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10. LABELLING
Equipment shall be labelled stating thai it has been decommissioned and emptied of refrigerant.
The label shall be dated and signed. Ensure thai there are labels on the equipment stating the
equipment contains flammable refrigerant.
11. RECOVERY
When removing refrigerant from a system, either for servicing or decommissioning, il is
recommended good practice that all refrigerants are removed safely. When transferring refrigerant
inio cylinders, ensure thai only appropriate refrigerant recovery cylinders are employed. Ensure
thai the correct number of cylinders for holding the system charge are available. All cylinders to
be used are designated for the recovered refrigerant and labelled for that refrigerant (i.e. special
cylinders for the recovery of refrigerant}. Cylinders shall be complete with pressure relief valve
and associated shut-off valves in good working order. Empty recovery cylinders are evacuated
and, if possible, cooled before recovery occurs.
The recovery equipment shall be in good working order with a set of instructions concerning
the equipment thai is at hand and shall be suitable for the recovery of flammable refrigerants. In
addition, a set of calibrated weighing scales shall be available and in good working order. Hoses
shall be complete with leakfree disconnect couplings and in good condition. Before using the
recovery machine, check thai il is in satisfactory working order, has been properly maintained
and thai any associated electrical components are sealed to prevent ignition in the event of a
refrigerant release. Consult manufacturer if in doubt.
The recovered refrigerant shall be returned to the refrigerant supplier in the correct recovery
cylinder, and the relevant Waste Transfer Note arranged. Do not mix refrigerants in recovery units
and especially not in cylinders. lf compressors or compressor oils are to be removed, ensure that
they have been evacuated to an acceptable level to make certain thai flammable refrigerant does
not remain within the lubricant. The evacuation process shall be carried out prior to returning the
compressor to the suppliers. Only electric heating to the compressor body shall be employed to
accelerate this process. When oil is drained from a system, il shall be carried out safely.
COMPETENCE OF SERVICE PERSONNEL GENERAL
Special training additional to usual refrigerating equipment repair procedures is required when
equipment with flammable refrigerants is affected. In many countries, this training is carried out
by national training organisations that are accredited to teach the relevant national competency
standards that may be set in legislation. The achieved competence should be documented by a
certificate.
TRAINING
The training should include the substance of the following: Information about the explosion
potential of flammable refrigerants to show that flammables may be dangerous when handled
without care. Information about potential ignition sources, especially those that are not obvious,
such as lighters, light switches, vacuum cleaners, electric heaters. Information about the different
safety concepts: Unventilated – (see Clause GG.2) Safety of the appliance does not depend
on ventilation of the housing. Switching off the appliance or opening of the housing has no
significant effect on the safety. Nevertheless, it is possible that leaking refrigerant may accumulate
inside the enclosure and flammable atmosphere will be released when the enclosure is opened.
Ventilated enclosure – (see Clause GG.4) Safety of the appliance depends on ventilation of the
housing. Switching off the appliance or opening of the enclosure has a significant effect on the
