Ozone-depleting substances technician certification

Ozone-depleting substances technician certification is the provincial credential a person needs to service equipment that contains refrigerants. A buyer of a refrigeration, HVAC or auto repair business meets it because the credential is held by individual staff rather than by the company. Each of the three provinces covered here sets its own scheme and its own wording.

Ontario, British Columbia and Québec

Ontario’s O. Reg. 463/10 says no person shall service or test refrigeration equipment that contains a refrigerant unless the person is certified and the person or their employer owns, or has a written contract giving immediate access to, equipment that can collect the refrigerant; the section does not apply in the course of manufacturing a product. British Columbia’s regulation says only an approved person may service air conditioning or refrigeration equipment or a motor vehicle air conditioner, subject to exceptions such as supervised trainees, and requires the owner of a business that services such equipment to keep a record of each employee who is an approved person. In Québec, only persons holding the attestation required by section 44 of the Regulation respecting halocarbons may install, service or repair a refrigeration or air conditioning unit designed or converted to operate with a halocarbon, subject to exceptions in section 43 for supervised trainees and students and some dismantling work, and a person who sells or supplies halocarbons must ensure the buyer holds a labour force environmental qualification attestation or employs a holder. This entry covers Ontario, British Columbia and Québec only; check the rules in the province where the business works.

What to check or ask

• Which employees hold the credential and whether they will stay after closing.
• Whether the business keeps the records its province requires.
• Whether the business can still buy refrigerant if a certified employee leaves.

Which credentials a buyer must hold personally is discussed in do trade licences transfer when I sell. A related credential is the Red Seal trade certification.