Engineer slams refrigeration standards

Derek Lovell. Photo / Alan Gibson

An engineer has slammed the refrigeration industry for a lack of standards that he says allows virtually anyone to install a refrigeration system without any monitoring.

Brian Jackson, a professional engineer and member of the Institute of Refrigeration, Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers, gave evidence yesterday at the inquest into thedeath of senior firefighter Derek Lovell.

Mr Lovell died as the result of injuries he received in an explosion while attending an alarm callout at the Icepak coolstore in Tamahere, 2km south of Hamilton, in April 2008.

Several of his colleagues were injured.

Yesterday, Mr Jackson said the Government needed to introduce a regulatory body to license people in the refrigeration industry and to introduce a code of practice and regulations to weed out "cowboys".

He said there was "absolute pressure" to use flammable hydrocarbons but it was "hugely concerning" that few people knew how to use or install the refrigeration systems that use them.

It was also "disgraceful" that there were no standards similar to the Building Act for people installing refrigeration systems and it was worrying that there had been no co-ordinated push for safety.

When asked by coroner Peter Ryan if any person with a layman's knowledge of refrigeration could installa system, Mr Jackson replied:"Yes".

He said the industry had to cope with "huge change" and complexities that were difficult for those in it to absorb and because of this many were not getting the necessary upskilling.

"People trained in much simpler times and had much simpler refrigeration systems than what we have today."

Mr Ryan has asked the institute to make submissions about possible changes to the way the industry is regulated.