Refrigeration technicians in Kanifing Municipality, on Monday, started a five-day training on the management, retrofitting and drop-in of Ocean Depletion Substance (ODS), at the Gambia Technical Training Institute.

The training was organised by the National Ozone Office at the National Environment Agency (NEA), as part of the series of activities towards meeting The Gambia’s international obligations in phasing-out the consumption and production of ODS by 2010.

Declaring the training workshop opened, Ms Salma Njie, Administrative Officer of KMC, who deputised for the Mayor of KMC, said the ozone layer is the primary protection of the earth has, from the harmful ultra-violet-B radiation from the sun. She disclosed that this protective layer is important for the survival of human-beings, plants and other creatures, as it prevent them from diseases such as skin cancer, eye cataract, and the destruction of the immune system.

She warned that the continuous emission of industrial chemicals like Chloro-Flouro-carbon (CFCs) will increase the depletion of the ozone layer that would result to reduction in crop yield, damage to forests, reduction in the productivity of marine and terrestrial ecosystem, culminating into global warming.

Ms Salma told participants that the government is committed to phase-out consumption of ODS and has ratified the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer in May 1990 and the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone Layer in June 1990. “The Gambia has also ratified the Copenhagen and London Amendments to the Montreal Protocol in 1992 and 1995 respectively. I therefore urge participants to take the training seriously and disseminate their knowledge and skills to others,” she urged.

In his keynote address, Momodou Kanteh, Director of Technical Services Network at NEA, said refrigeration technicians are targeted because CFCs, the main source of ODS in The Gambia, are found in refrigerators, air conditions, foams and aerosols. Mr Kanteh disclosed that the training is one of the series of activities geared towards meeting The Gambia’s international obligations in phasing-out the consumption and protection of ODS by 2010.

According to him, over 120 refrigeration technicians country wide have been trained on refrigeration handling, recycling, recovery, and environmentally sound techniques. While about 83 Customs and Excise officials were trained and provided with substance identifiers for the monitoring and control of ODS at different ports of entry. He then revealed that Divisional Associations of Refrigeration Technicians have also been established and registered.

Kakai Sanyang, Registrar at GTTI, said nature is at conflict with human beings.He therefore, appealed to participants to use environmentally friendly activities and devices to make the planet earth the only suitable and a lasting home for generation not yet born.