Safety Code of Practice for Non Flammable, Lower Toxicity Refrigerants

The Institute of Refrigeration Safety Code of Practice for Non Flammable, Lower Toxicity Refrigerants (Group A1).

The publication provides essential industry guidance for owners, designers, installers and operators of vapour compression refrigerating systems that use any group A1 refrigerants which include HFC and HFC blends. It covers properties of refrigerants, decommissioning, testing and maintenance as well as design issues with useful appendices such as typical schedules for inspection and maintenance, system register details, machinery rooms, definitions and an updated list of relevant standards.  The Code has been prepared by the IOR Technical Committee as a reference source and guide to interpretation of current safety standards such as BS EN378:2016 and legal requirements such as F Gas, PED, PSSR.  

The IOR publishes four Safety Codes of Practice specific to refrigerant type.  

• Non Flammable, Lower Toxicity Refrigerants Group A1 
• Flammable Lower Toxicity Refrigerants Group A2L, A2 and A3 
• Carbon Dioxide R744 
• Ammonia R717 

The Code is supplied as a 99 page PDF.

UPDATES:

May 2019 - addendum added Section 11 - CLP and DSEAR

Aug 2019 - minor changes to ext in section 2.2.2 thermal decomposition, 4.11 refrigerant detection, and F4.1 Evacuation and dehydration procedure

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Contents

SECTION 1 - Scope & Limitations.

Section 2 – Relevant Properties of Refrigerants.

2.1 Physical Properties

2.2 Chemical Properties and Potential Hazards

Section 3 – Design of Components

3.1 General

3.2 Component Design and Test Pressures

3.3 Compressors

3.4 Pressure Vessels and Heat Exchangers

3.5 Liquid Refrigerant Pumps

3.6 Refrigerant Control Valves and Sensing Devices

Section 4 – System Design and Installation

4.1 General

4.2 Material Selection

4.3 Steel Piping Systems

4.4 Copper Pipework Systems

4.5 Location and Arrangement of Piping

4.6 Arrangement of Isolating Valves

4.7 Instrumentation

4.8 Protection against Excess Pressure

4.9 Protection against Environmental Effects

4.10 Notification to Local Authorities

4.11 Refrigerant Detection

4.12 System Labelling

4.13 Allowable Refrigerant Charge

Section 5 – System Testing

5.1 General

5.2 Strength Test Procedure

5.3 Tightness Test Procedure

5.4 Test Certificates

Section 6 – Commissioning of New Installations

6.1 General

6.2 Evacuation and Dehydration

6.3 Charging

6.4 Protection Devices

Section 7 - Inspection and Maintenance

7.1 General

7.2 System Log

7.3 Routine Inspection

7.4 Major Inspection

7.5 Pressure System Examination

Section 8 - Documentation

8.1 General

8.2 Risk Assessment

8.3 Health and Safety File

8.4 Written Scheme of Examination and Records

8.5 Commissioning Records

8.6 Refrigerant Inventory and F Gas Regulation Requirements.

8.7 Contingency Provisions

8.8 The System Register

8.9 System Log

8.10 Instruction Manuals

Section 9 – Decommissioning

9.1 General

9.2 Recovered Refrigerant

Section 10 – References, Standards and Legislation

Section 11 - Addendum: CLP and DSEAR

Appendix A - Definitions (Applies to all Refrigerants)

Appendix B – Maximum Allowable Pressure and Strength Test Procedure

Appendix C – Pneumatic Strength Pressure Test Procedure

Appendix D – Marking and Name Plate Data

Appendix E - Handling, Transport and Storage of Refrigerant Cylinders

Appendix F – Commissioning of New Installations

Appendix G – Machinery Rooms and Auxiliary Safety Equipment

Appendix H – Typical Schedule for Inspection and Maintenance

Appendix I - Sample details for Register

Appendix J – Sample Compressor Operating Data and System Log

Appendix K – IOR Policy on refrigerant choice