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30 years of OTTC Ammonia diploma qualification

Written by Eamonn Ryan

Last year was OTTC’s 30th anniversary. Now, its flagship course, Ammonia Safe Handling, similarly celebrates it’s 30th anniversary with a full contingent of 20 students.

Isolde Dobelin and OTTC technical director Ana- Marie Sibiya. Image supplied by © Eamonn Ryan | Cold Link Africa
Isolde Dobelin and OTTC technical director Ana- Marie Sibiya. Image supplied by © Eamonn Ryan | Cold Link Africa

The OTTC Ammonia diploma with the Ammonia Safe Handling course was developed on 1 September 1993 by the late Peter Dobelin, founder member of OTTC, and offered to the HVAC&R industry worldwide, explains current owner Isolde Dobelin.

“At that time there was no ammonia training from any training institute – only product training from individual companies for their own customers and staff. At that time knowledge was passed from technician to technician and hence to Peter at the college. That’s how Peter gained his 11 years of experience in Ammonia.”

1 and 2: The 30th anniversary of OTTC, held in December 2022. Images supplied by © Eamonn Ryan | Cold Link Africa

She says that the OTTC Ammonia diploma has been recognised by the international industry ever since that time. “So far, we have graduated 550 ammonia technicians who are today working all over the world in high positions. OTTC developed and registered the OTTC Ammonia Safe Handling qualification with the experts – Anders Lindburg from Sweden, Kurt Johannsen and Bob Vuletic from South Africa for ACRICSA (now known as SARACCA). This followed controls being introduced in the form of the issue of a SARACCA card in South Africa requiring that only qualified people with training on safety should work on ammonia systems.”

Speaking previously at the college’s 30th anniversary, Dobelin had lauded tradespeople in the following terms as being “the ones who can run our cities and are essential in the world today.” “While other professionals can think up concepts and designs, it is tradespeople who can make those designs and ideas a reality and improve the world. Learning and experience through training is what makes that happen – and by the opportunity to gain from masters in their fields,” she said. Dobelin said that she was proud that OTTC had passed around 550 ammonia graduates, demonstrating the value of that knowledge offload by master mentors such as Kurt Johannsen, who is a long-time lecturer on Ammonia at OTTC.

Ammonia class of September 2023. Image supplied by © Eamonn Ryan | Cold Link Africa
Ammonia class of September 2023. Image supplied by © Eamonn Ryan | Cold Link Africa