NO MORE than 15% of companies are still to achieve full company certification under the F-gas regulations, according to latest figures from F-Gas Support. This marks a huge improvement on the situation on the July 4 deadline day when only around 50% of companies had upgraded to the mandatory full certification, leaving around 2,500 companies trading illegally.
The number of full qualifications issued to engineers has also increased over the last three months, with many now obtaining certification having completed courses over this period.

Since the deadline it has been an offence to undertake installation, servicing and/or maintenance on stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump equipment that contains or is designed to contain F gas refrigerants without valid certification.

Engineers must hold a full F gas qualification and their employer needs to hold a full Company Certificate. The requirements for a Company Certificate apply to businesses that employ personnel to work on all types and sizes of stationary RAC equipment, including sole traders and companies servicing domestic equipment.

'We are continuing to look into the reasons why businesses have not yet upgraded,' said an F-Gas Support spokesman.

'From our investigations to date at least 5% of the businesses that originally held interim Company Certificates have ceased trading, merged or moved into other areas of business. We therefore believe that no more than 15% of businesses that held an interim Company Certificate still need to upgrade to a full Company Certificate. A significant number of these have advised certification bodies that they will do so over the coming weeks. '

To ensure compliance, regulatory follow-up of the organisations that have not upgraded has now started. F-Gas Support is assisting the Environment Agency and local authorities by undertaking checks on organisations that previously held an interim Company Certificate and have not yet upgraded to a full Certificate.

Letters from the Environment Agency are now being sent to organisations that appear to be operating without the correct certifications.

Contact one of the following 4 designated certification bodies for more details on how to get a full Company Certificate.

Bureau Veritas: www.bureauveritas.co.uk/fgas
Quidos: www.fgasregister.com
Refcom: www.refcom.org.uk
Stroma: www.stroma.com/cps/fgas