Natural refrigerants training – stationary systems

Natural refrigerants training in safety awareness and servicing of stationary refrigeration and air conditioning systems is becoming available to technicians across the country.

Low GWP refrigerants have their own unique characteristics and can be flammable and/or toxic, or have to operate at extreme pressures. To meet Work Health and Safety obligations and ensure the equipment is safe, existing refrigeration and air conditioning workers require further training to safely handle the alternative refrigerants before they install, commission, service and repair stationary refrigeration and air conditioning systems that use a natural or flammable synthetic refrigerant.

Listed below are the national natural refrigerant competency standard units available either as gap training for existing workers or as electives in the Certificate III in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning trade qualification:

Hydrocarbons
UEENEEJ174A - Apply safety awareness and legal requirements for hydrocarbon refrigerants.
This unit covers the safety and legal requirements to handle, use and store hydrocarbon refrigerants. All safety aspects are covered to Australian and international standards. Legal requirements are covered at local, state and national level.

UEENEEJ175A - Service and repair self-contained hydrocarbon air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
This unit covers specialised procedures for servicing and repairing self-contained air conditioning and refrigeration equipment using hydrocarbon refrigerant. It reinforces safe working practices and covers specialised knowledge of refrigeration principles that apply to hydrocarbon, following service manuals, testing, locating and rectifying faults and defective components and completing the necessary service documentation.

Carbon Dioxide
UEENEEJ184A - Apply safety awareness and legal requirements for carbon dioxide refrigerant.
This unit covers the safety and legal requirements to handle, use and store carbon dioxide refrigerant. All safety aspects are covered to Australian and international standards. Legal requirements are covered at local, state and national level.

UEENEEJ185A - Repair and service carbon dioxide refrigeration systems.
This unit covers specialised procedures for servicing and repairing refrigeration equipment using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a refrigerant excluding self-contained systems. It reinforces safe working practice and covers specialised knowledge of refrigeration principles that apply to carbon dioxide, following service manuals, testing, locating and rectifying faults and defective components and completing the necessary service documentation.

UEENEEJ188A - Repair and service self-contained carbon dioxide refrigeration and heat pump systems.
This unit covers specialised procedures for servicing and repairing self-contained refrigeration and heat pump equipment using carbon dioxide (CO2) as the refrigerant. It reinforces safe working practice and covers specialised knowledge of refrigeration principles that apply to carbon dioxide, following service manuals, testing, locating and rectifying faults and defective components and completing the necessary service documentation.

Ammonia
UEENEEJ178A - Apply safety awareness and legal requirements for ammonia refrigerant.
This unit covers the safety and legal requirements to handle, use and store ammonia refrigerant. All safety aspects are covered to Australian and international standards. Legal requirements are covered at local, state and national level.

UEENEEJ179A - Repair and service ammonia refrigeration systems.
This unit covers specialised procedures for servicing and repairing refrigeration equipment using ammonia as the refrigerant. It reinforces safe working practice and covers specialised knowledge of refrigeration principles that apply to ammonia, following service manuals, testing, locating and rectifying faults and defective components and completing the necessary service documentation.

UEENEEJ196A - Operate Ammonia Refrigeration Plant.
This unit covers specialised procedures for operating an industrial refrigeration plant using ammonia as the refrigerant. It encompasses applying specialised knowledge of refrigeration principles that apply to ammonia, specifying the normal operating parameters for the plant, rectifying faults and defective components within organisational guidelines and completing the necessary service documentation.

Training in these units is now available through over 30 registered training organisations (RTO) across the country who have been approved to deliver these units by the Australian Skills Quality Authority.

You can view the units and search for an RTO at training.gov.au/Home/Tga.

Enter the unit code, for example UEENEEJ174A, in the Nationally recognised training box and press ‘Search’. Click on ‘Find RTOs approved to deliver this unit of competency’ and a list of training organisations approved to deliver the unit will be provided with their contact details.

A new unit of competency has been drafted for handling A2 flammable synthetic refrigerants, which includes R32, however it is yet to be approved for delivery. In the meantime, technicians should refer to AIRAH’s Flammable Refrigerants Safety Guide.

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