The UK Government set minimum qualifications for HCFC handling with the introduction of a UK Regulation on mandatory minimum qualifications for handlers of ozone depleting substances.

THE OZONE DEPLETING SUBSTANCES (QUALIFICATIONS) REGULATIONS 2006

The Regulations were signed and were laid before Parliament on the 16 June 2006 and came into force on the 10 July 2006.

There is a transitional provision in regulation 6(1), which allows an extension to the deadline requiring that all persons are certified as competent until 9th April 2007. This means that existing workers who do not hold relevant qualifications must gain these by 9 April 2007 if they wish to continue to work on equipment containing ODS.