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6-3 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.
6-4 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.
6-5 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 to hand.
Have a dry powder or CO2 fire extinguisher
adjacent to the charging area.
6-6 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 that there are no flammable hazards
or ignition risks. "No Smoking" signs shall be
displayed.
6-7 Ventilated area
Ensure that the area is in the open or that it is
adequately ventilated before breaking into the
system or conducting any hot work.
A degree of ventilation shall continue during
the period that the work is carried out.
The ventilation should safely disperse any
released refrigerant and preferably expel it
externally into the atmosphere
6-8 Checks to the refrigeration equipment
Where electrical components are being
changed, they shall be fit for the purpose and
to the correct specification.
At all times the manufacturer's maintenance
and service guidelines shall be followed. If in
doubt consult the manufacturer's technical
department for assistance
.
The following checks shall be applied to
installations using flammable refrigerants:
–The charge size is in accordance with the
room size within which the refrigerant
containing parts are installed;
–The ventilation machinery and outlets are
operating adequately and are not obstructed;
–If an indirect refrigerating circuit is being
used, the secondary circuit shall be checked
for the presence of refrigerant;
–Marking to the equipment continues to be
visible and legible. Markings and signs that
are illegible shall be corrected;
–Refrigeration pipe or components are
installed in a position where they are unlikely
to be exposed to any substance which may
corrode refrigerant containing components,
unless the components are constructed of
materials which are inherently resistant to
being corroded or are suitably protected
against being so corroded.
6-9 Checks to electrical devices
Repair and maintenance to electrical
components shall include initial safety checks
and component inspection procedures.
If a fault exists that could compromise safety,
then no electrical supply shall be connected to
the circuit until it is satisfactorily dealt with.
If the fault cannot be corrected immediately
but it is necessary to continue operation, an
adequate temporary solution shall be used.
This shall be reported to the owner of the
equipment so all parties are advised.
Initial safety checks shall include:
–That capacitors are discharged: this shall be
done in a safe manner to avoid possibility of
sparking;
–That there no live electrical components and
wiring are exposed while charging,
recovering or purging the system;
–That there is continuity of earth bonding
7. Repairs to sealed components
During repairs to sealed components, all
electrical supplies shall be disconnected from
the equipment being worked upon prior to any
removal of sealed covers, etc.
If it is absolutely necessary to have an
electrical supply to equipment during
servicing, then a permanently operating form
of leak detection shall be located at the most
critical point to warn of a potentially hazardous
situation.
Particular attention shall be paid to the
following to ensure that by working on
electrical components, the casing is not
altered in such a way that the level of
protection is affected.
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