F-Gas certification
Important announcement for F-Gas Certificated companies and Technicians operating in Republic of Ireland post Brexit:
We have received a notification from the Irish authorities which sets out the steps to take if you hold UK F-Gas certification and work in the Republic of Ireland.
Do you work with F-Gases? Then read on...
UK, Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/310) & the fluorinated greenhouse gases (amendment) regulations 2018 (SI 2018/98) were the UK implementation of EC Regulation 517/2014 on certain fluorinated greenhouse gases. Post Brexit with the publication of the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021 they became the only applicable regulations in the United Kingdom.
The requirements of the regulations have not change and require that all systems containing F-Gases must be installed and maintained by competent individuals. Anyone who services F-Gas systems must demonstrate their competence with an independently awarded competence certificate. Companies that are involved in the same areas must also be certificated.
The Professional Qualifications Act 2022 sets out the requirements for the bodies managing “regulated professions”. The F-Gas qualification and certification is one of these “regulated professions.
The FIA is the approved certification and training body for fire systems in these regulations.
The PQ Act received Royal Assent on 28 April 2022. The Act allows for a new approach for assessing individuals with overseas professional qualifications or experience. As part of this approach and in line with existing powers, regulators’ autonomy is protected in relation to determining entry requirements for a profession and assessing whether individuals are fit to practise.
The Act will revoke the current system for recognising overseas qualifications, based on EU rules, i.e., the mutual recognition regulation in the EC F-Gas regulations. It allows for the creation of new routes for assessing individuals with qualifications or experience from overseas where there is unmet demand for the services of a profession in the UK.
Section 8 of the regulations places a duty on UK regulators to publish information on the requirements they place on individuals, when both entering and remaining in their professions.
If your fire protection business installs or maintains systems that contain F-Gas your business must have an F-Gas company certificate. If you are not certificated you will be committing an offence under The Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2015 and 2018 Amendments, and liable to prosecution.
Many questions can be answered by looking at our FAQ page