GAS DETECTION & MONITORING
FREEZING RISK Shaun Evers, Managing Director of Stonegate Instruments discusses need
for refrigerant gasses: the regulations, risks and the technologies available to mitigate them.
Continual growth in the refrigerated food market, a demand for better quality products and a competitive food marketplace has meant the use of refrigerant equipment and the gasses that go with them are common place and a critical part of the food supply chain.
REGULATIONS It goes without saying that where gasses are mentioned so is regulation, and rightly so. Without the correct safeguards and technology, leaks of refrigerant gas are a major concern and for several reasons, not least because it often goes undetected as it is odour- free and cannot be seen.
The immediate concern is that leaks can be harmful to people, with prolonged exposure resulting in some serious side effects for staff, with symptoms ranging from irritation of the throat, eyes and skin to frostbite, chemical burns, and in the most severe cases, lung and brain damage.
The dangers are not just limited to employee safety, it also affects the environment – the Carbon Trust estimates that a leak of 1kg of refrigerant gas can have the same impact as a van driving continuously for around 10,000 miles.
When you consider these risks it’s no wonder there is strong regulation in place and penalties of up to £200,000 for businesses that breach EU F-gas regulations. Current EU regulations stipulate that equipment with 300kg or more of refrigerants be fitted with a leak detector. These devices must have a sensitivity of 5g/year and should be checked after 25 hours of continuous use and calibrated with a 1,000ppm gas to air mix.
TECHNOLOGY TO THE RESCUE Luckily for businesses, employees and the environment there are technologies to alert, detect, reduce and even stop the dangerous risks.
Various detection devices are available, and the latest generation of refrigeration technology can
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be programmed to detect a wide range of toxic and non-toxic gases, including hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which are known to have a high global warming potential.
These detectors are also designed to alert employees with audio and visual alarms and have a battery back- up system in the case of power failure. There are even coloured LED to indicate the status of each sensor, which are arranged in different zones; in the event of a gas leak, it can be swiftly identified and repaired without delay.
Of course, detection systems work well but ensuring your business has effective, and well maintained cooling systems in place to start with can make a notable difference to reliability, safety and energy costs. Over time, as equipment ages or gets neglected there is a higher chance of gas leaks which can in turn affect the performance of the equipment and result in spiralling risks and energy costs. For example, if left unrepaired for three months, a small leak in an average 300kW refrigeration system could result in increased energy costs of £1,400 – not to mention the repair bill once the leak is identified.
WORTH THE INVESTMENT Much like the legislation that addresses refrigerant usage, the state-of-the-art technology that ensures their safe and efficient use is constantly developing, meaning cold storage businesses now have the tools at their disposal to meet their obligations for refrigeration systems.
A suitable partner, with long-standing expertise in the industry, can not only help businesses to transition towards more sustainable low global warming potential refrigerants, but also support proper compliance to keep up with the regulatory momentum, minimise the dangers to employees and improve efficiency of new and existent refrigeration equipment.
http://stonegate-instruments.com
www.tomorrowshs.com
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