Mid Green occupationEngineering and manufacturing
Mobile transport refrigeration technician
Install, service and repair transport refrigeration units.
Summary
This occupation is found in the supply chain industry. The cold chain is a series of uninterrupted refrigerated production methods, storage and distribution activities, along with associated equipment and logistics, which maintain quality via a desired temperature range. It is used to preserve, to extend and ensure the shelf life of products such as meat, fresh agricultural produce, seafood, frozen food, chemicals, and pharmaceutical products as well some unusual products such as antiques and artwork. The industry is crucial to the transportation and distribution of vaccines.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to install, service and repair transport refrigeration units (TRU) and associated equipment, found on vehicles such as HGV trucks, HGV trailers and home delivery vans. Technicians are highly skilled individuals, able to quickly diagnose faults and maintenance issues encountered with this complex and specialist equipment. The service provided must be of the highest level in order to protect and preserve the various loads the client is responsible for transporting. Professionalism and product knowledge are key skills the technician must possess in order to carry out the work effectively.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with customers, their local service office, client security staff and other drivers. Technicians could be based in a depot or mobile, working from a van travelling to customer sites to carry out service and repairs. They can also be on-call, required to attend urgent breakdown calls to repair a client’s equipment so that they can complete their deliveries. A single loaded trailer can have hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of stock and repairs are often required to be carried out urgently to save the load. Because of the nature of the industry, these calls can come in 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for their van, company equipment and stock that they carry. Maintaining stock is paramount and maintaining a complete stock of base level equipment ensures the required parts are instantly available.
Typical job titles include
- Mobile refrigeration engineer | Mobile transport refrigeration technician
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
Principles of installation to Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs) fitted to vehicles, including HGV trucks, trailers, and home delivery vans.
K2:
Principles of inspecting and servicing to TRUs fitted to vehicles, including HGV trucks, trailers and home delivery vans.
K3:
Principles of thermodynamics, gas laws, psychometrics, fluid flows and electrical fault-finding.
K4:
Maintenance and operational practices on TRUs, including the principle working of an internal combustion engine, refrigeration systems, and all electrical operations.
K5:
Maintenance strategies, practices, and techniques; to include planned, preventative, predictive and reactive methods, and their frequency.
K6:
Retrofitting of a refrigeration system – and the principles and implications of using a different refrigerant gas than originally intended.
K7:
The importance of installing and removing gauges, with a minimal loss of refrigerant.
K8:
Tools and equipment used in TRUs. Purpose, operation, and the importance of using the correct type of tools.
K9:
How to use manufacturer’s instructions, manuals, and calibration records.
K10:
Installation practices and techniques when installing TRUs to a range of vehicles.
K11:
Principles of decommissioning a TRU, including the safe disposal of equipment and hazardous waste.
K12:
Operation of system components and how they interact on different TRUs.
K13:
Diagrams, calculations, charts, and formulae, and how to apply them.
K14:
Documentation methods and requirements – electronic and paper, for services completed.
K15:
Heating load – amount of heat energy needed to be added to a space to maintain the temperature in an acceptable range.
K16:
Cooling load – amount of heat energy needed to be removed from a space (cooling) to maintain the temperature in an acceptable range.
K17:
Importance of testing the correct specified temperature for TRUs on vehicles.
K18:
Fault finding techniques: root cause analysis related to TRU operations.
K19:
Diagnostic software systems for TRUs.
K20:
Engineering standards and regulations, relevant to the occupation and technician's responsibilities. British Standards (BS). International Organisation for Standardisation standards (ISO). European Norm (EN).
K21:
GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.
K22:
The commercial significance of why repairs need to be accurately identified and recorded, including the importance of producing accurate quotations.
K23:
Understand types of knowledge and guidance in the use of TRUs efficiency for customers and stakeholders.
K24:
Awareness of health and safety regulations, for example Health and Safety at Work Act – responsibilities, near miss reporting, emergency evacuation procedures, risk assessments, safety equipment (guards, signage, and fire extinguishers) and electrical safety and compliance, in both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC).
K25:
HSE Working at Height Regulations, HSE Confined Spaces Regulations, Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER).
K26:
Environmental and sustainability regulations and guidance. Environmental hazards that can arise from TRU operations. Environmental management systems standard. Environmental Protection Act. Environmental signage and notices. Types of pollution and control measures: noise, smells, spills, and waste. Environmental permits. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE). Hazardous waste regulations. Energy consumption and usage profiling. Data logging to optimise energy performance. The climate change agreements. Carbon reduction commitment (CRC).
K27:
Risk identification, including mitigation measures.
K28:
TRU legislative and regulatory frameworks, for example F-gas Regulation.
K29:
Current and emerging power generation technology for TRUs (for example hydrogen energy) and the green environmental benefits.
K30:
Efficient use of resources. Recycling, reuse, and safe disposal of waste, when working with pressure systems, electrical circuits, and flammable substances.
K31:
Work organisation and time management techniques.
K32:
Principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and their impact on organisations and customers.
Technical Educational Products
- ST1327: Mobile transport refrigeration technician (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC1327
- Status:
Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £40,548 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5225 Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5225/00 Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers
- 5231/03 Heavy and large vehicle technicians
S1:
Install TRUs to a vehicle, which can include, piping a unit, fitting fuel lines and fitting accessories (data recorders, solar panels), depending on the unit type.
S2:
Ensures the unit tests correctly and pulls the correct temperature, according to the requirements of the commissioning document.
S3:
Apply maintenance practices and techniques, including, clean, lubricate, and replace parts.
S4:
Inspect and service TRUs, which can include refrigeration checks, engine checks, oil, fuel and air filter replacements and electrical checks.
S5:
Fault find, diagnose faults, and repair TRUs - performing quick diagnosis on electrical and electronic control systems.
S6:
Install and remove gauges.
S7:
Determine heating and cooling loads to select and balance refrigeration system components.
S8:
Select and use the correct type of tool(s) and equipment to ensure components are not damaged.
S9:
Provide accurate quotations.
S10:
Plan, set up and restore the work area.
S11:
Apply industry standards and regulations in the decommission of TRUs, to safely dispose of equipment and hazardous waste transfers.
S12:
Identify hazards and risks in the workplace and apply control measures.
S13:
Apply health and safety procedures and safe systems of work in compliance with regulations and standards, including HSE regulations when working at height.
S14:
Communicate with others verbally, for example, internal or external customers, colleagues, and managers.
S15:
Organise and prioritise own work.
S16:
Record or enter information – paper based or electronic. For example, job sheets, risk assessments, work sheets, waste environmental records, any legal reporting requirements, and providing accurate questions.
S17:
Apply environmental and sustainability procedures in compliance with regulations and standards for example, segregate resources for reuse, recycling, and disposal.
S18:
Complies with GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.
S19:
Follow and apply equity, diversity, and inclusion rules and procedures.
Technical Educational Products
- ST1327: Mobile transport refrigeration technician (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC1327
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £40,548 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5225 Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5225/00 Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers
- 5231/03 Heavy and large vehicle technicians
B1:
Respond and adapt to work demands and situations.
B2:
Take responsibility for the quality of work and enable others to work to high standards.
B3:
Apply a professional approach.
B4:
Prioritise health and safety.
B5:
Committed to continued professional development (CPD) to maintain and enhance competence in their own area of practice.
B6:
Consider the impact on the environment when using resources and carrying out work.
B7:
Support an inclusive workplace, for example being respectful of different views.
Technical Educational Products
- ST1327: Mobile transport refrigeration technician (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC1327
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £40,548 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5225 Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5225/00 Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers
- 5231/03 Heavy and large vehicle technicians
