3) General work area
All maintenance staff and others working in the local area shall be instructed on the nature of work
being carried out. Work in confined spaces shall be avoided. The area around the workspace shall be
sectioned off. Ensure that the conditions within the area have been made safe by control of flammable
material.
4) Checking for presence of refrigerant
The area shall be checked with an appropriate refrigerant detector prior to and during work, to ensure
the technician is aware of potentially flammable atmospheres. Ensure that the leak detection equipment
being used is suitable for use with flammable refrigerants, i.e. non-sparking, adequately
sealed or intrinsically safe.
5) Presence of fire extinguisher
If any hot work is to be conducted on the refrigeration equipment or any associated parts, appropriate
fire extinguishing equipment shall be available on hand. Have a dry powder or CO
2
fire extinguisher
adjacent to the charging area.
6) No ignition sources
No person carrying out work in relation to a refrigeration system which involves exposing any pipe
work that contains or has contained flammable refrigerant shall use any sources of ignition in such
a manner that it may lead to the risk of fire or explosion. All possible ignition sources, including
cigarette smoking, should be kept sufficiently far away from the site of installation, repairing, removing
and disposal, during which flammable refrigerant can possibly be released to the surrounding
space. Prior to work taking place, the area around the equipment is to be surveyed to make sure
7