Technician Training Needs Assessed in UN Workshop; ASHRAE Describes Its eLearning Contributions

By W. Stephen Comstock, Contributing Editor, Europe & Middle East
From eSociety, August 2018

ASHRAE participated in UN Environment-OzonAction’s second International Stakeholder workshop about the needs of the Refrigeration Servicing Sector (RSS).  

Held in Paris from July 16 to 17, the workshop was attended by international trade and technical associations in the sector, Regional Ozone Action Officers, and by funding and implementing agencies associated with the Montreal Protocol.  

The workshop focused on the training needs for service technicians and development of a roadmap for mobilizing potential capacities amongst all stakeholders to upscale training tools and services. With the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol entering into force in few months, the interlinkage of commitments will affect the business and projects being offered to the servicing sector in developing countries.

ASHRAE Member Greg Jourdan, Refrigeration Technology Program Director and professor at Wenatchee Valley College in Wenatchee, Wash., described two eLearning courses ASHRAE has developed in support of UN Environment activities: Refrigerants Literacy and Sound Management of Refrigerants.  

“Refrigerants Literacy” is aimed at policy makers to make informed refrigerant use decision, and the “Sound Management of Refrigerants” is aimed at technicians to promote safe and environmentally sound practices.

To enroll in the Refrigerants Literacy course, contact Manal Aabed directly, at Manal.Aabed@unep.org, and copy Ayman Eltalouny, at Ayman.eltalouny@unep.org.

The Sound Management of Refrigerants course is scheduled to launch in September 2018.