The electronic format certificate of conformity (CoC) became available last month for refrigeration and air-conditioning systems practitioners. The Coc in paper format has previously been available and used within the industry.

The CoC is issued to provide assurance that the installation is safe and compliant with regulations CoCs can be issued through the South African Qualification and Certification Committee for Gas (SAQCC Gas) application (app) launched in March this year.

The SAQCC Gas CoC app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store, Google Play and Huawei App Gallery on a smartphone or tablet.

Since the launch of the app, the South African Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (SARACCA) has assisted practitioners in registering on the online CoC system.

To further assist practitioners in becoming familiar with the app, SARACCA has provided training sessions over the past six months.

As paper CoCs have been phased out since the introduction of the app, practitioners are required to start using the app to ensure that they meet legal requirements according to the Pressure Equipment Regulations.

The need to use an electronic format became apparent about two years ago, consequently resulting in negotiations between SAQCC Gas members to develop an online electronic CoC system, says SARACCA director Barney Richardson.

The development of the digital CoC took two-and-a-half years.

Richardson says there were fraudulent practices when paper CoCs were issued, with some practitioners sharing their issued CoC book with unauthorised individuals, who would then use it.

SARACCA previous president and current SAQCC Gas chairperson John Parry explains that the electronic CoC is a way of policing registered practitioners.

The online CoC app ensures that effective policing can take place because the information is digitalised. Fraudulent practitioners can be prevented from issuing CoCs “if their card has expired or if the CoC is out of scope”, he adds.

Practitioners can buy up to 50 CoCs online and can then issue CoCs when required.

Richardson adds that companies can manage the CoCs, as the installation or service work is most often between the client and the company, as opposed to the technician.

Therefore, companies can buy and allocate CoCs for their practitioners who are legally registered, and then manage them through inclusion on job cards and worksheets.

A challenge SARACCA has within the air conditioning and refrigeration industry is that end-users do not always know that they should ask for a CoC or that it is a legal requirement to have a CoC for new installations or repairs on the pressure system of a refrigeration system or air conditioning equipment.

Parry notes that the public is aware that CoCs are required for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas and compressed gas, but “they don't realise that air conditioning is also a legal requirement because of the pressures that we work with”.

Richardson explains that refrigeration uses refrigerant gases, with pressures that are far higher than any LPG system or any natural gas reticulation system.

Therefore, owing to the high pressures in a refrigeration and air conditioning system, technicians have to be properly qualified and competent to ensure that there are no hazards or risks following the repair.

SARACCA has initiatives aimed at educating the public on the need for and requirements of a CoC.