6

th
March 2012
GUIDE TO REGISTRATION OF AUTHORISED REFRIGERATION
PRACTITIONER.
Thank you for taking the time to apply for registration under the Pressure
Equipment Regulations
The Department of Labour published the Pressure Equipment Regulations in
the Government gaette in !uly "##$ and is part of the %&&upational 'ealth
and (afety )&t *umber +, of -$$./ These regulations &ame into for&e on -
st

%&tober "##$/
The Department of Labour has a&&redited ()011 Gas 2ith the
responsibility of registering and maintaining a data base of )uthorised
Persons for handling and 2orking 2ith gases under pressure/
()R)11) is an a&&redited asso&iation 2ithin ()011 3gas4 2ith the
responsibility to register persons in the refrigeration industry/ The
Regulations de5ne an authorised person as one 2ho is registered as
&ompetent 2ithin the s&ope of 2ork/ 6n the refrigeration and air
&onditioning industry 2e have de5ned . basi& &ategories 2ithin the
s&ope of refrigeration 2ork as de5ned in ()*( -#-78 3Refrigerating
systems in&luding plants asso&iated 2ith air9&onditioning systems4/
1lause "3-4 (&ope of )ppli&ation: These Regulations shall apply to the design;
manufa&ture; operation; repair; modi5&ation; maintenan&e; inspe&tion; and
testing of pressure equipment 2ith a design pressure equal to or greater than
,#kPa;<</
1lause -8= Gas reti&ulation equipment and systems=
-/ *o person shall >
3a4 'andle; store; or distribute any gas in any manner; 2hi&h in&ludes the
5lling of a &ontainer; other than in a&&ordan&e 2ith the relevant health and
safety standard in&orporated into these regulations under se&tion 77 of the
)&t=
3b4 6nstall or remove an applian&e; pressure equipment or system for gas in
any manner other than in a&&ordan&e 2ith the relevant safety standard
in&orporated into these regulations under se&tion 77 of the )&t=
3&4 6nstall or remove a gas applian&e or a gas system or a gas reti&ulation
system unless su&h a person is an authorised person= or
3d4 ?se pressure equipment or systems for gas in any manner other than in
a&&ordan&e 2ith the relevant safety standard in&orporated into this regulation
under se&tion 77 of the )&t/
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"/ )fter installation or re9installation; and before &ommissioning a gas system;
the user shall ensure that an e@ternal inspe&tion and leak test are performed
by an authorised person or an approved inspe&tion authority as appli&able in
terms of sub regulation -/&/
./ an authorised person or an approved inspe&tion authority shall issue a
&erti5&ate of &onformity after &ompletion of a gas installation; modi5&ation;
alteration or &hange of user or o2nership in the form of anne@ure -/
1lause -+= Transportable gas &ontainers=
-/ *o user shall use; require or permit a transportable gas &ontainer to be
used; and no user shall 5ll; pla&e in servi&e; handle; modify repair
inspe&t or test any transportable gas &ontainer; other than in
&omplian&e 2ith the relevant standards in&orporated into these
Regulations under se&tion 77 of the )&t/
This regulation spe&i5&ally &overs the handling and use of refrigerant
&ylinders/
The Pressure Equipment Regulations refer to ()*( -#-78/ 6t is important to
note in this Do&ument that all personnel involved in the operation and
maintenan&e of refrigeration shall have been trained on the fun&tioning of the
installation/ This also applies to the handling and re&overy of refrigerants
used in the refrigeration and air &onditioning systems/
The Driven Aa&hinery Regulations; also in the %'( )&t; 1lause -, states that:
*o user shall use or permit the use of a refrigeration or an air &onditioning
installation unless it &omplies 2ith the safety standard 2ith respe&t to its
&onstru&tion; installation; operation and inspe&tion in&orporated for this
purpose into these regulations<<//
) Dis&iplinary pro&edure has been put in pla&e by ()011 Gas 1ode of
1ondu&t and is appli&able to 2here an authorised person pra&ti&ing 2ithin his
s&ope of 2ork sho2s poor or bad performan&e and 2orkmanship or bad
behaviour &an be held to a&&ount/ Doing poor 2ork and operating 2ithout
registration 2ill be vie2ed in a serious light and in severe &ases of
mis&ondu&t legal prose&ution &ould be follo2ed/ The 1ode and the
Dis&iplinary pro&edure &an be vie2ed on the ()011 Gas 2eb site/
3www.saqccgas.co.za4
The appli&ation form for an )uthorised Refrigeration Pra&titioner 3)RP4 is very
straight for2ard in that the information asked for &an very qui&kly be
provided su&h as name; address; &onta&t phone numbers and employer
details/ The information regarding edu&ation and e@perien&e must be ba&ked
up by supporting &erti5&ates and do&uments/ 6t 2ould be 2ise to ba&k up
e@perien&e 2ith letters from employers substantiating you e@perien&e pro5le/
The &ost of registration is R 1 824.00 in&lusive of B)T/
) repla&ement of a lost &ard or &hange of employer or an up9grade 2ithin the
. year &y&le period is R 7##/## in&lusive of B)T/
E@amine the &ategory matri@ to establish 2here your training and e@perien&e
quali5es you to register after a &ompeten&e assessment/
Catgo!" O= Handling of Refrigerants and Containers
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This &ategory is for those 2ho are handling refrigerant &ontainers; &ylinders
and de&ant and transfer refrigerants from storage vessels into servi&e
&ylinders at the 2holesalers and &ompany stores/ This is a &ategory outside
the ()*( -#-78 )nne@ure C1D
A6*6A?A ?*6T (T)*D)RD( to be &overed are ?(9--E..7= ?(9--E"".
