Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine January 2020

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understanding the safety-related issues you WILL NEED TO INCORPORATE into your training. At the 2020 National HVAC Educators and Trainers Conference, Dr. Charles Allgood, Technology Leader for Chemours, will be discussing “Preparing Tomorrows Workforces for Flammable Refrigerants” in his educational session. As the HVACR industry makes the transition to more sustainable refrigerants, there will be a need for a highly trained workforce capable of safely and effectively installing and servicing equipment charged with flammable refrigerants. Similarly, Ralph Vergara, Technical Marketing Manager for Honeywell, will be discussing “Working with Refrigerant Blends” in his educational session. This session is for instructors that want a better understanding of how refrigerant blends work and how to work with refrigerant blends that have a temperature glide. He will also provide training material to make it easier for instructors to understand and teach students and technicians how to work with refrigerant blends with temperature glide. While both training sessions will be of great importance to instructors, a great deal more can be learned during the exhibition portion of the conference. During this time, members of the Chemours and Honeywell teams will be available to provide instructors with one-on-one training, and personalized training ideas, as to how they can best address the safe handling of A2L refrigerants in the classroom. It’s not a question of if you will be teaching your students and customers about A2L

refrigerants, but how you will teach them to SAFELY work with them, and limit liability. When a person transitions from the field as a technician or contractor, into the classroom as an instructor, they need to have a deeper understanding of the physics and theories to teach subject matter effectively. Many other fields and industries experience change at a very rapid pace, almost annually. Vehicle mechanics, medical personnel, and those that work with computers and software must regularly take continuing education classes to stay up to date with the latest in their professions. For years, the HVACR industry changed very little, or not at all. However, as our industry begins to leverage advances in technology and implement environmentally sound refrigerants, the updates and changes have become more frequent. We have some catching up to do. The transition from A1 refrigerants to A2Ls does present some new challenges, but they are minor in nature and can be overcome by staying informed through education, employing “best practices” in the field, and maintaining a “safety first” mindset on the job. There are many myths being circulated about the R-22 phaseout and the safety of A2L refrigerants. I recommend that you do your own research, get your information from reputable sources, such as the presenters at the 2020 AHR Expo in Orlando or the 2020 NHETC conference in Vegas, and make your own decision. Conclusion