Page 8 - Climate Control News Oct 2021

News
Maintenance campaign targets mining sector
LEFT: A number of in-vehicle air conditioners have exploded in recent years.
high pressures and thermal loads, increasing potential for parts fail- ure and loss of large quantities of refrigerant gases.
Air conditioning systems in these challenging situations require regu- lar servicing, maintenance and re- pairs to avoid breakdowns and to minimise gas leakage.
Earlier this year a mining truck air conditioner exploded causing serious burns to a worker in Queensland.
The mine worker was injured when the cabin exploded while driving the truck. The burns spread
to the worker’s face, hands and chest. His eyes were protected by safety glasses.
The explosion originated in the truck’s air- conditioning (AC) unit,and follows a similar in- cident at another coal mine in 2014.
Refrigerant leaks can occur during normal operations, equipment servicing and mainte- nance or at end-of-life. Greenhouse gas emis- sions from refrigerant leaks cause environmen- tal damage.
In addition to education and industry sup- port, ARC administers the refrigeration and air conditioning industry permit scheme on behalf of the federal government.
Jobs are being transformed by technology.
A NEW MINING sector education cam- paign by the Australian Refrigeration Coun- cil (ARC) will promote the benefits of regular preventative maintenance and gas leak de- tention of mobile air conditioning systems in mine vehicles.
Mines around Australia will receive the ARC’s ‘Save time, money and the environ- ment’ packs, which cover a range of topics in-
cluding safety advice for using alternative refrigerants, common causes of poor perfor- mance and refrigerant leakage of air condi- tioning systems, preventative maintenance and leak detection processes.
Oversized mine site vehicles weigh hundreds of tonnes and operate in severe conditions where high temperatures, humidity and high dust levels result in mobile units working at
Upskilling for jobs of tomorrow
THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY and Skills Committee (AISC) has approved updated train- ing packages for the air conditioning and refrig- eration sector.
The new Electrotechnology Training Package 3.0 includes a new unit of competency for main- taining variable refrigerant flow air conditioning systems, as well as emergency lighting, alarm systems and fire and smoke control systems.
This is in addition to a new unit of competency and skill set to support safe work practices when working with renewable technologies.
On a global scale, one-third of all jobs are likely to be transformed by technology in the next decade, according to OECD estimates.
By 2022, the World Economic Forum esti- mates 133 million new jobs in major economies will be created to meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Last month the Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business,
Stuart Robert, said this government has com- mitted to the highest spend on skills and train- ing in Australia’s history.
“Just this financial year the federal govern- ment is spending $6.4 billion,” he said.
“This includes a two-year extension of the $2 billion JobTrainer fund, offering free or low-fee training to Australians, which is jointly funded with state and territory governments.”
To date the JobTrainer fund has supported over 230,000 Australians to upskill.
‘I would encourage all Australians to consid- er taking up an apprenticeship or a traineeship because taking up a skill or a trade sets you on a path for a rewarding career and a well-paid job today and tomorrow,’ Robert said.
“Whether it is $2 billion for the JobTrainer fund or our $3.9 billion investment in wage sub- sidies for apprentices and trainees we are put- ting money on the table to deliver opportunities to get into high-quality jobs.”
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