The transition towards lower-GWP and natural refrigerants is one of the defining developments for the European RACHP sector. It is essential for climate policy. But it also raises a practical and very serious question for everyone working with refrigerants in the field: how do we ensure that environmental progress never comes at the expense of worker safety?
This question was recently addressed in a petition to the European Parliament submitted by Marco Masini, acting not in his role as ASERCOM President, but as an Italian entrepreneur and consultant on behalf of CSIM SRL. The petition asked for clarification on how Regulation (EU) 2024/573, the new F-gas Regulation, relates to existing EU occupational safety and health legislation.
The concern behind the petition is highly relevant for the entire RACHP value chain. The use of alternative refrigerants can involve specific risks, including flammability, higher pressures or toxicity. At the same time, many markets are facing a shortage of trained technicians, while generational change is reshaping the installer workforce. Against this background, the petition called for a harmonised approach that connects environmental certification with proper safety training and risk-specific vocational competence.
The European Commission’s response sends an important and reassuring signal: safety is not secondary. According to the Commission, the training and certification systems under Regulation (EU) 2024/573 are designed primarily to reduce emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases, but they also include safety-related requirements. In fact, the handling of alternatives to fluorinated greenhouse gases was added to the certification requirements precisely to address safety issues linked to these refrigerants.
The Commission also makes clear that the F-gas rules do not replace or weaken occupational safety and health legislation. Employers remain obliged to assess all workplace risks, provide preventive and protective measures, and ensure that workers receive the necessary information and training. This includes training on risks to health and safety, applicable limit values, relevant legal provisions and the precautions needed to protect workers and colleagues.
For the RACHP industry, and especially for installers, this is a valuable clarification. The message is simple but crucial: the green transition must be a safe transition. Environmental objectives and occupational safety are not competing agendas. They must work together.
This is good news for the sector. It confirms that Europe’s regulatory framework recognises both climate responsibility and the realities of technical work on site. For manufacturers, installers, contractors and end users alike, the principle is clear: competence, training and safety must be at the heart of the refrigerant transition.
In short: for the EU, safety first is not a slogan. It is part of the regulatory logic.
