EPA Certification

Forty or fifty years ago, prior to the advent of computers, machines and other advanced materials, many people tried hard just to graduate from high school and obtain a job in one of the trades without even going to college. It was fortunate for them that then several companies in the trade industry accept workers regardless of whether they have finished a degree in college or not. They were then admitted into the field and have used their roles as technicians and machinists for their own living.

However, as the days passed by, several advancements in science and technology have been considered. The then manual works became mechanized and that more machines in today’s highly technological society are already maneuvered by computers, not by the skilled people. Aside from that, the carpenters of today work with a powered nail gun, not with a hammer. With the rise of these advancements, the demand for technologically inclined people then increase with employers seeking for those who have attained a degree in college and have undergone trainings and certifications for admission. It is basically through this demand that certification programs, like the EPA certification, were developed and introduced.

The EPA certification, as the name implies, was designed and offered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The agency was created in 1970 through an executive organization plan as an independent regulatory agency that is responsible for the implementation of the federal laws designed and passed to protect the environment. So as part of their responsibilities, they have designed the EPA certification as an important requirement for those who want to be admitted into the trade industry and handle tasks that involve technical and technological aspects, such as maintaining the equipments for air conditioning and heating.

The EPA certification was first developed in accordance to the laws covered under the Section 608 and 609 of the Clean Air Act. The Clean Air Act, which was actually passed by Congress established standards for the production, sale, use and handling of certain refrigerants, which are deemed harmful for the environment. Under the standards of this Act, technicians who wish to service the mobile air conditioning system must obtain the EPA certification for them to fully take the role they intended to have.

However, obtaining the EPA certification is not an easy process. In the first place, technicians who wish to be admitted as professionals in the field must pass the EPA certification examination. The examination actually can be taken in two formats, either by a self-study mail-in open book test or a proctored closed book test. Just like the other certification examinations, there is a minimum passing score set for the applicants to pass the test and obtain the EPA certification. In particular, the open book mail-in test requires the applicants to reach 90% of the total score, while the proctored closed book test sets 80% of the total score as the passing score. The test should be passed for the certification, which is very much important knowing that the laws on the use of refrigerant handling are strictly enforced. As what the laws have maintained, only the certified technicians have the right to handle the refrigerants and other motor vehicle air conditioning systems. The EPA certification is also important as it allows to purchase R-12 and ozone-depleting substitutes that have been acceptable for use in the motor vehicle air conditioning field.