Around the Nation

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ARBS MOVES TO 2022

After first moving to February 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ARBS has now been rescheduled to April 27–29, 2022, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“The decision to postpone ARBS 2021 was not entered into lightly, and took into account the local and global concerns about COVID-19 as well as federal and state government advice,” says ARBS exhibition manager Sue Falcke.

“We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our exhibitors, speakers, award finalists and visitors; however, we must prioritise the health and safety of all attendees. We wish to thank everyone for their continued support and understanding during such uncertain times.”

In the meantime, some ARBS activities will shift online, as several new digital events will be introduced over the coming months. This will include the ARBS 2020 Awards ceremony.

Go to: www.arbs.com.au ■

KOOL ALLIANCE

Insulation specialist Kingspan has announced Ductus as its new national distribution partner for KoolDuct.

“The phenolic based KoolDuct insulation board, produced in our Somerton, Victoria, facility, is a real game-changer for the HVAC market, and we are excited to make it more readily available to Australian consumers through our new partnership with Ductus,” says Kingspan managing director Scott Gibson.

According to Kingspan, KoolDuct is the only premium performance pre-insulated ductwork in the world to be UL Listed as a Class 1 Air Duct under the UL 181 Standard for Safety when fabricated to the UL specification.

It weighs up to 75 per cent less than ductwork constructed from conventional galvanised sheet steel and bulk insulation – this makes it ideal for refurbishment projects, where existing building structures have insufficient load capacities for new services. Made from a thermoset phenolic material, KoolDuct is claimed to have exceptional fire performance, demonstrating low flame spread, smoke emissions and toxicity emissions under fire.

Go to www.kingspan.com/au/en-au ■

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AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE

Fridgies could find it easier to do business across state and territory borders as part of a new government plan for automatic recognition.

The proposal, announced by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, will cover trades such as RAC workers, electricians and plumbers, as well as a raft of other licensed occupations. The reforms have been agreed to by federal, state and territory treasurers, and a framework will now be developed by the Council on Federal Financial Relations (CFFR).

Although mutual recognition already exists for some occupations and jurisdictions, workers need to apply for recognition in another state or territory, pay fees and sometimes meet extra requirements. The “red-tape reduction” reforms will allow individuals who hold an occupational licence in one Australian jurisdiction to undertake equivalent work in another jurisdiction under the same licence.

The government hopes to have the scheme up and running by January 1, 2021, subject to legislation being established in states and territories. CFFR will report back to National Cabinet in October 2020 on its progress. ■

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KIRBY CUTS THE CAKE

The Kirby Apprentice Fund has celebrated its first anniversary. The fund accumulated $6,065 in donations with 83 HVAC&R apprentices registered across 63 companies.

The fundraising efforts made by Kirby staff, customers and suppliers CPS, Supercool Group, Testo, Fieldpiece, HLP Controls, Danfoss, Emerson, Tesuco, Sauermann, VetoProPak and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, have enabled the fund to distribute inaugural packs containing trade tools, maintenance product, merchandise and literature valued at over $450 each to every apprentice registered up to June 30, 2020.

South Australia and Northern Territory-based Sims Refrigeration was one business that embraced the intent of the fund early and registered nine apprentices.

“Sims was pleased to have supported the Kirby Apprentice Fund through the purchase of Kirby T-shirts,” says owner David Sims, M.AIRAH. “Kirby is an active industry member, having trained our technicians in CO2 systems technology, so it made sense to support them in this excellent initiative. I encourage all business owners to register their apprentices and support the Kirby Apprentice Fund.”

Go to: www.kirbyhvacr.com.au ■

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DEALER DELIGHT

Mitsubishi Electric Australia has celebrated its best dealers across the nation and within each state and territory at this year’s Dealer Awards.

Although the event was hosted virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions, Mitsubishi Electric Australia says that the sentiment behind acknowledging its most valued dealers and the company’s successes remained the same as previous years.

“Mitsubishi Electric Australia recognises the hard work of our dealer network throughout the last 12 months, and so now is a time to reflect and celebrate the past achievements and talk about where the company is going in the future,” says Zane Barron, general manager – LEG national sales, Mitsubishi Electric Australia.

“All considered, The Diamond Dealers enjoyed another strong year of sales over the last financial year and whilst we’ve been struck with some difficult circumstances, the company continues to stay on track with business growth and targets.

“The number of dealers working with us has increased and is a testament to the great products on offer, particularly in our ducted product category and the strong after-sales support that we provide to all our customers.”

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Shane Bradford, AM.AIRAH, of Aston Airconditioning (left) and Zane Barron

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NEW WEB PRESENCE

Air distribution solutions supplier Total Aircon Fittings West has proudly unveiled its new website.

