SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS
Asset Classes
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Offices
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- Not applicable
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Enclosed Shopping Centres
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- Not applicable
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Open Air Retail
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Light Industrial
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- Not applicable
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Multi-Unit Residential Buildings
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- Not applicable
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Health Care Facilities
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Universal
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Focus Area
Indoor Air Quality and Hazards
Topic
Refrigerants
Question #
I5.1 – Refrigerant Safety Program
Question
Is a Refrigerant Safety Program in place?
Applicability
All asset classes
Owner/landlord occupied building
Tenant occupied building
Answer & Scoring
- Yes = 2 points
Select all that apply, whether owner/landlord- or tenant-managed:
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- R12
- R22
- R410a
- R407c
- R134a
- R32
- R513a
- R1234ze
- R1234yf
- R514a
- R1233zd
- Ammonia (R717)
- Propane (R290)
- CO2 (R744)
- Water (R718)
- Halon or Halocarbon Fire Suppressants greater than 10 kg
- Other (include refrigerant name and GWP)
- No = 0 points
- Not applicable – Demonstrate that no systems in the building require refrigerants = 0/0
Max of 2 points
Requirements
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- Develop a building-specific Refrigerant Safety Program, compliant with ASHRAE Standard 15 “Safety Standard for Refrigeration Systems,” CSA Mechanical Refrigeration Code B52-13 and the Federal Halocarbon Regulation
- The program must:
- Cover responsible parties, including the building team’s training Requirements
- List refrigerants in use at the building
- List actions required to reduce and managed refrigerant leaks
- Describe procedures for refrigerant investigations and corrective action
- Demonstrate that the program was developed by a person competent in refrigerant safety practices
- Be signed by the building manager, dated within the past 12 months. OR
- Where refrigeration systems are owned and managed by the tenants, the owner or landlord must provide information to tenants on how to implement a Refrigerant Safety Program. Tenants must be encouraged to disclose any halocarbon fire suppressant systems within their space OR
- If no refrigerants are present in the building, provide a list of equipment in the building demonstrating that no refrigerants are required
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Documentation
- Building-specific Refrigerant Safety Program
- Proof that program was shared with tenants
OR
- Provide documentation demonstrating that the building systems do not require refrigerants
Suggested Lead
In-house, with third-party support
Value
- Refrigerants are fluids used by heating and cooling equipment (i.e. air conditioning, chillers, coolers, refrigerators) to transfer heat
- Refrigerants can pose significant risks to occupants and the environment when improperly managed
- Establish a refrigerant safety program that outlines safety procedures to reduce hazards associated with refrigerants
- Implement measures to reduce occupant exposure and prevent refrigerant leaks
RELATED Questions:
Description
Refrigerants are fluids used by heating and cooling equipment (e.g., air conditioners, heat pumps, commercial chillers, and variable-refrigerant-flow (VRF) systems, vending machines, cooled water-fountains, kitchen/catering/freezers etc.) to transfer heat. Some refrigerants present both a health and environmental hazard. Safety measures should be employed to reduce the potential for releases.
Halon is an ozone depleting substance as well as an indoor atmospheric hazard (oxygen displacing). Use of halon in fire-suppression systems has been banned in many jurisdictions.
A Refrigerant Safety Program can help prevent leaks or occupant exposure to refrigerants and halocarbons.
References
Adapted BB 3.0 Question
Question 05.01.02 – Is a Refrigerant Safety Program in place at the building?