PRE-TREATMENT , SURFACE PREPARATION , DEGREASING & CLEANING
What is F-gas and why should you be paying more attention ?
Graham Fraser , MD of Fraser Technologies
Regulations around the use of F-gases ( also known as fluorinated gases ) have become increasingly stringent over the last few years , and many businesses are unknowingly inadvertently breaking laws .
F-gas is most commonly thought of as an issue for the refrigeration and cooling industries , where their use is most prevalent . But , these gases can also be present in solvents , which affect a much wider variety of industry sectors . As a result , many businesses are unaware that these significant changes apply to them .
F-gases are man-made , and the most common in the EU are hydrofluorocarbons , perfluorocarbons , and sulphur hexafluoride . These were favourable for a time because they do not harm the ozone layer , have low toxicity , and are non-flammable . However , later research has found that in contrast , they have a very high Global Warming Potential ( GWP ). Global warming is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth ’ s atmosphere , generally attributed to the greenhouse effect , caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide , CFCs , and other pollutants . GWP is used to represent the equivalent of Co2 being released into the atmosphere . So 1kg of Co2 = a GWP of 1 . In the case of F-gases , they have a GWP of up to 11,000 .
In 2015 , the European Union released an updated F-gas Regulation to replace the one adopted in 2006 , and the new targets aim to cut the EU ’ s 2014 F-gas emissions by two-thirds by 2030 .
To achieve this , the current Regulation limits how much F-gas can be sold in Europe and bans the use of F-gases in new equipment where alternatives with a lower GWP are widely available . It also aims to prevent F-gases emitting from existing equipment by outlining mandatory checks and servicing , and controlling the safe recovery of the gases at the end of the equipment ’ s life cycle . And while the presence of F-gases is most common in equipment for refrigeration or cool air systems , they can also be found in solvents and older fire protection systems , and must be monitored in the same way .
While these regulations may mean inconvenient changes for some businesses , it is not something that can be ignored . It is a criminal offence to leak F-gases , and many operators are completely unaware . Some may be choosing to ignore the rules as they believe they ’ re not being enforced ; but this is a big risk . With environmental awareness and action dominating political and news agendas , any policies and regulations around environmentally harmful practices are only going to become tighter . Now is the time to implement changes to protect businesses , and protect the earth .
How to comply with F-gas Regulation
According to The Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2015 , in order to comply with the regulations , the operators of any equipment that uses or contains F-gases must ensure the equipment is leak tested to specific standards . If a leak is detected , the equipment must be immediately removed from use and repaired , and then remedial checks are to be carried out within one month .
Any stationery equipment that contains more than 3kg of F-gases must also keep records of their use , including the type of F-gases used and the quantity ; details of any services carried out on the equipment ; and the details of every leak test conducted on the system .
Finally , all equipment and systems that contain or use F-gas must be labelled with the type and quantity within .
Because it can be difficult to immediately recognise which products contain F-gas , there are some things to look out for . In the case of solvents , it is required by law that F-gas is noted on the drum so all labelling should be examined carefully . F-gases also have to be listed on material safety data sheets , so these should be obtained for all solvents , as well as regularly requesting the latest version to be aware of any changes .
48 MARCH 2021 read online : www . surfaceworld . com