Occupations and Terms of Reference › HVAC technician (heating, ventilation, air conditioning)
Universal terms of reference · POS-183 · version 1.0 · status: draft · next review 2027-10-27
HVAC technician (heating, ventilation, air conditioning)
To keep ventilation and air systems working for infection control, so that patients, staff and visitors are safe and the service runs without avoidable interruption.
Each part of this page links to the related trainings, competencies and policies. The links are the same for every facility, so an organisation can see at a glance what a role requires and what it is trained in.
Job description
Job summary. You are a hvac technician (heating, ventilation, air conditioning). You keep ventilation and air systems working for infection control, follow the safety rules, record your work, and report faults and risks the same day.
Reports to: Maintenance supervisor.
Leads or supervises: No direct reports.
What you do on a typical day
- Maintain theatre and isolation ventilation.
- Follow the written procedure and permit system.
- Record each job and test.
- Isolate and make safe before work.
- Report faults, risks and near misses at once.
Working conditions and demands
- Shift, on-call and emergency call-outs.
- Ventilation failure in infection-control areas.
- Work in occupied clinical areas.
What good looks like
- Work is done to procedure and recorded.
- Safety tests are complete on time.
- Faults and risks are reported the same day.
Place in the organogram
Reporting line, from the top: see the organogram on the Occupations page. The lines above and below this role are listed in section 3.
1. Golden rules
These rules apply in every setting.
- Services are provided safely, on time and with no shortcuts that put patients or staff at risk.
- Supplies, equipment and systems are fit for purpose before use and are checked regularly.
- Money, stock and data are handled with integrity and recorded fully.
- Every incident or near miss is reported, and learning is shared.
- Staff are trained for their task before they work alone.
- Contractors and suppliers meet the same standards as staff.
- Concerns are raised and investigated without reprisal.
- Support functions are judged by how well they help clinical services deliver safe care.
2. Identification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position code | POS-183 |
| ISCO-08 | 7233 (skill level 4) |
| ESCO | to map |
| Department | Facilities and support |
| Facility types | Hospital, Ambulatory, Transport, Medevac, Fitness, Aesthetic |
3. Reporting line and working relationships
Reports to: POS-185. Supervises: .
| Works with | Nature of the relationship |
|---|---|
| Maintenance supervisor | Work orders, priorities and budget. |
| Head of department (per specialty) | Service standards and safety rules. |
4. Key accountabilities
| Domain | Accountability | Evidence of delivery | Checked | Linked competencies | Linked trainings | Linked policies | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work | Carries out heating, ventilation and air conditioning work to procedure and records each job. | Job records audit at standard | Monthly | C-01 | T-07 | POL-SAFEG | 2 |
| Safety | Isolates, tests and makes safe before work and after. | Permit and test records complete | Daily | C-02 | T-07 | POL-SAFEG | 2 |
| Reporting | Reports faults, risks and near misses the same day. | Reports logged same day | Daily | C-03 | T-07 | POL-INC | 2 |
| Records and data | Keeps records secure and personal data private. | Records and access audit passed | Quarterly | C-03 | T-04 | POL-DATA | 2 |
5. Decision rights
| The post holder decides | Consults or escalates |
|---|---|
| Order of routine heating, ventilation and air conditioning jobs within the work plan | Urgent risks or faults that stop a clinical service (maintenance supervisor) |
| Use of spare parts and consumables within budget | Work outside the trade's competence or permit (supervisor) |
6. Qualifications and experience
| ID | Qualification | Mandatory | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-01 | Trade or technical qualification in heating, ventilation and air conditioning | Yes | Lifetime |
| Q-02 | Health and safety certificate | Yes | Lifetime |
| ID | Experience | Minimum years | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-01 | Experience in heating, ventilation and air conditioning | 3 | Yes |
7. Training requirements
Recommended common practice. Each facility adapts the list to its national law. Essential items apply in every setting; recommended items apply where resources allow.
