RETA Conference Nov. 14-17 to Feature Ammonia Workshops

The Refrigerating Engineers & Technicians Association (RETA) 2023 National Conference will feature hands-on training, workshops and presentations for operators and technicians of industrial refrigeration systems, including those using ammonia (R717).

The conference will be held November 14‒17 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel in Jacksonville, Florida.

“The industrial refrigeration industry continues to expand, and as such, there is increasing demand for certified operators and technicians,” RETA said in its announcement. “Our conference is the world’s largest gathering of refrigerating engineers and technicians.”

The conference covers a “wide array” of topics for professional development, with four days of training, workshops, technical presentations, networking events, and a “sold out” exhibition hall.

RETA invites professionals, students and experts in the industrial refrigeration industry to attend. The conference will offer “valuable” insight, training, and the opportunity to earn professional development hours (PDH) to maintain certifications, RETA said.

“No matter your level of experience or position within the industrial refrigeration industry, our educational conference has an all-encompassing, comprehensive program dedicated to improving knowledge and success,” the association noted.

During the course of the conference, 12 technical topics, each worth 1 PDH, will be presented three times; three hands-on sessions and manufacturer sessions, each worth 2 PDH, will be presented two times; and additional workshops and hot point sessions, each worth 1 PDH, will happen throughout the conference.

Ammonia workshops and training

Tony Lundell, Director of Standards and Safety for the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR), will present workshops on four topics.

IIAR Suite of Standards Updates;
Preventing Hydraulic Shock in Refrigeration Systems;
Hot Work Permit for Ammonia Refrigeration Systems; and
Summary of Natural Refrigeration Standards for Ammonia, CO₂ (R744) and Hydrocarbon Systems.

Other ammonia-related workshops at the conference include:

Ammonia Hoses Unrolled, presented by Arlie Farley, Parts, Service and Sales at Farley’s Refrigeration, an ammonia refrigeration supplier and contractor;
What to Expect Post Ammonia Release, presented by Scott Sweet, President of HCG Associates, a company providing ammonia process safety management compliance and environmental, health and safety training services;
War Stories ‒ Tales of an Ammonia Refrigeration Engineer, presented by Henry Bonar, Owner ‒ since 1975 ‒ of Bonar Engineering and Construction, an industrial refrigeration construction company.

In addition, the conference will include the following two-hour sessions:

Ammonia Refrigeration Code Workshop, presented by Bill Lape, Project Director for the Risk Management Group at SCS Engineers, an environmental consulting and contracting firm;
Hands-on ‒ Ammonia Charging, presented by Scott Melton ‒ an Ammonia Refrigeration Advisor of the Risk Management group at SCS Tracer Environmental ‒ and Kenny Williams, retired from SCS Tracer Environmental.

Those interested in attending the conference can register here.

Thanks to the generosity of the conference sponsors, RETA is offering 50 US$100 (€94.50) scholarships to potential attendees. Scholarship applications must be submitted by October 21.

From November 11-13, in the same Jacksonville hotel as the conference, RETA is offering various certification review courses, including certified refrigeration energy specialist (CRES), certified refrigeration service technician (CRST), certified industrial refrigeration operator (CIRO) and certified assistant refrigeration operator (CARO). Certification exams for the review courses will take place during the conference.

Founded in 1910 and headquartered in Albany, Oregon, RETA is a trade group that trains and certifies technicians working with industrial ammonia and CO₂ (R744) refrigeration systems.

RETA certification exams are accredited by the American National Standards Institute Accreditation Board and recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.