Interview: Laura Berón, Coordinator of the National Ozone Unit, on the technician training and certification programme in Argentina
Laura Berón, Coordinator of the National Ozone Unit, and Graciela Garau, Technical Consultant at the National Ozone Unit of Argentina, on the technician training and certification programme in Argentina.
What is the overarching goal of the technician training and certification programme in Argentina?
One of the main objectives under the HCFC phase-out management plan (HPMP) for Argentina was the reduction of HCFC consumption in the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) servicing sector. This was achieved by introducing alternatives to HCFC with a lower ozone-depleting potential (ODP) and wherever possible a lower global-warming potential (GWP).
While better for the environment, some of the low GWP refrigerants are also highly flammable, so handling them requires technical training and specialized skills.
The National Ozone Unit of Argentina, OPROZ, set as a priority to promote the training of RAC service technicians on the safe handling of these refrigerants, with a view to a subsequent certification. The ultimate goal was to help experienced service technicians safely manage flammable refrigerants when planning, installing, servicing and repairing RAC appliances.
Could you describe the process for initiating the training and certification programme in Argentina and how the National Ozone Unit addressed any major challenges?
The first step in the process was to engage qualified trainers. OPROZ selected eighteen national RAC experts for this programme,
In 2019, as part of the bilateral cooperation between the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea and the Argentinian Government Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development a delegation of 20 professors (2 from the National Technological University, certification body) and representatives from Argentinian Government gathered in Casale Monferrato, Italy, to attend a train-the-trainers course on flammable refrigerants. The selected trainers were assessed according to the REAL Alternatives 4 LIFE blended learning programme for safe handling of flammable refrigerants; after a fully positive outcome, all participants were successfully certified.
Specific equipment and tools were then procured by UNIDO and delivered to each of the trainers by OPROZ in January and February 2020. The training program was launched in March 2020 with an inception meeting and a training session on the use of a specially designed mini-benches to study the refrigeration circuit and simulate different possible faults, in order to reinforce basic refrigeration competences.
OPROZ developed a training manual and course materials for the training programme. UNIDO concluded contracts with each of the trainers for the delivery of the courses.
OPROZ also worked closely with the National Technological University (UTN) – the national certification body – to develop the methodology and materials for the theoretical and practical examination on the Safe Handling of Flammable Refrigerants.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and very strict restrictions on movement enforced by the Government of Argentina in 2020 and 2021, so the programme faced significant delays.
Once the restrictions were finally lifted, the training programme was relaunched and is advancing well. To date, six (6) training courses have been delivered in San Juan (2), Salta (2), San Miguel de Tucuman (1) and Termas de Río Hondo (1), with a total of 104 technicians trained. Certification exams have taken place in San Juan, Tucuman and Salta and, so far, fifty-four (54) technicians have been certified.
Approximately fifteen (15) additional courses are planned to take place between now and August 2022.
What are the next steps and what is your vision for the future?
In order to incentivize participation in the certification scheme, the first 1,000 certified technicians will receive specific tools for working with flammable refrigerants. UNIDO has initiated the procurement process for the purchase of this equipment and OPROZ oversees the equipment delivery.
What are some of the lessons learned you could share with other National Ozone Units embarking on this process?
The refrigeration service sector in Argentina is rather informal, there are very few national institutes of higher learning for this profession, so it was decided that the courses should also focus on the theoretical aspects related to refrigeration with the aim of improving the overall knowledge of technicians in this profession.
So, in addition to the safety issues related to flammable refrigerants, subjects such as basic thermodynamics, principles of the refrigeration cycle, Mollier diagram, pressure/temperature charts, classification of blends and their different behaviour, basic concepts related to the design and service of refrigeration systems with flammable refrigerants, etc. were included in the courses’ curricula.
With that in mind, it was very important to assemble a team of trainer’s with not only solid theoretical knowledge but also significant practical experience, who could address technicians in their language, what we call “workshop jargon”, to facilitate fruitful discussions with them.
Regarding the certification exams, these were originally designed solely on the manual’s contents, but, once the courses began, and with them the interaction with the technicians, we realized that a more practical approach would be necessary, so, we changed a lot of questions to reflect this.
Notwithstanding, at the end of each exam, questions are analysed in order to see if other changes would also be necessary, such as, for instance, the language used.
Exams also have certain questions related to safety issues that are considered “essential”, meaning that in order to pass they must be correctly answered, no matter how many others are also correct.
One final important issue to consider was that technicians are not students and are not used to exams. So, an evaluation was taken after each course to prepare them for the real exam and to see if a subject was not properly understood and needed extra considerations. The results of these evaluations were discussed with each of the participants, so they could know which subjects would need further study. For that, trainers organized extra consultations and review classes. With this personalised approach, we are sure that we are building qualified professionals, who will have a lasting understanding of these topics (beyond the exam) and who will make valuable contributions to the RAC servicing sector of Argentina.