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Part II .

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Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic Trade Regulations

made under subsection 17A(2) of the

Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act

S.N.S. 2003, c. 1

O.I.C. 2016-239 (effective April 1, 2017), N.S. Reg. 192/2016

amended to O.I.C. 2025-272 (effective October 6, 2025), N.S. Reg. 206/2025

Table of Contents

Please note: this table of contents is provided for convenience of reference and does not form part of the regulations.

Click here to go to the text of the regulations .

Citation

Definitions

Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic trade is compulsory certified trade

Person other than refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic performing work in trade

Exemption application under General Regulations permitted for refrigeration and air

conditioning mechanic trade

Term of apprenticeship for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic trade

Wage

schedule for apprentices in refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic trade

Certificate in refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic trade through trade

qualification

Compliance with identity card requirements of General Regulations

Transition

Citation

1 These trade regulations may be cited as the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

Mechanic Trade Regulations .

Definitions

(1) In these regulations,

“Act” means the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act ;

“General Regulations” means the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act

General Regulations made under the Act;

“refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic trade” means the occupation of a

refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic, consisting of diagnosing, repairing,

installing, servicing and maintaining industrial, residential and commercial

refrigeration systems, including, except as provided in subsection (2), all of the

following:

(

i) air handling, cooling, heating, humidifying, ventilating and air

exchange systems,

(ii) air cleaning systems,

(iii) cooling towers,

(iv) evaporative condensers and heat pump equipment,

(

v) controls and control circuitry,

(vi) freezers,

(vii) freezer plants,

(viii) temperature-controlled containers,

(ix) blast food freezing equipment,

(

x) ice-making equipment,

(xi) automated controls,

(xii) ultra-low-temperature applications,

(xiii) controlled environments,

(xiv) interconnected piping and accessories.

(2) For the purposes of these trade regulations, the occupation of refrigeration and air

conditioning mechanic does not include diagnosing, repairing, installing, servicing

or maintaining any of the following:

(

a) refrigerated appliances manufactured primarily for residential use;

(

b) reefer units and other refrigerated shipping containers, or the manufacture of

those types of units and containers;

(

c) residential humidifying and air exchange systems.

(3) A term defined in the General Regulations has the same meaning when used in

these regulations.

Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic trade is compulsory certified trade

3 The refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic trade is specified as a compulsory

certified trade.

Person other than refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic performing work in trade

4 A person who does not hold a certificate of qualification in the refrigeration and air

conditioning mechanic trade may perform work included in the definition of the

refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic trade if the person holds a certificate of

qualification in another designated trade and the work to be performed comes within the

scope of that other designated trade.

Exemption application under General Regulations permitted for refrigeration and air

conditioning mechanic trade

5 For the purposes of subsection 38(2) of the General Regulations, a joint application for

an exemption from the application of subsections 22(2) and (3) of the Act is permitted

for the refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic trade.

Term of apprenticeship for refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic trade

(1) The term of apprenticeship for the refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic

trade consists of all of the following:

(a) 7200 documented hours of the combination of practical experience and the

portion of technical training spent learning the skills of the designated trade

as described in clause 26(1A)(

a) of the General Regulations and as

approved by the Director;

(

b) related technical training as described in clause 26(1A)(

b) of the General

Regulations and as approved by the Director;

(

c) a certification examination.

(2) Any probationary period included in a term of apprenticeship for the refrigeration

and air conditioning mechanic trade as permitted by subsection 12(2) of the

General Regulations must be no longer than 3 months.

7 [repealed]

Wage

schedule for apprentices in refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic trade

(1) Subject to subsection (2) and to subsection 25(3) of the General Regulations, the

minimum wage for each hour worked by a refrigeration and air conditioning

mechanic apprentice in each portion of a level of their term of apprenticeship is a

percentage of the wage for a refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic

journeyperson in the same place of employment, as set out in the following table:

Wages for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic Apprentice

Level of

Apprenticeship

Hours in Portion of

Level of Apprenticeship

Minimum Wage

(% of journeyperson’s wage)

0–900

45%

901–1800

50%

1801–2700

55%

2701–3600

60%

3601–4500

65%

4501–5400

70%

5401–6300

75%

6301–7200

80%

(2) An employer must not employ a refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic

apprentice at a wage for actual hours worked that is lower than the wage that

would be paid at the minimum wage rate prescribed in the Minimum Wage Order

(General) made under the Labour Standards Code .

Certificate in refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic trade through trade

qualification

9 The period of employment in the designated trade that is required by paragraph

30(1)(a)(ii)(

B) of the General Regulations for a person who does not hold a certificate of

apprenticeship and is applying for a certificate of qualification in the refrigeration and air

conditioning mechanic trade is 10 800 hours.

10 [repealed]

Compliance with identity card requirements of General Regulations

11 For the purposes of

Section 34 of the General Regulations, which requires an apprentice

or journeyperson to keep an identity card in their possession when practising the

designated trade and produce it on request, a person is practising the refrigeration and air

conditioning mechanic trade while the person is doing any of the following:

(

a) for an apprentice,

(

i) acquiring practical experience in the trade, or

(ii) learning the skills of the trade during the technical training portion of

apprenticeship training;

(

b) for a journeyperson, performing the duties of the trade as defined in these

regulations or their duties as set out in the General Regulations.

Transition

12 A person who, immediately before the coming into force of these regulations, was an

apprentice in an apprenticeship program under the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

Mechanic Trade Regulations , N.S. Reg. 55/2012, continues as an apprentice in that

apprenticeship program under these regulations.

Legislative History

Reference Tables

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic Trade

Regulations

N.S. Reg.

192/2016

Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act

Note: The

information in these tables does not form part of the regulations and is

compiled by the Office of the Registrar of Regulations for reference only.

Source Law

The current consolidation of the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic Trade Regulations made

under the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act includes all of the following regulations:

N.S.

Regulation

In force

date*

How in force

Royal Gazette

Part II Issue

192/2016

Apr 1, 2017

date specified

Oct 14, 2016

135/2022

Jul 5, 2022

date specified

Jul 15, 2022

206/2025

Oct 6,

date

specified

Oct

17, 2025

The following regulations are not yet in force and are

not included in the current consolidation:

N.S.

Regulation

In force

date*

How in force

Royal Gazette

Part II Issue

*See subsection 3(6) of the Regulations Act for

rules about in force dates of regulations.

Amendments by Provision

ad. = added

am. = amended

fc. = fee change

ra. = reassigned

rep. = repealed

rs . = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

7 ........................................................

rep. 135/2022

10 ......................................................

rep. 206/2025

Note that changes to headings are not

included in the above table.

Editorial Notes and Corrections:

Note

Effective

date

Repealed and Superseded:

N.S.

Regulation

Title

In force

date

Repealed

date

55/2012

Refrigeration

and Air Conditioning Mechanic Trade Regulations

Feb

29, 2012

Apr 1,

Note: Only

regulations that are specifically repealed and replaced appear in this

table. It may not reflect the entire

history of regulations on this subject matter.