Thread: license to handle R22a refrigerant gas ?

Guess who the local garage call when they have a car a/c system they can't sus out, yet 'legally' I can't touch it

Seems to be quite a few tractors on farms around here that miraculously have functional a/c systems too

Originally Posted by scarry

[snip]

Oh,and for what they learn at college,now don't get me started....grrrrrrr

Originally Posted by Kev the Fridgy

What Scarry said x 2, in fact I just re read it and you nail it pretty well, training/mentoring is a big passion of mine, it's a hard road though these days

Dear old Dad was passionate about training and was heavily involved in organising the NSW TAFE curriculum when he was on the state and Federal executives of RACCA back in the seventies. (he was Federal President at one stage too)

He also tried to get uniform training standards across the states, and way back then a bunch of blokes were lobbying and trying their hardest to get uniform licensing to get rid of the cowboys.
The only way we ended up with it was because of environmental concerns

From what I can glean AIRAH became the voice of the industry in the eyes of government as they are 'graduates' and RACCA was sidelined as they only represent grubby mechanics/contractors.

Does that sound about right ?

I actually have no idea, I've had no involvement with either organisation even though Dad was a staunch RACCA advocate and is a life-honourary member of AIRAH (although he doesn't like their elitist attitude. Apparently when RACCA was mentioned once he reckoned one of the AIRAH dudes said "they only represent milk bar mechanics, what would they know")

its getting very american out there isnt it.

Even though I've now encountered it no fewer than 5 times in person I cant get over how much they compartmentalize their industries

Originally Posted by rick130

to get rid of the cowboys.
The only way we ended up with it was because of environmental concerns

Sure we have licensing now,but it did produce a bunch of "tradies" that throw in split systems and run away as quickly as they canand have an extremely limited knowledge of anything related to A/C.

In my opinion this is the worst thing they have done.

I have caught these guys also doing repairs,which as you guys know is a

I have a commercial shed/warehouse that i rent out.The tenants pay for the A/C repairs,i stay at arms length,tenants organise the repairs themselves.The contracter doing the work was a 'split system' electrical contractor.I didn't know who they were using.

The tenant eventually rang me about the numerous repairs that they had paid for,they had eventually worked out that these A/C guys didn't know what they were doing.I got hold of all the invoices(two years worth) and sent them over to a guy at ARC,that i know.

It is going through the ARC process at the moment,and the company will not be let off.Only as we have the evidence.
The electrical contracter was unlucky,it is only that i am in the trade that he got caught.

This happens VERY rarely,most get away with it

So it's time for me to step up to the pulpit

I have yet to find the correct link when I do I will post it. Do all of you realize that there is not one refrigeration industry representative on the Arctick board?

automotive and white goods industries are represented the refrigeration and air conditioning industries which make up over 70% of all refrigerants used in Australia is not.

THAT my friends is a very very good reason why we are being pushed around and our industry is being eaten away at the edges.

I believe but am not 100% sure that AIRAH is involved but they are about engineers not the trades

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

its getting very american out there isnt it.

Even though I've now encountered it no fewer than 5 times in person I cant get over how much they compartmentalize their industries

Dave, ever since someone in the 19th. Century thought up the terms tradesman and/or journeyman trades have been arising, evolving, disappearing. New industries appear, old ones disappear. New machines and technology negate entire occupations.

How many millwrights, watchmakers, loom tuners do you know still working at their trade? Whole blocks of trades disappeared from the printing industry in a few short years from new technology. How many of today's smash repairers could make a guard, door skin, turret from scratch. This was once routine. Likewise today's motor mechanics aren't trained in the skills of pre-1950 motor engineers who did things like make chassis rails, crankshafts and con-rods, line bored bearings, cut gears, set up and lapped diffs.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

Dave, ever since someone in the 19th. Century thought up the terms tradesman and/or journeyman trades have been arising, evolving, disappearing. New industries appear, old ones disappear. New machines and technology negate entire occupations.

How many millwrights, watchmakers, loom tuners do you know still working at their trade? Whole blocks of trades disappeared from the printing industry in a few short years from new technology. How many of today's smash repairers could make a guard, door skin, turret from scratch. This was once routine. Likewise today's motor mechanics aren't trained in the skills of pre-1950 motor engineers who did things like make chassis rails, crankshafts and con-rods, line bored bearings, cut gears, set up and lapped diffs.

very true Brian - the face of all trades / industries are constantly evolving, particularly with the advent of emerging technologies

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

Dave, ever since someone in the 19th. Century thought up the terms tradesman and/or journeyman trades have been arising, evolving, disappearing. New industries appear, old ones disappear. New machines and technology negate entire occupations.

How many millwrights, watchmakers, loom tuners do you know still working at their trade? Whole blocks of trades disappeared from the printing industry in a few short years from new technology. How many of today's smash repairers could make a guard, door skin, turret from scratch. This was once routine. Likewise today's motor mechanics aren't trained in the skills of pre-1950 motor engineers who did things like make chassis rails, crankshafts and con-rods, line bored bearings, cut gears, set up and lapped diffs.

I guess it's where labour used to be considered cheap, and the materials expensive - mass production methods now have turned that equation around the other way.