UCLL, which will be hosting a REAL Alternatives 4 LIFE study day, recently installed carbon dioxide training equipment in Belgium.
The English versions of nine modules have been developed by a team of international experts as part of an EU co-funded project to address climate change and support the rapid move away from high GWP refrigerants.
The team consists of project partners from 15 organisations – trainers, universities and trade associations across the EU – which carried out a thorough review of the contents of existing learning materials that were originally developed in 2014. The review led to the introduction of a new module focusing on safety and risk assessment, to highlight precautions needed when handling flammable, toxic and high pressure low GWP refrigerants.
The following materials are now available as free downloads:
- Introduction to Alternative Refrigerants - safety, efficiency, reliability and good practice
- Safety and Risk Management
- System design using alternative refrigerants
- Containment and leak detection of alternative refrigerants
- Maintenance and repair of alternative refrigerant systems
- Retrofitting with low GWP refrigerants
- Checklist of legal obligations when working with alternative refrigerants
- Measuring the financial and environmental impact of leakage
- Tools and guidance for conducting site surveys
To help raise skills levels and awareness across the whole of the EU, the materials will be translated into an additional 12 different EU languages over the coming months and will be supported by a free e-learning site with further interactive resources and links.
The site is currently being updated and will also offer 13 language versions.
Training events
A programme of study days and 'train the trainer' events will be offered during the second half of 2018 and into 2019 to reinforce the practical training associated with the use of low GWP alternative refrigerants. Pictured is the carbon dioxide training equipment recently installed by UCLL in Belgium, which will host one of these study days.
Participants in the programme will be drawn from training providers from Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Spain and Turkey.
At the study days, knowledge and expertise will be shared to consider how low GWP alternative refrigerants training courses are carried out. This will help trainers prepare to offer new training courses in their own countries, based on the REAL Alternatives materials which offer a mix of e-learning self study and practical courses.