The newly amended Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance (Cap. 403) (the Ordinance) and related subsidiary legislation are expected to come into effect in the second half of 2025. The Refrigerant Technical Advisory Committee will be established after the enactment of the newly amended Ordinance to strengthen the liaison between the Government and the trade on matters relating to the use, management and handling of refrigerants in regulated air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment, and the training of relevant technicians.
Prior to the official implementation of the newly amended Ordinance, the Provisional Refrigerant Technical Advisory Committee (P-RTAC) was established in September 2024 to ensure that the training courses and code of practice on refrigerant handling required under the Ordinance can be launched in a timely manner to meet the needs of the trade. Members of the P-RTAC are appointed by the Environment and Ecology Bureau, with the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services as the chairman, and other members including representatives from trade associations, professional bodies, training institutes, appliance suppliers associations, electrical and mechanical contractors associations, real estate developers associations, property management associations, trades workers union, and relevant government departments, as well as an independent person nominated by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau. For the current membership list of the P-RTAC (as at September 2024):
The newly amended Ordinance will control and phase down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons in Hong Kong. It will also incorporate controls on the handling of low global warming potential (GWP) hazardous refrigerants (i.e. with flammability, higher toxicity or high operating pressure), such as a registration regime for refrigerant handlers and certified technicians. Registered refrigerant handlers are required to employ at least one certified technician to perform the refrigerant handling work in relation to the class of registration. Certified technicians must complete and pass the recognised refrigerant handling training courses. In this regard, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and the P-RTAC have facilitated the provision of refrigerant handling training courses by various institutions or organisations in order to enhance the skill level and safety awareness of technicians handling refrigerants. For the list of recognised refrigerant handling training courses (as at November 2024):