Changing jobs? What should happen to the SAQCC Gas Practitioner’s card?

Changing jobs? What should happen to the SAQCC Gas Practitioner’s card?

The need to continuously improve employee productivity through skills development is one that no company can ignore. For this reason, many companies take it upon themselves to ensure their employees are skilled and compliant with industry regulations. The HVAC + R industry is no exception, this industry adheres to the Pressure Equipment Regulations (PER) which govern the handling, installation, and maintenance of pressure equipment. These regulations require all businesses in the industry to register employees that are employed to handle pressure equipment. Very often, businesses take it upon themselves to pay for the training of employees and their SAQCC Gas Practitioner’s card. The SAQCC Gas Practitioner’s card carries both the name of the Gas Practitioner and the name of the employer.

The South African Qualifications and Certification Committee of Gas (SAQCC Gas) is mandated by the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) to register Gas Practitioners on their behalf.  SAQCC Gas is made up of four member associations, governing the HVAC + R industry is the South African Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (SARACCA) 

What should happen when an authorized Gas Practitioner resigns and moves to another company? 

“Because the previous company’s name is on the Gas Practitioner’s card, it makes sense for the company to request the card back from the employee and destroy it. It will then be up to the Gas Practitioner or the new company to request a replacement card from the SAQCC Gas.” John Parry, SARACCA President

When the company has paid for the employee’s training and their SAQCC Gas card, they often insist on having the company name on the card. If the card is not confiscated, the Gas Practitioner will be working for company B using a card that has company A’s name on it. This would be an unethical practice and a misrepresentation. 

The Gas Practitioner’s card and the COC

A Certificate of Conformity (CoC) for Gas installations is a legal document which must be obtained whenever a gas system is installed, modified or repaired and should be retained for possible future requirement.

Only Registered Practitioners who hold an SAQCC Gas card may issue a COC. When a COC is issued, this is a declaration that all regulations were followed and that the work completed is to standard. Assume something goes wrong after a COC has been completed, the company name on the SAQCC Gas card presented by the Gas Practitioner may easily be held liable of any damage caused by the Gas Practitioner. While investing in employees is vital for every business, ensuring the name and integrity of the company is protected is just as important.