Got Certification? With increasing awareness about the
benefits of TABB certification, SMART
and SMACNA are ramping up efforts to © Can Stock Photo / Arcady
further educate the masses.
By / Natalie Bruckner If your car had a problem, would you rather take it to a highly trained and certified mechanic or a non-licensed mechanic? The answer may seem logical, yet when it comes to trying to get the message out to the general public about why a TABBcertified technician is the best choice for maintaining HVAC systems, it’s not been that easy. “Some people are still stuck on the idea that this is a union/ nonunion issue, when it really isn’t,” says Vince Alvarado, financial secretary treasurer and business manager for Local 49. “TABB is the first and only HVAC testing, adjusting and balancing certification program accredited by the American National Standards Institute [ANSI], but anyone can apply for accreditation, union or nonunion. The reason we have it is that we invested the time, money, and resources on getting TABB ANSI certified.” Alvarado explains that becoming ANSI accredited was the logical choice, as the union has always been at the forefront of safety and training. “Also, for us it’s about end-users feeling safe in the knowledge that their systems are being maintained by someone who is trained to a standard that has been subject to a neutral, third-party oversight via the ANSI audit program.” Alvarado has been trying to get the message out there about the benefits of TABB certification for many years now, and while it has been an uphill struggle, he is beginning to seeing progress. A lot of that progress has to do with his commitment to educating fire marshals, schools, hospitals, owners/developers, 8 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
and mothers who have children in schools (he says mothers have some of the strongest voices out there). COVID-19 has also shone a light on the importance of HVAC maintenance and led to the release of numerous independent studies and reports on this very issue. One of those reports is a technical paper by The University of California – Davis Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC) that examines the benefits of using certified contractors for testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB). The paper Testing, Adjusting and Balancing HVAC Systems: An Overview of Certification Agencies looks at the different certification agencies—TABB; National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB); and Associated Air Balance Council (AABC)—and considers the benefits of certification, why there is a need for standard training across the industry, and why certification will become more important as we move forward. The report brings to light the benefits of TABB certification being the only agency accredited with the internationally recognized ANSI 17024 standard. It focuses on the training required for a technician, a supervisor, and a firm to become TABB certified. Anthony Kocurek, SMACNA secretary-treasurer and owner of Energy Balance & Integration (EB&I) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, understands that now is the time to hammer the message home about the benefits of TABB certification.