“Being a one-stop shop we offer a variety of high-quality products such as diffusers, grilles, registers, louvers, dampers, ducts, sheet metal, fans, accessories and other HVAC equipment for both residential and commercial applications,” says business development manager Ray Manityakul. “Total Aircon Fittings West is a key supplier to the HVAC industry here in Australia.

“The company is currently established in Auburn, New South Wales. With over 30 years’ experience in the industry, Total Aircon Fittings West remains dedicated to its partners by providing excellent service and reliable quality products.”

Go to: www.tafw.com.au ■

AERIS MAKES COVID BREAKTHROUGH

Australian IAQ, deep clean and corrosion protection expert Aeris Environmental has secured extended residual claims from the Therapeutic Goods Administration for its Aeris Active disinfectant cleaner.

The on-label claims now include “Residual COVID-19 kill for up to seven days” and “Residual antibacterial for up to 30 days (or 200 touches) against gram-negative E. coli and gram-positive S. aureus”.

The claims are the result of extensive independent scientific testing and validation studies at accredited NATA laboratory, Eurofins AMS. These demonstrated that Aeris Active has the ability to kill COVID-19 for up to a week on surfaces, together with an approved residual antibacterial efficacy for up to 30 days (or 200 touches) against the test organisms of gram-negative E. coli and gram-positive S. aureus.

“This recognition confirms the ‘real world’ performance of our products,” says Aeris Environmental CEO Peter Bush, “and I am pleased that this Australian developed, manufactured and patented technology is being recognised globally for its unique position of ‘clean-green-protect’.”

Scott Williams

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NEW TRAINING PACKAGE APPROVED

As this issue was going to print, changes to Australia’s most widely offered RAC qualification were finally approved by the Australian Industry Skills Committee (AISC) as part of Release 2 of the UEE Electrotechnology Training Package.

The qualification, UEE32220 Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, will supersede the current UEE32211 course.

Many units have been updated to include flammable A2 and A2L refrigerants, which already dominate some sectors of HVAC&R, for example, residential split systems.

Likewise, the unit on recovering, pressure testing, evacuating, charge and leak testing has been split into two units to include the ever-increasing range of refrigerants including class A2/A2L and A3 flammables and CO2.

Finally, a new unit has been added on recovering refrigerant from stationary self-contained end-of-life decommissioned equipment. This meets the requirements of the national RRR12 – Restricted RAC Recovery licence administered by the Australian Refrigeration Council.

The UEE32220 qualification is just one of 79 qualifications in the UEE11 Electrotechnology Training Package approved by AISC, which contains a whopping 530 units of competency and 50 skill sets. This includes 12 HVAC&R qualifications, from Certificate II to Advanced Diploma, and 13 Skill Sets focusing on natural refrigerants. ■

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VALE JAMES HARRISON

A century after AIRAH was founded to commemorate refrigeration pioneer James Harrison, his grandson James Victor Harrison has passed away. He died peacefully at 91 on Tuesday, July 28 in Albury, NSW. Harrison secured an apprenticeship with an industrial knitting company after school, and went to night school to complete an Engineering Certificate. This led to a career in mechanical and hydraulic engineering, primarily in special purpose machine-tool manufacturing for Australia’s vehicle industry.

In his later years, he dedicated much of his time to laying the groundwork for the establishment of a James Harrison Museum. Unfortunately, his dream has not been realised as yet.

Harrison was an honorary AIRAH member since the mid-1990s, and his family continues to promote their pioneering history and celebrate the legacy left in the HVAC&R industry. ■

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AMCA WELCOMES WILLIAMS

The Air Conditioning & Mechanical Contractors’ Association (AMCA) has appointed Scott Williams as its new CEO.

Williams joins the AMCA after 11 years serving as CEO of the Fire Protection Association Australia (FPA), where he successfully oversaw the execution of a national strategy while strengthening the organisation’s presence in each state jurisdiction.

AMCA national president Michael Anthony says the selection panel was highly conscious of the recruitment process taking place during a period of unprecedented uncertainty, making it critical that the right person was appointed.

“The recruitment process was exhaustive and highly competitive,” Anthony says.

“Scott has the right mix of experience and industry knowledge needed to support members and guide the AMCA through the COVID-19 recovery.”

Under Williams’ stewardship, the FPA established the Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme (FPAS), which was formally recognised in NSW as the accepted evidence of competence for fire safety practitioners.

“He will be a strong and formidable advocate for all members, so we’re delighted that he has decided to join the AMCA,” says Anthony.