INSTITUT INTERNATIONAL DU FROID

Organisation intergouvernementale pour le dveloppement du froid

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF REFRIGERATION

Intergovernmental organization for the development of refrigeration

177, boulevard Malesherbes, 75017 PARIS, France - Tl. 33-(0)1 42 27 32 35 - Fax 33-(0)1 47 63 17 98 - E-mail : iifiir@iifiir.org - Web : www.iifiir.org

EN 378 "Refrigerating systems and heat pumps - Safety and environmental requirements"

The EN 378 European Standard "Refrigerating systems and heat pumps - Safety and environmental requirements" was prepared by European Committee for Standardization/Technical Committee CEN/TC 182 (Refrigerating systems, safety and environmental requirements). It comprises 4 parts:

Part1: basic requirements, definitions, classification and selection criteria, adopted by CEN on November 11, 1999 (52 pages); Part 2: design, construction, testing, making and documentation, adopted by CEN on October 10, 1999 (39 pages); Part 3: installation site and personal protection, adopted by CEN on October 10, 1999 (18 pages); Part 4: operation, maintenance, repair and recovery, adopted by CEN on October 14, 1999 (21 pages)

and is available in three official languages: English, French and German. The aim of this standard is to "reduce the number of hazards to persons, property and the environment, caused by refrigerating systems and refrigerants". Part 1, "basic requirements, definitions, classification and selection criteria" provides definitions of certain terms used in the standard. It also provides a classification system according to:

the type of existing refrigerating systems (direct or indirect systems); usage of the premises: o category A: rooms, parts of building or buildings in which persons may sleep or may not have total freedom of movement and where persons are not aware of the safety measures to be applied. Such premises include hospitals, courthouses and prisons, supermarkets, schools, railway stations, etc. and thus are public buildings; o category B: rooms, parts of building or buildings in which certain persons may be aware of the general safety measures to be applied. Such premises include production plants, commercial premises, etc; o category C: rooms, parts of building or buildings in which all persons present are trained in the general and specific safety measures to be applied. Such premises include specific production plants, cold stores, etc. refrigerants Refrigerants are classified according to their flammability and toxicity. o group L1 (non-toxic, non-flammable refrigerants) forming category A1; o group L2 (slightly flammable refrigerants) comprising the categories A2, B1 and B2; o group L3 (toxic, flammable refrigerants) comprising the categories A3 and B3.

Annex E contains information on refrigerants and indicates their characteristics (molecular mass, flammability limits, GWP, ODP, etc.).

Part 2, "design, construction, testing, marking and documentation", applies to the design and manufacturing of refrigerating systems. It defines the various pressure levels that must be applied (maximum allowable pressure), design pressure, etc.), the layout of the refrigerating system piping, the type of valves and pressureregulating devices to be used. It also defines the testing procedures (tightness testing and testing of safety equipment, testing before commissioning) and acceptance procedures (marking of the refrigerating system and piping, supplying of test certificates, operating manual and plant plans, availability and location of maintenance records). Part 3, "installation site and personal protection", applies to staff and plant safety. It defines the principles governing the design and construction of machine rooms (dimensions, types of walls, ventilation) along with specific requirements for refrigerants in groups L1, L2 or L3. Requirements include detectors and alarm systems; protective equipment and the first aid procedures that must be made available to staff. Part 4, "operation, maintenance, repair and recovery", specifies safety and environmental requirements during plant operation, maintenance and repairs; it places particular emphasis on the training and skills of all persons working on the refrigerating plant (personnel involved in plant operation or monitoring). The standard emphasizes the need to recover and/or reuse refrigerants.