Support grows for World Refrigeration Day
5th July 2018
UK: Support for an annual World Refrigeration Day on June 26 to mark the industry’s contribution to society is growing.
According to refrigeration consultant Steve Gill, support for the idea has already come from associations and societies from USA, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Australia, Africa and across Europe.
“It is intended that World Refrigeration Day will serve as a means of raising awareness and understanding to the general public of the significant role that the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps industry and technology play in modern life and society with RACHP and HVACR organisations and professionals around the world undertaking a range of activities,” Steve Gill explained.
Refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump technologies and applications have evolved out of a human need for food, comfort and thermal processes, with a history dating back centuries, however it remains a longstanding frustration for those working within the industry that it is not widely recognised that modern life could not exist without it. “Nor is there any appreciation by wider society for the skills and knowledge employed on a daily basis by industry professionals,” said Steve Gill.
Graeme Fox, head of UK certification body Refcom, an early supporter of the initiative, said “Refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps impact on almost every aspect of modern society and yet is often the hidden technology that nobody thinks about until something goes wrong, so it is right that we acknowledge this contribution with a special day in the calendar year.”
Support has also come from Marco Buoni, the recently elected president of the European contractors’ association AREA. “Such a celebration is an acknowledgment of the role our society played by refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps whether related to health, food or comfort,” he said.
Miriam Rodway, CEO of the Institute of Refrigeration added: “The IoR is a proud supporter of World Refrigeration Day as an initiative to raise the profile of the important contribution that refrigeration air conditioning and heat pumps make globally across so many aspects of modern life – from medical, to food supply and farming, process engineering to data and IT, refrigeration technologies are essential and yet go widely unrecognised. Bringing together the worlds community to celebrate our success and achievements is very much part of the IOR’s role to promote the advancement of refrigeration technologies, and we look forward to working more closely with everyone supporting this great campaign”
The establishing of a World Refrigeration Day has been Steve Gill’s personal crusade for over a decade. Although he admits that the idea of an industry day is not new, the gaining of a consensus for a fixed date from organisations and individuals from around the world certainly is.
How this date will be marked in 2019 in the UK and elsewhere is yet to be determined, however the various groups are in discussion and details of planned events will be issued in due course.
A website is currently under construction and is intended to be ready by September. www.worldrefrigerationday.org Until then, events and updates may be found through twitter @worldrefday
Any organisation or individual wishing to support World Refrigeration Day can contact Steve here.
