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HANDLING REFRIGERANT CYLINDERS
By Grant Laidlaw
GRANT LAIDLAW
Grant Laidlaw is currently the owner of the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Academy ( ACRA ) in Edenvale . He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and an associate degree in educational administration . He has a National Technical Diploma and completed an apprenticeship with Transnet . He has dual-trades status : refrigeration and electrical . He has been involved with SAIRAC for over two decades and served on the Johannesburg committee as chairman and was also president between 2015 and 2018 . Currently he is the SAIRAC national treasurer .
This is one of the skills everyone working in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry must have .
Elias asks : Mr Grant , we are doing an audit for health and safety . Also for safety files . Can you please let us know about the procedures for handling refrigerant cylinders ?
Hi Elias , yes , so because this is a critical skill for those working with refrigerants , we are going back to basics .
What we need to know is how to handle containers with refrigerant in such a way that there is no injury to persons , the plant or the environment - and the safety procedures needed when handling , transporting and storing refrigerant containers .
Elias , the following is a list of basic procedures when handling gas cylinders :
• Always have personal protection equipment available when charging or discharging refrigerant .
• Don ' t slide , roll or skid cylinders
• Don ' t subject cylinders to shock .
• Don ' t lift by the valve or with magnets .
• Don ' t use leaking or damaged cylinders .
• Always seal cylinders after use .
• Store cylinders upright and chain them .
• Store full and empty cylinders separately .
• Always secure cylinders when transporting .
• Don ' t stack cylinders on top of each other .
• Store cylinders in shadow and away from any heat source .
• Only use correct cylinders .
• Do not charge refrigerant into cylinders that are damaged , and do not over-fill them .
WITH REGARDS TO WORK SITE PROCEDURES AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHEN DEALING WITH REFRIGERANTS Fresh refrigerant vapours and many other gases are heavier than air and can displace the oxygen in a closed space . Because of this , low-level ventilation should be used . Proper ventilation must be used at all times to prevent the technician from being overcome by lack of oxygen .
Should you be in a closed space and the concentration of refrigerant becomes too great , you may not notice it until it is too late . Your symptoms would be a dizzy or light headed feeling , and your lips may become numb . If you should feel his way , move quickly to a place with fresh air .
Because there are risks involved with working with refrigerant cylinders it is important that certain safety precautions be established before starting work on a refrigeration plant . If no work site procedures are in place , the following general precautions must be observed . 1 . Locate other personnel working in the vicinity and inform them that you are going to work on the plant so that if there is any emergency , they know that you are working in the plant room . 2 . Adhere to the safety policy of the plant owner . 3 . Adhere to the safety requirements of the particular site . 4 . Obtain a permit to work , if necessary . 5 . Assess any risks involved in working in the area , for example if a major refrigerant leak occurred , could it harm others ?
6 . Check the level of ventilation in the plant room in order to prevent the build-up of refrigerant vapour that can cause asphyxiation .
7 . In the case of flammable refrigerants ensure that there are no ignition sources in the vicinity .
8 . Check the location of the following : a . The electrical isolator for the plant so that the plant can be switched off in case of an emergency , or for normal maintenance work . b . The emergency exits for quick exit if required .
Continued on page 37
www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I July 2022 35