A petition calling for restrictions to be lifted from the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants in Queensland, submitted to the state Parliament by One Nation MP for Mirani Stephen Andrews in August, has been given short shrift by Queensland Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Dr Anthony Lynham. The petition, which gathered 588 signatures, made … Continue reading Claims Made in Pro-HC Petition Debunked by Queensland Minister
ASA welcomes the upcoming replacement of controversial Unit of Competency AURETU005 “Retrofit and modify air conditioning and HVAC systems” as part of a broader update to the Automotive Retail, Service and Repair (AUR) Training Package due to concerns raised by this organisation and other industry groups. Continue reading Common sense prevails in change to HC retrofit requirements within AUR Training Package
Since 2013, Refrigerant Reclaim Australia has worked with VASA member workshops to conduct regular surveys of which refrigerants are installed in vehicles that are having air-conditioning work done at metropolitan and regional locations around the country. The study records how many vehicles are charged with R134a, R1234yf, hydrocarbons and mixtures of hydrocarbons with other refrigerants. … Continue reading Latest automotive refrigerant survey from RRA
More than four years after the Perth truck blast that injured two tradesmen, the Western Australia Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has published a bulletin outlining safety considerations when “switching to” flammable refrigerants. Contributing to the publication of Dangerous Goods Safety Bulletin No. 0218 and Worksafe was the Motor Trades Association of Western … Continue reading WA issues flammable refrigerant bulletin
Following the coronial inquest into a June 2014 hydrocarbon refrigerant explosion that killed 34 year-old Barry Purtell and 52 year-old Dave Lobb at the Rochester Hotel in Victoria, the state workplace health and safety authority has issued a safety alert regarding flammable refrigerants. Although evidence given at the inquest incorrectly blamed the use of an … Continue reading WorkSafe Victoria issues safety alert following fatal HC fire inquest
An investigation into a fatal August 2012 hydrocarbon refrigerant blast in Singapore has concluded, with the employer of the killed worker and their two injured colleagues fined $S150,000 ($A146,200). In a cruel irony, the workers were called to the job because Singapore authorities had issued notice of their intention to ban the use of hydrocarbon … Continue reading $150K fine for deadly Singapore HC blast
Authorities in the United States including the FBI, EPA and US Department of Transportation are cracking down on the illegal sale of unapproved hydrocarbon refrigerants used in home air-conditioning systems, culminating in a series of arrests. In contrast to the situation in Australia, where the culture of enforcement is not nearly as strong, joint investigations … Continue reading Arrests in USA for illegal hydrocarbon refrigerant use
Kansas-based truck industry supplier Northcutt faces a $US100,000 fine and the withdrawal of its hydrocarbon refrigerant products from the United States market in a consent decree lodged by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In a Finding of Violation (FoV) sent by the EPA to Northcutt in June 2014, the company was accused of selling unapproved … Continue reading $100K US EPA fine for another hydrocarbon pedlar
Focus on ‘regulatory impost’ rather than rife lawbreaking Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Anthony Lynham has requested the Petroleum and Gas Inspectorate to set up a working group that will review the regulation of hydrocarbon refrigerants and find ways of “reducing the regulatory impost of compliance without compromising safety”. Minister Lynham wants the … Continue reading Spotlight on Queensland hydrocarbon refrigerant regulations
Queensland VASA members are encountering hydrocarbon refrigerant use among their client base, including heavy transport firms contracted to the resources sector and large-scale farming businesses. One example is a transport company that would use one VASA member’s workshop for three or four air conditioning jobs per week and provided a significant source of revenue. A … Continue reading Queensland hydrocarbon refrigerant regulation not stopping the rot