| ID | Training | Tier | When | Validity | Linked policies | Linked competencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-01 | Facility induction | essential | at_entry | Once | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL · POL-DATA | – |
| T-02 | Safeguarding adults | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-03 | Safeguarding children | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-04 | Data protection and confidentiality | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-DATA | – |
| T-05 | Incident reporting and open disclosure | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-06 | Governance, accountability and assurance | recommended | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | – | – |
| T-07 | Emergency and major incident command | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-INC | C-01 · C-02 · C-03 |
| T-08 | Speaking up, inclusion and equality leadership | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL | – |
8. Health, fitness and language
| ID | Requirement | Frequency | Tier | Minimum in low-resource settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-01 | Immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases relevant to the setting, documented at entry | At entry or as set | essential | Documented hepatitis B status at entry |
| H-02 | Tuberculosis screening at entry, then as the national rule requires | At entry or as set | essential | Symptom screening at entry and after exposure |
| H-03 | Fitness-to-work assessment at entry and after serious illness or injury | Every 12 months | recommended | Fitness check at entry |
| Language | Level | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Official language of the country of practice | professional | Yes |
| English | working | Yes |
9. Competencies by level
| ID | Competency | Foundation | Practitioner | Expert | Assessed by | Revalidate | Linked trainings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-01 | Technical work in heating, ventilation and air conditioning | Does routine work under supervision | Does work independently to standard | Leads complex work and designs procedures | Work audit | Every 12 months | T-07 |
| C-02 | Safe working, isolation and infection control | Follows safe-working rules | Manages risk on site | Designs safety procedures | Safety audit | Every 12 months | T-07 |
| C-03 | Fault reporting and escalation | Reports faults correctly | Escalates urgent risks | Designs reporting systems | Reporting audit | Every 12 months | T-07 |
10. Performance evaluation
- Probation: 6 months, with a sign-off review (recommended value).
- Appraisal: every 12 months against the competencies and indicators below.
| ID | Indicator | Target | Data source | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PI-01 | Permit and test records complete | 100% | permit log | Daily |
| PI-02 | Planned tasks completed on time | 95% or more | work order system | Monthly |
| PI-03 | Faults reported same day | 100% | fault log | Daily |
11. Career ladder and promotion
| Level | Role | Minimum experience to move on | Qualifications | Competency minimums | Trainings required | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | HVAC technician (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) | 3 years (recommended) | Q-01, Q-02 | C-01 practitioner, C-02 practitioner, C-03 practitioner | T-07 | Executive appointment and performance review |
12. Policies the post holder follows
Each policy is a standard template that the facility adopts and adapts. Templates are maintained centrally, so every facility works from the same version.
POL-SAFEG · Safeguarding adults and children
Purpose: Protect patients from abuse, neglect and harm, and make sure every concern is recognised and acted on.
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
- Recognise signs of abuse and neglect and record them factually.
- Report every concern to the designated safeguarding lead the same shift.
- Do not investigate alone.
- Share information only as the safeguarding procedure allows.
POL-DATA · Data protection and confidentiality
Purpose: Keep patient and staff information private, secure and used only for care and legal purposes.
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
- Access only the records needed for your work.
- Keep records secure; do not leave screens or paper unattended.
- Do not share information without a lawful basis.
- Report any breach to the data protection officer within 24 hours.
Linked trainings: T-10 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-WHISTLE · Speaking up (whistleblowing)
Purpose: Let staff raise patient safety or conduct concerns without fear of reprisal.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Raise a concern with your line manager or the named speaking-up officer.
- If that route fails, escalate to the board or the national regulator.
- Retaliation against anyone who speaks up is a disciplinary offence.
- Concerns are recorded, investigated and the outcome given to the person raising them.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-EQUAL · Equality, diversity and inclusion
Purpose: Give every patient and colleague fair access, respectful treatment and reasonable adjustments.
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
- Treat every person with dignity regardless of background.
- Make reasonable adjustments, including interpreters, for language and disability.
- Report discrimination through the speaking-up route.
- Monitor access and outcomes by group.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 24 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-INC · Incident reporting and open disclosure
Purpose: Report and learn from incidents and near misses, and tell patients honestly when things go wrong.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Report every incident and near miss the same shift.
- Give the patient and family an honest account and an apology where appropriate (open disclosure).
- Take immediate action to protect others.
- Learn: contribute to the review and follow the agreed actions.
13. Standards that name this role
14. Record history
| Date | Change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | Draft record, batch 1 of the position build | Awaiting approval |