and should be making all practical and economically feasible efforts to reduce emissions.
Is my business affected by the Regulations?
The Regulations apply to all sizes and types of business sole traders, partnerships, limited companies and public limited companies.
If your business carries out installation, maintenance or servicing of stationary refrigeration, air conditioning or heat pump equipment (SRAC work) that contains
or is designed to contain F gas refrigerants then you must obtain either an interim company certificate or a stationary equipment qualification company certificate (full certificate).
Businesses carrying out SRAC work after 4 July 2009 without one or other of these certificates will be committing an offence under The Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2009.
What are the certification standards?
To obtain an interim company certificate businesses must prove that each employed engineer carrying our SRAC work has at least one of the long-standing recognised industry qualifications issued prior to 9 March 2009, either:
- Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) J01
- City and Guilds 2078
- In-house qualification, including interim personnel certification issued by the Domestic Appliance Services Association (DASA) or the Whitegoods Trade Association (WTA).
To obtain a stationary equipment qualification company certificate (Full certificate) businesses must prove that each employed engineer carrying out SRAC work has one of the new industry qualifications, either:
- Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) J11 - J14
- City and Guilds 2079
In addition, for full certification, businesses must confirm by way of declaration that they have in place:
- Appropriate recovery systems; and
- Refrigerant handling procedures
New Categories of Training for F gas Regulations
For RAC personnel, the European Commission Regulation 303/2008 refers to four different levels of certification, which allow personnel to carry out different activities. These are now described. Note that Category I covers all activities whereas the other 3 categories are more restrictive:
Category I certificate holders may carry out all refrigerant handling activities for any size of RAC systems containing HFC refrigerants. This includes leakage checking, refrigerant recovery, installation, maintenance and servicing.
Category II certificate holders may carry out refrigerant recovery, installation, maintenance and servicing, in relation to RAC systems containing less than 3 kg of fluorinated greenhouse gases (or less than 6 kg for systems that are hermetically sealed). Category II certificate holders may also carry out leak checks on any plant provided that it does not entail breaking into the refrigeration circuit containing fluorinated greenhouse gases.
Category III certificate holders may carry out refrigerant recovery in relation to RAC systems containing less than 3 kg of fluorinated greenhouse gases (or less than 6 kg for systems that are hermetically sealed).
Category IV certificate holders may carry out leak checks on any plant provided that it does not entail breaking into the refrigeration circuit containing fluorinated greenhouse gases.
The new F Gas qualification must be obtained by 4 July 2011 by personnel carrying out installation, maintenance or servicing of stationary refrigeration, air conditioning or heat pump equipment (SRAC work) that contains or is designed to contain F gas refrigerants.
For a full list of training providers please visit the ACRIB website.
Are sub-contractors covered by the Regulations?
If your business employs sub-contractors to carry out SRAC work then those sub-contractors must have an interim certificate or a full certificate. You can not apply for a certificate on their behalf.
What are the differences between interim and full company certification?
The Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations recognise that not all businesses will be able to meet the full company certification standards by 4 July 2009, most likely because their employed engineers will hold the old CITB J01, City and Guilds 2078 or an equivalent in-house qualification.
The interim certification period lasts until 4 July 2011 to allow businesses time for their employed engineers to gain one of the new qualifications CITB J11 - J14 or City and Guilds 2079.
In addition, to obtain a full company certificate businesses must demonstrate that they have appropriate recovery systems and refrigerant handling procedures in place.
Businesses must hold either an interim or full certificate by 4 July 2009.
Businesses can apply for a full certificate at any time provided its employed engineers hold one of the new qualifications mentioned above.
How do I apply for an F gas company certificate?
If your business is affected by the Regulations then you must obtain either an interim company certificate or a stationary equipment qualification company certificate.
You can apply and pay for a certificate online using this website. Alternatively, click here to request or download an application form.
To save time and to ensure your online application goes smoothly you will need the following information and documents to hand:
- Business name, address and contact details
- Type of work undertaken
- Industry/customer
- In-scope turnover per latest annual accounts
- The names of employed engineers (including yourself if you are a sole trader, partner or director) who carry out SRAC work together with details of their industry qualifications, as shown above
- Credit card details - Payment can be made online, using secure transaction
processes, using most major credit / debit cards.
Finally, an authorised official of the business - e.g. business owner, director or company secretary must declare that the information supplied is true and correct.
How much do certificates cost?
Certification fees are banded according to the number of employed engineers that carry our SRAC work.
| Size of business
|
Interim Certification
(valid until July 2011) |
Full Certification
(valid for 3 years) |
| Micro (sole trader) |
£70.00 |
£140.00 |
| Small (2-9 engineers) |
£90.00 |
£180.00 |
| Medium (10-49 engineers) |
£150.00 |
£365.00 |
| Large (50+ engineers) |
£350.00 |
£800.00 |
All fees are subject to VAT.
Additional fees may apply in certain cases.
How long does the application process take?
Provided you have the necessary information and documents to hand, for an average size SRAC business the application process should take no more than fifteen minutes.
For larger businesses, allow an extra two minutes to enter details for each additional employed engineer.
Online applicants will receive an automatic confirmation that the application and payment have been received.
Subject to satisfactory validation and verification, certificates for both online and postal applications will be despatched within ten working days by second class post.
When can I apply for a certificate?
You can apply for either an interim or full company certificate now. Click here to begin the application process.
How often do certificates need to be renewed?
Interim certificates will remain valid until 4 July 2011 but must be replaced by a full certificate on or before that date.
Full certificates are valid for three years from the date of issue but must be renewed on or before expiry.
Why does a business need a company certificate?
If your business does not have a company certificate by 4 July 2009 it will be subject to Local Authority enforcement measures.
The Regulations place strict obligations on operators of SRAC equipment and if your business is not certificated you will be placing your customers at risk.
Refrigerant gas and equipment suppliers are strong supporters of the Regulations. They are likely, therefore, to request sight of your company certificate before fulfilling any order your business needs.
Will my business be audited once I hold a company certificate?
Businesses that hold a stationary equipment qualification company certificate (full) may be subject to either an annual desk-top or on-site risk based audit.
Refcom Certification Ltd will annually select a percentage of certificated businesses to be inspected.
The audit model is detailed in the Certification Scheme Operations Booklet.
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