New Australian and New Zealand Refrigerant Handling Codes of Practice editions are now available.
The Refrigerant Handling Codes of Practice offer essential information for air conditioning and refrigeration technicians. Anyone with a refrigerant handling license or refrigerant trading authorization from the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) must comply with these codes. The legislation has been amended to reference the 2025 editions of the codes.
“After extensive technical review and industry consultation, we are very pleased to announce the publication of the 2025 edition of the Refrigerant Handling Codes of Practice,” said AIRAH CEO Sami Zheng, Affil.AIRAH.
“The previous version of the codes was released in 2007, and there have been many changes in standards, regulations, safety practices, refrigerants and technology since then. It’s critical that a document like this is up to date.
“We would like to thank the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water for giving impetus and ongoing support to the project and everyone who commented on the drafts released last year. We are also grateful to the ARC for its excellent early work on the updates and the Department’s Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Permit Scheme Industry Advisory Group members for their advice.”
The new codes encompass the entire system life cycle: design, manufacturing, shipping, installation, commissioning, servicing, decommissioning, and refrigerant recovery.ery.
- Part 1 covers self-contained low-charge systems, which don’t require any work on the refrigeration circuit to install and contain less than 2kg of fluorocarbon refrigerant.
- Part 2 of the code covers all other stationary and transport refrigeration and air conditioning systems. The automotive industry prepared a separate code for automotive air conditioning systems.
“The codes are freely available on the ARCtick website and are essential reading for all technicians,” said ARC CEO Glenn Evans. “Apprentices receive a copy of the codes through their TAFE or RTO, but for those who have been in the field for a while, it’s important to check you are referring to the latest codes and standards and that you have considered all aspects of working with today’s technologies.
“These codes are best-practice guides for avoiding emissions of refrigerants. They will help you do your job and protect the environment.”
The updated Refrigerant Handling Codes of Practice are available on the ARCtick website.