Catgo!" A= R#!$g!at$o% &'a%t o&!ato! sa#t" awa!%ss
The person registering here are those 2ho 2ork as operators in plant rooms
and in pro&essing fa&tories using refrigeration but are not quali5ed by trade
test in refrigeration/ Persons required registering in this &ategory need
training in %'( )&t and in&ident safety response; the basi&s of refrigeration
and refrigerants/
A6*6A?A ?*6T (T)*D)RD( required for assessment are ?(--E"".; part of
?(--E..7 and )mmonia (afety Response Training and portion of ?(--E8##
andFor ?(--E8#7 as may be relevant to plant operation=
Catgo!" A= S($ s)$''* A$! Co%*$t$o%$%g + R#!$g!at$o% I%sta''!
6nstallers 2ho are de5ned as assistant me&hani&s for *0G level "; 2ho have
not &ompleted a trade test and are &arrying out the installation of small split
room air &onditioning units and small refrigeration installations under
supervision/ This &ategory is restri&ted to the Group )- refrigerants de5ned
in the ne2 ()*( -#-78:"#-"/
A6*6A?A ?*6T (T)*D)RD( to be &overed are ?(--E8## andFor ?(--E8#7=
?(9--E..7= ?(9--E"". H ?(9--E.,,/
Catgo!" A= A$! Co%*$t$o%$%g + R#!$g!at$o% A&&!%t$c,-a!%!
This &ategory is spe&i5&ally for those me&hani&s 2ho are in training to2ards a
trade test/ )fter passing a trade test the me&hani& may be upgraded to
&ategory ./
A6*6A?A ?*6T (T)*D)RD( to be &overed are the 1ore unit standards in *0G
level "; . and 7/
Catgo!" .= A$! Co%*$t$o%$%g + R#!$g!at$o% P!act$t$o%!
The vast maIority of refrigeration me&hani&s fall into this &ategory/ They must
have &ompleted an apprenti&eship and trade test and are registered at
artisan level/ They are able to 2ork on a 2ide variety of refrigeration and air
&onditioning installations and systems using Group )- H ). refrigerants/
Ae&hani&s 2ith many years e@perien&e and 2ho 2ere previously registered
2ith )1R61() are required to attend a one day re9assessment of &ompeten&e
2ith an a&&redited training provider/
Jno2ledge of safety; the handling of refrigerants; testing and inspe&tion skills
is a pre9requisite/
?*6T (T)*D)RD( ?(--E"".= ?(--E..7= ?(--E.,, and ?(--E8## must be
&overed= 6t is re&ommended that kno2ledge of ?(--E7E+ be a&hieved/
Catgo!" .= Ammonia Refrigeration Practitioner
Ae&hani&s 2orking in &old storage pro&ess &ooling refrigeration using
)mmonia and are registered artisans must apply here/ Trades that may be
re&ognised are Refrigeration me&hani&s in )- refrigerants; Pipe 5tters;
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Ele&tri&ians; Aill 2rights et& and 2ho have been assessed as &ompetent after
)mmonia refrigeration training/
?*6T (T)*D)RD( to be &overed are ?(--E8#7: ?(--E"".: ?(--E.,, and
?(--E..7 along 2ith )mmonia (afety Response Training/
6t is re&ommended that kno2ledge of ?(--E7E+ be a&hieved
Catgo!" .= /oto! 01$c' A$! Co%*$t$o%$%g P!act$t$o%!
