The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) yesterday handed over 400 pieces of refrigeration tools and equipment to the National Airconditioning and Refrigeration Workshops Owners' Association (NARWOA).
This is to help the refrigerator and airconditioning technicians improve upon their services to customers, whilst ensuring environmental protection in the sector.
The items among others were, digital vacuum pump, which is used to remove uncondensable gas from refrigerator and air conditions, vacuum gauge, tube cutter, reamer, piercing plier, leak detector, tube expander, flaring and swaging tools and digital manifold gauge, used to check refrigerant pressure and temperature within AC or Refrigeration.
The Executive Director of EPA, Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, said the donation formed part of the country's Hydrochlorofluorocarbon Phase out Management Plan (HPMP) project approved in 2010.
Under which, he said a number of activities had been implemented to address the challenges of phasing out Ozone-depleting substances (ODS) in the country.
These, he said included, establishment of regulatory environment, focused sensitisation of focus groups, training and certification for hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) servicing, and refrigerant recovery.
The rest were recycling and retrofit project and end user incentive programme for the retrofit of residential and commercial refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) systems.
To achieve this, he said four Refrigeration Centers of Excellence for training RAC technicians had been set up and equipped in four technical institutions in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale.
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"About 1,050 technicians have been trained so far in good refrigeration and safety practices, including practical activities and also on other related environmental issues associated with the sector," Mr Kokofu said.
He said EPA had been notified that NARWOA personnel lacked tools and equipment to do the work diligently, resulting in an unprofessional means of approach towards their works, with associated environmental consequences.
Receiving the items, the President of NARWOA, Mr Solomon Quaye, said about 2,000 of its 5,000 membership had received skillful training through EPA and UNDP partnership over the years.
"The association has been appealing for tools and equipment to enhance our good practices and today, we are gathered here to witness the presentation of tools and equipment," he said.
He commended EPA and UNDP for their kind gesture, assuring them that the items would be used for general benefits.
NARWOA has branches in all 16 regions, and it is the main umbrella organisation for RAC practitioners in Ghana.
