GasBagNewsletter For Those Working With ODS & SGG Extinguishing Agents

In this issue• Industry Stakeholder

Engagement Forums

• Visits to Non-Authorised Businesses Update

• Licensing Update

• Are All Your Technicians Licensed?

• Finding the Right Registered Training Organisation

• Inappropriate Marketing and Practices of RTOs Being Targeted by Regulator

• Members of the Board

• Regional Ozone Network Meeting

• Women in Male-Dominated Industries: A Toolkit of Strategies

Spring Edition 2013Fire Protection Industry - Ozone Depleting Substances & Synthetic Greenhouse Gases (ODS & SGG) Board

Your Input & Feedback The Board welcomes your feedback.If you have any comments or suggestions on issues relating to ODS & SGG or content for GasBag, please contact the board via ozone@fpaa.com.au

Industry Stakeholder Engagement Forums In 2013, the Board successfully hosted two industry Stakeholder Engagement Forums. The sessions in Melbourne in April and Brisbane in July were both successful. Many industry issues were canvassed and discussed openly and constructively with a view to make improvements for the industry in the future.

Attendees at the forums represented:

A variety of questions were raised by attendees, including on the disposal of halon, legislative requirements for technicians and companies and the role of the Board.

The Board will continue to hold the Stakeholder Engagement Forums aligned to each Board meeting held in 2013.

• Alan Wilson Insurance Brokers• Country Fire Authority• Metropolitan Fire Brigade• A-Gas• Australasian Fire and Emergency

Service Authorities Council

• Australian Drag Car Racing Association• Queensland Fire and Rescue Service• Joint Industry Services Training• DELTRA Australia Pty Ltd• Chubb Training Group• Fire Protection Association Australia.

Visits to Non-Authorised Businesses Update As part of the Board’s ongoing compliance related activities, site visits with a focus on compliance and education in New South Wales (NSW) was recently undertaken. A total of 45 companies were visited in April, May and June 2013.

The Executive Officer of the Fire Protection Industry (ODS & SGG) Board, Carlos Santin, said that the site visits were to raise awareness of businesses and the technicians on the legislative requirements that they have to comply with under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995.

“The general approach was to educate and help businesses comply with the regulations. Businesses should be aware that not complying with legislative requirements may result in financial penalties being imposed.”

The site visits in NSW identified a number of companies purchasing and selling scheduled extinguishing agents that did not possess Extinguishing Agent Trading Authorisations. In some instances, the technicians employed by these companies also did not hold the relevant Extinguishing Agent Handling Licences.

“At this stage, our efforts are focussed on helping companies comply and the feedback we have received from the companies is very encouraging. Generally the Board’s Field Officer is welcomed and companies are keen to get things right,” Mr Santin said.

Mr Santin also pointed out that the site visits are ongoing and checks of non-authorised businesses will continue to be conducted in 2013.

If you believe that an individual or business is operating illegally you can report this to the Board by forwarding the information to the Executive Officer – Ozone Protection at ozone@fpaa.com.au or (03) 8892 3131.

All technicians that handle ODS & SGG extinguishing agents must be licensed.

If your technicians aren’t properly licensed and/or they don’t work to the required standards, it may cost you your Extinguishing Agent Trading Authorisation (EATA).

A condition of your EATA is that extinguishing agents are only handled by persons who are licensed appropriately.

It is therefore an opportune time to check whether:

• each of your technicians holds a current Extinguishing Agent Handling Licence (EAHL) appropriate to the type of work they undertake

• any of your technicians that currently hold Experienced Persons licences are ready to transition to a Qualified Persons EAHL. Now is the time to arrange for assessments and/or training to transition to a Qualified Persons EAHL.

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The ‘Registered Training Organisation (RTO)’ listing is an easy way to find an RTO that can help you to attain the required national units of competency to obtain your Qualified Persons Extinguishing Agent Handling Licence (EAHL).

There are a number of organisations in Australia that can provide training for people looking to enter the fire protection industry or upgrade their existing Experienced Persons EAHL to a Qualified Persons EAHL. But the time it takes to research each training option and its applicability to the licence scheme, and work out who to contact, can be restrictive.

Under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995, the Board cannot renew your EATA unless each member of your staff that handles ODS & SGG extinguishing agents is licensed. You may not be able to purchase ODS & SGG extinguishing agents because your EATA application can be delayed over the issue of unlicensed staff.

For further information about the licences your staff may require and the process to obtain them, please contact the Executive Officer – Ozone Protection at ozone@fpaa.com.au or (03) 8892 3131.

Extinguishing Agent Trading Authorisation (EATA) Update A total of 138 companies have a current authorisation.

Extinguishing Agent Handling Licence (EAHL) UpdateAs of July 2013, a total of 1413 technicians hold an Extinguishing Agent Handling Licence (EAHL) of which:

• 1248 technicians hold an Experienced Persons - EAHL

• 93 technicians hold a Qualified Persons EAHL

• 72 technicians hold a Trainee EAHL.

Halon Special Permit (HSP) Update A total of 38 companies have a current Halon Special Permit.

Are All Your Technicians Licensed?

