F-Gas Registered Engineer: A Guide for Food Businesses
Refrigeration is essential for businesses in the food and drink industry, but it also comes with legal responsibilities that many owners aren’t fully aware of. The key is to use a F-Gas registered engineer.
If you’ve come across terms like F-Gas, F-Gas certification, or REFCOM, you’re not alone. These phrases are often mentioned during inspections, maintenance visits, or compliance discussions, yet they’re rarely explained clearly.
This guide is written specifically for businesses that rely on external engineers to look after refrigeration equipment. You don’t need to become an expert in the regulations, but you do need to understand what applies to your business, what doesn’t, and how to choose the right contractor.
What are F-Gases?
F-Gases (fluorinated gases) are refrigerants commonly used in commercial refrigeration equipment, such as:
walk-in cold rooms
upright fridges and freezers
under-counter refrigeration
blast chillers
They’re effective at cooling, but they also have a high global warming potential, which is why their use and handling are tightly regulated in the UK.
The regulations don’t exist to make life difficult for businesses - they’re there to ensure refrigerants are handled safely, leaks are controlled, and environmental impact is reduced.
What is an “F-Gas certificate”?
This is where confusion usually starts.
In practice, the phrase “F-Gas certificate” can refer to two very different things:
Company certification – required for businesses that carry out refrigeration work
Personal certification – required for individual engineers who physically handle F-Gases
For most food and drink businesses, neither of these certificates is something you need to hold yourself.
Instead, your responsibility is to ensure that any contractor you use is properly certified.
Do food & drink businesses need F-Gas certification?
For the vast majority of restaurants, cafés, pubs, bakeries, and food production businesses, the answer is:
No, you do not need to be F-Gas certified just because you own refrigeration equipment.
You do need to:
use certified engineers
allow inspections and leak checks where required
keep basic records if your equipment falls above certain thresholds
avoid using uncertified contractors
In simple terms:
You don’t need the certificate, but you are responsible for choosing someone who has one.
What is REFCOM, and why does it matter?
REFCOM is one of the UK-approved bodies responsible for certifying companies that work on refrigeration equipment containing F-Gases.
If a company is REFCOM certified, it means:
the business is legally allowed to carry out refrigeration work
systems and processes have been assessed
engineers meet qualification requirements
the company can be independently verified via a public register
For food businesses, REFCOM isn’t something to join, it’s a trust filter that helps you confirm whether a contractor is legitimate.
What does an F-Gas registered engineer actually do?
When you bring in a certified, F-Gas registered engineer, they can legally carry out tasks such as:
routine inspections
leak checks (where applicable)
refrigerant top-ups and recovery
fault diagnosis and repairs
compliance-related maintenance
They also understand when record keeping or follow-up checks are required and can advise you accordingly.
Using a non-certified engineer - even unintentionally - can expose your business to unnecessary risk.
What are you responsible for as a business owner?
Even though you don’t need certification yourself, you still have legal responsibilities as the operator of the equipment.
These typically include:
ensuring certified contractors are used
allowing access for required inspections
retaining relevant service records
addressing known issues or leaks promptly
The good news is that a reputable refrigeration partner, such as GM Service Engineering, will help manage these responsibilities as part of their service - you shouldn’t be left guessing.
Common misconceptions about F-Gas compliance
“I need to get an F-Gas certificate for my restaurant.”
No. Certification applies to companies and engineers carrying out the work, not to most operators.
“Any refrigeration engineer can do the checks.”
Only engineers who are properly qualified and working for a certified company can legally handle F-Gases.
“If something goes wrong, it’s the engineer’s problem.”
Using an uncertified contractor can still leave the operator exposed to compliance or insurance issues.
How to stay compliant without overthinking it
For most food and drink businesses, F-Gas compliance is straightforward when you take the right approach:
work with a REFCOM-certified company
ensure engineers are F-Gas registered
keep service visits and maintenance consistent
ask questions if you’re unsure; a good contractor will explain, not confuse
You don’t need to master the regulations; you just need the right partner.
How GMSE Ltd supports food & drink businesses
GM Service Engineering is REFCOM certified, and our engineers are F-Gas registered, meaning we’re fully authorised to carry out inspections, repairs, and compliance-related refrigeration work.
We support food and drink businesses across the United Kingdom by:
carrying out compliant refrigeration inspections
diagnosing and fixing faults safely
advising on maintenance and best practice
helping you stay on the right side of regulations without disruption
Our focus is simple: keeping your equipment running, your business compliant, and the process stress-free.
Need an F-Gas registered engineer?
If you operate refrigeration equipment and want confidence that everything is being handled properly, get in touch with GMSE Ltd.
We’ll talk you through what’s required, what isn’t, and how we can support your business, clearly, practically, and without unnecessary jargon.
F-Gas registered engineer FAQs
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No. Most food and drink businesses do not need to hold an F-Gas certificate themselves. The legal requirement applies to the company and engineers carrying out refrigeration work, not to businesses that simply own and operate refrigeration equipment.
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A REFCOM certified company is one that has been approved to legally work on refrigeration equipment containing F-Gases. Certification confirms that the business meets regulatory requirements and employs appropriately qualified, F-Gas registered engineers.
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Yes. Any work that involves handling refrigerant — including inspections, leak checks, repairs or maintenance — must be carried out by an F-Gas registered engineer working for a certified company. Using uncertified contractors can put your business at risk.
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You can ask the company directly or check whether they are listed on a recognised certification register, such as the REFCOM public register. Reputable contractors will be transparent about their certification and happy to explain what it means for your business.