The Natural Refrigeration

A set of Costa Rican refrigeration standards based on IIAR’s Suite of Standards is poised to become law in the country, paving the way for other countries in the region to follow suit.

In Costa Rica, the National Fire Protection Association, NFPA, codes already incorporate IIAR standards for anything to do with refrigeration, creating a deference to IIAR standards. However, the new national standards will represent the first time Costa Rica has implemented its own set of standards and codified them into law.

“We’re waiting on the new national standards in Costa Rica that are based on IIAR standards to become law. IIAR standards are actually Costa Rica’s standards, and have been for several years now, with their own names and designations. What is new is their codification into national law, which is (hopefully) soon becoming a reality,” said Yesenia Rector, IIAR Vice President – Education, Outreach and Events.

The effort to institute IIAR standards in Costa Rica has been years long, said Rector, culminating recently in the realization that the country had already informally adopted IIAR’s standards through its fire code.

That realization came when IIAR’s new Costa Rica Chapter Chair, Catalina Aragón, took over the IIAR Costa Rica Chapter’s standards efforts and pointed out that IIAR’s standards were already formally in use in the country. Aragón said that discovery will help in the effort to get Costa Rica’s own version of the standards codified into law.

“The key in this relationship was Catalina coming on board,” said Rector. “Before her arrival, there was good work being done such that IIAR’s standards could be adopted as national standards. This was accomplished through the IIAR chapter there, but in a voluntary manner. None of us had put two and two together, but Catalina realized that IIAR’s standards were already required through NFPA.”

“This accelerated the whole process. We saw that they could become law [faster] because they’re already incorporated by reference into a required (by law) NFPA code.”

Aragón agreed with Rector, adding that “It would be very difficult to prove the need” for the Costa Rican government to formally adopt a Costa Rican version of IIAR’s standards “without IIAR’s resources.”

“Here we have to prove a need for changes [in law] especially in construction,” said Aragón. “Without the standards from IIAR already being in use through the fire code, we’d have to start from zero.

“This has been a powerful tool for us. We can go full-handed to the government and demonstrate that we are doing something important for safety in this industry and we’re protecting not just the health but the investment of the industry in the country.”

While Costa Rica’s government has not yet formally incorporated the industry’s new standards, Aragón said the law that will accomplish that is already written and awaiting approval.

In the meantime, the natural refrigeration industry in the country is preparing by moving ahead with training and education.

Federico Alarcon Lopez, IIAR Latin America Programs Manager, said IIAR’s local chapter will partner with the Colegio de Ingenieros Electricistas, Mecánicos e Industriales, the professional national organization that represents and regulates electrical, mechanical, and industrial engineers in the country, to provide training on Costa Rica’s new standards.

“While our government figures out when they’re going to make our new standards into law, we’re paving the way for our professional community to be ready to apply them,” said Aragón.

The relationship between CIEMI and IIAR’s Costa Rica chapter is especially valuable because CIEMI runs the national certification program that certifies engineers to work in the country in specialized areas like natural refrigeration.

“Before we can work in this industry, we’ll have to go through a three-year program to get certification to show that we can apply these standards,” said Aragón, adding that IIAR and CIEMI’s ability to proactively start the process of training professionals on the new standards is part of why they’re being adopted.

“This has really helped the government make their decision,” she said. “They don’t have to wait for the engineers who are building these systems or the inspectors inspecting them to come up to speed. We can say we’re already doing that; there’s no reason to delay the standards.”

IIAR’s Alarcon Lopez said the educational collaboration with CIEMI will produce contractors and manufacturers who are better positioned to implement Costa Rica’s new standards. “This grows the security of our industry. The principal goal of IIAR in the region is the education of end users.”

“Our chapter mission is to provide information and education for everyone.”