Occupational Safety
The HFCs, lower-GWP HFCs, HFC/HFO-blends and HFOs, HCFOs have favourable toxicity profiles and provide the required flammability properties necessary for a range of applications. Their safety properties, efficiency and technical performances enable these fluorocarbons to be used effectively in a wide range of applications.
Occupational safety
Occupational safety for the use of these fluorocarbons in manufacturing of equipment, for use as refrigerants by contractors and technicians, and for example in spray foams is maintained through a combination of:
- REACH Registration including requirements for eco-toxicity studies, REACH Chemical Safety Report, Classification and Labelling and the ECHA Substance Information Infocards providing access REACH and C&L data – available here.
- Relevant information is provided to fluorocarbon users by suppliers in Safety Data Sheets prepared according to Regulations 1907/2006 (REACH), 1272/2008 (CLP) & 2020/878 (Revised Requirements for EU Safety Data Sheets).
- Certification training, as required by F-gas Regulation 2024/573, for persons carrying out activities involving fluorinated greenhouse gases, including installation, maintenance or servicing, repair or decommissioning of specified equipment, leak checks of specified equipment and recovery from specified equipment.
- Relevant equipment standards that specify requirements for refrigerants based on their properties specified equipment. These include:
- Refrigeration Standard EN-378 Refrigerating Systems and heat pumps, which covers the Safety and environmental requirements safety and environmental requirements in the design, manufacture, construction, installation, operation, maintenance, repair and disposal of refrigerating systems and appliances regarding local and global environments. Ref: AREA guide – https://area-eur.be/
publications/introduction- refrigeration-standard-en-378 - Standards by ISO/TC 86/SC 1 Safety and environmental requirements for refrigerating systems. Ref: https://www.iso.org/committee/
50362/x/catalogue/p/1/u/0/w/0/ d/0 - IEC 60335-2-40, Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Particular requirements for electrical heat pumps, air-conditioners and dehumidifiers
- Refrigeration Standard EN-378 Refrigerating Systems and heat pumps, which covers the Safety and environmental requirements safety and environmental requirements in the design, manufacture, construction, installation, operation, maintenance, repair and disposal of refrigerating systems and appliances regarding local and global environments. Ref: AREA guide – https://area-eur.be/
HF generation: Since the introduction of CFCs, it is well known that in the event of incineration, thermal degradation, or in the case of fire for flammable refrigerants, very corrosive and toxic HF is formed from fluorocarbon refrigerants. Information about this is provided in safety data sheets.
Safety Classification under ASHRAE 34 and ISO 817: The standards, ASHRAE 34 and ISO-817, use refrigerant flammability and toxicity properties to define refrigerant classifications. The refrigerant safety data is generally developed by a refrigerant supplier and submitted for review by ASHRAE 34 and/or ISO 817 committees. The refrigerant classifications and specific properties such as the lower flammability limit (LFL) are used in standards such as EN378 and ISO 5149 to define refrigerant charge and allowable applications. ‘Mildly flammable’ refrigerants (A2L classification) have different calculations for maximum refrigerant charge when compared to other flammable refrigerants. Standard EN 378 also defines risk mitigation measures for classes of refrigerant. The tables show the safety classifications and examples of refrigerants and their safety classification based on ASHRAE 34/ISO 817. The spreadsheet “Refrigerants subject to the F-Gas Regulation 2024/573” has refrigerant safety classifications determined by ASHRAE 34 and ISO 817.
Classification requirements for ASHRAE 34 and ISO 817
Examples of Classified Refrigerants
Other Applications
For other applications than RACHP, for storage, handling and transportation of bulk fluorocarbon, other standards and requirements apply. The refrigerant safety classification is only used in reference to refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump system safety. Transport regulations (ADR) and extended compliant Safety Data Sheets do not use ASHRAE 34/ISO 817 safety classifications. All flammable fluorocarbon refrigerants are classified as an extremely flammable gas. The exception to this is the HFO-1234ze(E), which GHS classifies as non-flammable (at 20°C). Refrigerant safety classification assesses flammability at higher temperature.
