Guidance

Company certification to work with F gas

When you need company certification to work with fluorinated gas (F gas) and how to get it.

Your company, including sole traders, must be certified by an approved body to service stationary equipment containing F gas operated by others. This includes:

  • air conditioning
  • refrigeration
  • fire protection

You don’t need a company certificate to service:

  • refrigerated trucks and trailers
  • high voltage switchgear
  • car and van mobile air-conditioners

Your company must be certified to:

  • install
  • repair
  • maintain
  • decommission

To be certified you must be able to demonstrate that you:

  • employ enough trained staff to do the work
  • have a written procedure for how you handle F gases safely and minimise emissions

Your certification body may audit your company to check that you’re following the rules.

It is against the law to work with F gas if you don’t have the correct certification. If you don’t, you could receive a civil penalty for breaking the law. See the Environment Agency enforcement sanctions policy

If you see someone working with F gas that doesn’t have the right certification, report it to f-gas-support@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Servicing your own equipment

If your company services only your own equipment, it doesn’t need to be certified.

For example, if a supermarket directly employs someone to service its own refrigeration system, the supermarket does not need to be certified. If it contracts another company to service the refrigeration system, that company must be certified.

Any individual who works with and handles F gas must have personal qualifications to work with F gas.

Stationary refrigeration and air conditioning: certification bodies

To service refrigeration or stationary air conditioning and heat pump systems for other businesses, your company must have certification from one of these organisations:

Refcom Certification Ltd

Old Mansion House
Eamont Bridge
Penrith
Cumbria
CA10 2BX

Telephone: 01768 860 409
Email: refcom.info@theBESA.com
Company number: 06772204

F-Gas Register (Quidos)

8 North Parade Buildings
Bath
BA1 1NS

Telephone: 01225 667 697
Email: info@fgasregister.com
Company number: 05665301

Bureau Veritas UK Ltd

Fifth Floor
66 Prescot Street
London
E1 8HG

Telephone: 0845 600 1828
Email: caroline.bettridge@uk.bureauveritas.com Company number: 01758622

You must renew your company’s certification every 3 years.

Fire protection systems: certification bodies

To service fire protection systems, your company must be certified by the Fire Industry Association:

Fire Industry Association

Tudor House
Kingsway Business Park
Oldfield Road
Hampton
Middlesex, UK
TW12 2HD

Telephone: 020 3166 5002
Email: info@fia.uk.com
Company number: 05989140

Updates to this page

Published 31 December 2014
Last updated 21 August 2019 + show all updates
  1. Updated company certification details.

  2. Added web addresses for certification bodies.

  3. We have added the addresses and contact details for accredited organisations who can certify a company to work with F gas.

  4. First published.

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