Refrigerant Handling Licence
A Refrigerant Handling Licence must be held by any person who carries out work in relation to RAC equipment. Carrying out work in relation to RAC equipment means to do anything with a fluorocarbon refrigerant, or a component of RAC equipment, that carries the risk of refrigerant being emitted, including: decanting the refrigerant or manufacturing, installing, commissioning, servicing or maintaining RAC equipment or decommissioning RAC equipment.
Apply for your licence:
- Visit the ARC website; or
- Contact the ARC on 1300 884 483
Handling fluorocarbon refrigerant without a Refrigerant Handling Licence is an offence.
National regulations are in place which affect people who acquire, possess, dispose of or handle ozone depleting substances or synthetic greenhouse gases.
The ARC (Australian Refrigeration Council) has been appointed as the Industry Board to administer the regulations.
For further information, contact the ARC on 1300 884 483 or view the ARC's frequently asked questions.
New rules for charging refrigeration and air conditioning equipment
New rules for charging refrigeration and air conditioning equipment came into force on 1 January 2020. You cannot charge refrigeration and air conditioning equipment with a higher global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant than the equipment was designed to use. This is an offence under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995.
HFC phase-down
The Australian Government will phase down bulk hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) imports from 2018 through new measures outlined in the recent Review of the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Programme.
More information is available on: HFC phase-down – Frequently asked questions.