Refrigerant Trading Authorisation (RTA): Business-Level Controls
What an RTA is
The Refrigerant Trading Authorisation is the business-level authorisation that allows an entity to acquire, store, sell or otherwise trade in controlled refrigerants. It is distinct from the individual Refrigerant Handling Licence: an RTA sits with the company, an RHL sits with the person. A business that buys or sells refrigerant needs the RTA, and the people doing the physical handling still need their own licences.
Concepts a candidate must understand
Understand who must hold an RTA (wholesalers, importers, and businesses that acquire refrigerant for use), what record-keeping is required (quantities purchased, received, sold, and disposed of, with dates and counterparties), and the conditions attached to storage - secure, ventilated areas, correct cylinder segregation, and no damaged cylinders in stock. Know that sales of refrigerant are restricted to buyers who are authorised, and that the seller has a duty to verify the buyer's authorisation. Understand the relationship between the RTA and premises: the authorisation attaches to the business and its nominated locations, and changes of address or ownership usually require notification.
Traps in questions
Frequent errors: assuming an RTA lets unlicensed staff handle refrigerant; assuming an RHL lets an individual sell refrigerant without a business authorisation; overlooking that record-keeping obligations sit with the business, not the technician; and forgetting that disposals and returns must also be recorded, not just purchases.
Worked example / rule of thumb
Rule of thumb: the business holds the paperwork; the person holds the hands-on licence. Example: a small contractor buys a 10 kg cylinder of refrigerant. The company must hold an RTA, record the purchase (date, quantity, supplier), store the cylinder securely, and ensure the technician who connects it holds an RHL covering that refrigerant. When the cylinder is returned or disposed of, that movement is recorded too.