Online Reporter
Mashudu Mambo
REFREGIRATION technicians have been urged to get certified to ensure that they contribute in reducing ozone depletion.
Ozone depletion is an environmental problem which increases the amount of UV radiation that reaches the earth. This in turn has some effects on humans and can lead to skin cancer, cataracts and impaired immune systems.
In a two-day workshop hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife last week in Kadoma, the chairperson of the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Association, Caign Manyukwa highlighted that there was a need for people working in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) sector to be certified.
“We have an ongoing programme of certification which is under the Kigali Implementation Plan (KIP) and under that programme, we have an obligation to certify all the practitioners working in the sector. This is because these practitioners handle equipment that is dependent on ozone depleting substances.
“KIP is a strategy which helps countries phase out man-made greenhouse gases that are used in air conditioning and in refrigeration,” he said.
Manyukwa stated that the certification was meant to bring credibility and protect the practitioners.
“We have some refrigerants that are flammable; hence there is a need for people to be certified to handle these substances professionally. This is not only beneficial to the practitioners, but it goes a long way in saving lives and protecting the environment.
“This certification is meant to bring credibility and promote compliance. We have a number of technicians in the informal sector, and this certification is crucial for them as it promotes credibility especially when they are marketing their services,” he said.
Manyukwa indicated that the certification was dependent on one’s knowledge and skills.
“This certification is open to anyone including the technicians in the informal sector. We train them in the handling of refrigerators and after the training, they get certified according to the level and depth of their knowledge. In the RAC sector, we also need the semi-skilled refrigeration technicians for these trainings because they play a huge role in helping us curb ozone depletion,” he said.
He indicated that these programme were part of their efforts of curbing ozone depletion.
“We have a number of training programmes in the country and these are part of our efforts of curbing ozone depletion and ensuring that we protect our environment from unnecessary damage,” he said.
Manyukwa urged the public to ensure that they adopt energy efficient products.
“We implore the public to purchase energy efficient refrigerators and air conditioners to ensure that we reduce these gas emissions and create a safer environment for the future generations,” he said.