)ll motor vehi&le air &onditioning 3&ars; buses; vehi&le &abs; et&4 is &overed
by this &ategory/ Those 2ho register here are mainly registered motor
me&hani&s; auto ele&tri&ians and diesel me&hani&s that have &ompleted the
vehi&le air &onditioning training/
?*6T (T)*D)RD( to be &overed are ?(--E"".= ?(--E.,, and ?(--E8## for
registration/
6n addition the follo2ing are re&ommended for skills in Behi&le air
&onditioning= ?(--E8#.; ?(--E8#, and ?(--E8#+/
Catgo!" .= T!a%s&o!t !#!$g!at$o% &!act$t$o%!
Ae&hani&s 2orking in the refrigerated transport &old &hain se&tor must
register/ Those 2ho register here must be registered as artisans and 2ho
have trained in refrigeration in the transport se&tor and on refrigerated
&ontainers/
?*6T (T)*D)RD( to be &overed are ?(--E"".= ?(--E..7= ?(--E.,, and
?(--E8## for registration/
?nit standards ?( $,7E; ?( $"EE and ?( "E"-,+ are re&ommended as
additional skills in this &ategory/
Catgo!" .= /a!$% R#!$g!at$o% P!act$t$o%!
The refrigeration on 5shing boats and ships and refrigerated &ontainer
&arriers is &overed in this &ategory/ Those 2ho register here must be
refrigeration me&hani&s 2ith artisan status and 2ho have trained in the
marine environment/ Jno2ledge in all types systems and use of refrigerants
su&h as GreonDs; )mmonia and 1%K is essential/
?*6T (T)*D)RD( to be &overed are ?(--E"".= ?(--E..7= ?(--E.,,=
?(--E8## and ?(--E8#7 for registration/
Catgo!" C= I%s&cto! 2 Co((!c$a' A$! Co%*$t$o%$%g + R#!$g!at$o%
This registration is for those 2ho by e@perien&e and training are 2ell versed
in all appli&ations air &onditioning; &ommer&ial refrigeration and 2ater
&hillers/ Previous registration in 1ategory L is a requirement plus a &ompetent
assessment in the inspe&tion of refrigeration plant as per ?nit (tandard
"E"-,$ plus kno2ledge of ()*(-#-78; ()*(.78 and the %'( )&t and
Ae&hani&al Regulations
Catgo!" C= I%s&cto! 3 I%*4st!$a' R#!$g!at$o% + A$! Co%*$t$o%$%g
This registration is for those 2ho by e@perien&e and training are 2ell versed
in all appli&ations industrial refrigeration pro&ess &ooling and industrial air
&onditioning/ Previous registration in 1ategory L is a requirement plus a
&ompetent assessment in the inspe&tion of refrigeration plant as per ?nit
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(tandard "E"-,$ plus kno2ledge of ()*(-#-78; ()*(.78 and the %'( )&t
and Ae&hani&al Regulations/
Catgo!" C5 Ds$g%! 3 I%*4st!$a' R#!$g!at$o%
This &ategory is aimed at those 2ho design refrigeration and pro&ess &ooling
systems at diMerent levels using )mmonia as a refrigerant/ 6t is ne&essary to
de5ne 2here design e@pertise gained/ Design quali5&ations in refrigeration
theory plus kno2ledge of ()*(-#-78; ()*(.78 and the Pressure Equipment
Regulations in&orporated into the %'H( )&t There is re&ognition of prior
learning and e@perien&e/ ) te&hni&al F engineering diploma or degree is
ne&essary/

Catgo!" C5 Ds$g%! 2 Co((!c$a' A$! Co%*$t$o%$%g + R#!$g!at$o%
This &ategory is aimed at those 2ho design refrigeration systems at diMerent
levels using GreonDs and 1%K as a refrigerant/ 6t is ne&essary to de5ne 2here
design e@pertise gained/ Design quali5&ations in refrigeration theory plus
kno2ledge of ()*(-#-78; ()*(.78 and the Pressure Equipment Regulations
in&orporated into the %'H( )&t/ There is re&ognition of prior learning and
e@perien&e/ ) te&hni&al F engineering diploma or degree is ne&essary/
)ll appli&ants must have been assessed as &ompetent in handling
refrigerants by a ()R)11) re&ognised training provider in the relevant ?nit
(tandards listed above/ ) list of training providers is available from ()R)11)
Do not forget it is most important to attach all the relevant
documentation, copies of certifcates, photographs and proof
of payment. Failure to do so will delay and stall your
application.
6t is better to provide more information than too little/
Registration as an authorised refrigeration gas pra&titioner is a legal
requirement and any false de&laration or 2orking outside of the s&ope of your
registration 2ill result in dis&iplinary pro&edures in terms of the ()011 Gas
Dis&iplinary 1ode andFor possible prose&ution in terms of the %'( )&t/
Nou 2ill also be required to sign a 1ode of Good Refrigeration Pra&ti&e as part
of your registration/
REB6(6%* $= Gebruary "#-7
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