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SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS

Asset Classes

Focus Area

Indoor Air Quality and Hazards

Topic

Refrigerants

Question #

I5.1 — Refrigerant Safety Program

Question

Is a Refrigerant Safety Program in place?

Applicability

Applicable to all buildings (systems or equipment in the owner or landlord’s control)

Answer

Is a Refrigerant Safety Program in place?

  • Yes

Select all that apply, whether landlord- or tenant-managed:

  • 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)
  • None

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.

Requirements

    1. 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
    2. 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
    1. Demonstrate that the program was developed by a person competent in refrigerant safety practices
    2. Be signed by the building manager, dated within the past 12 months.

OR

    1. 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

Documentation

  • Building-specific Refrigerant Safety Program
  • Proof that program was shared with tenants

Adapted BB3 Question

Question 05.01.02 – Is a Refrigerant Safety Program in place at the building?

Suggested Lead

In-house, with third-party support

References

Crosswalk

TBD

Other Notes

None

Scoring

2 Points

Verification