The “RTOs” page online at www.fpaa.com.au/ozone/registered-training-organisations.aspx is a one-stop-shop for all technicians wishing to find out the RTO that can help them with their training needs relevant to obtaining a Qualified Persons EAHL. On the website you will find RTOs that have the capability to deliver all the required units of competency for EAHL 1 to 5, their contact details and the delivery locations.

We encourage you to discuss your training requirements with a registered training provider included in the list.

EAHLHolders – By State

ACT 11

NSW 416

NT 24

QLD 291

SA 108

TAS 41

VIC 266

WA 256

How to Find the Right Registered Training Organisation for Your Transition to a Qualified Licence

Inappropriate Marketing and Practices of Training Organisations Being Targeted by Regulator

The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is the national regulator for Australia’s vocational education and training sector.

ASQA regulates courses and training providers to ensure nationally approved quality standards are met.

ASQA has been targeting inappropriate marketing and practices of Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) during the 2012/13 financial year particularly focussing on qualifications with a licensed outcome.

The promotion of two or three day courses to achieve Certificate II level qualifications has been a concern. The RTOs advertising these courses require the person enrolling to have previous experience and/ or qualifications which can be officially acknowledged as recognition of prior learning (RPL).

The criteria for RPL are based on a set of national competency standards, endorsed through the National Skills Standards Council process. It is not possible to obtain any of the Certificate II level qualifications required for the various extinguishing agent handling licences offered through the Fire Protection Industry (ODS & SGG) Board by completing a two or three day course without also having the appropriate prior qualifications and/or experience.

ASQA has agreed that any promotion that targets a particular audience, such as those with prior training/experience, should clearly indicate the basis of the reduced timeframes. If you believe that a specific training provider is delivering an inappropriate course or providing misleading information in their advertisements, you can contact the ASQA on 1300 701 801 or by visiting www.asqa.gov.au

Chris Orr Brooks (Chair)

Scott Williams FPA Australia

Rachel Short DSEWPaC (Observer)

Amala Jayasekara DSEWPaC (Observer)

Barry Lee OAM Lee Fire Management

Garry Kwok Tyco Fire and Security

Brett Staines Chubb Fire and Security

Ray Walton Kidde Aerospace and Defence Pty Ltd

Vic Percival Lateral Fire Design

Carlos Santin FPI (ODS & SGG) Board (Executive Officer)

Members of the Fire Protection Industry (ODS & SGG) Board

The Regional Ozone Network Meeting Co-Hosted by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Australian Government, 6-9 May 2013, on the Gold CoastFor the first time, the three Asia and Pacific networks of ozone officers met in Australia to share experiences on phasing out the last of the major ozone depleting gas under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The three networks together comprise nearly 40 countries from the Asia and Pacific region.

This region has the largest volume consuming countries and the lowest volume consuming countries of ozone depleting substances. It is also the region that is responsible for over 90% of global production of HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) and up to 85% of global production refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment.

The ozone officers in each country are responsible for implementation of the Montreal Protocol, and they are all gearing up to meet their first compliance obligations to freeze their use of HCFCs in 2013 and to start phasing out in 2015.

The meeting was held in Australia to take advantage of Australia’s experience in managing HCFCs as Australia and other developed countries have nearly completed phasing out these gases. These gases are widely used in the refrigeration and air conditioning sectors, for foam blowing and to extinguish fires. There are many alternatives to HCFCs, but some of them (such as HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons)) are also high global warming potential gases.

Meetings of ozone officers are held every year, but this is the first time that such a large meeting has been held, and the first time since 1998 that such a meeting has been held in Australia.

Australia has been actively involved in supporting developing countries in our region to meet their phase-out obligations under the Montreal Protocol since 1996, and has provided policy and technical support to these countries for nearly 20 years. At this meeting, many Australian industry and government experts shared their expertise and experiences with countries from the region on how to effectively manage and stop using HCFCs.

Women in Male-Dominated Industries: A Toolkit of StrategiesInformation gathered from www.humanrights.gov.au

A new toolkit has been launched for employers by the Australian Human Rights Commission to provide practical assistance to attract and retain women in industries that have traditionally been dominated by men.

This toolkit is designed to assist leaders in organisations to develop and implement constructive and sustainable strategies to increase the representation of women in non-traditional roles in male-dominated industries. It provides practical suggestions and examples of different kinds of workplace strategies and mechanisms across four areas: attraction, recruitment, retention and development of women.

These examples have been drawn from current practice, both within Australia and internationally and through desk based research, interviews and roundtables with employees, HR practitioners and leaders from organisations in the mining, construction and utilities industries. Not all strategies and mechanisms will suit all organisations or workplaces. Organisations will need to consider what is appropriate for their workplace, staff and business needs.

For more information visit: www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/women-male-dominated-industries-toolkit-strategies-2013

You Are Making a DifferenceProspects for the long-term recovery of the ozone layer are good. Non-essential consumption of major ozone depleting substances ceased for developed countries in 1996 and for developing countries in 2010.

Scientists predict that if the international community continues to comply with the Montreal Protocol, the ozone layer should recover to pre-1980 levels between 2050 and 2065.

Keep up the good work!

GasBag is a publication of the Fire Protection Industry (ODS & SGG) Board. Statements made in this publication do not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of the Board, FPA Australia or the Australian Government, or their officers or members. The Board does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in anything contained in any edition of GasBag TM newsletter.