AIR CONDITIONING
New risk assessment template promotes safety for technicians
A
ir conditioning and heat pump installers are benefiting from a new point of work risk assessment template for use prior to carrying out work on air conditioning, heat pump or refrigeration equipment at a time when installing and maintenance contractors are becoming increasingly responsible for more stringent risk management practices. Created by industry experts at the Institute of Refrigeration (IOR), the Good Practice Guide and risk assessment template has been developed in response to changing regulations, codes of practice and safety standards which are calling for a greater emphasis on effective risk management. In particular, changes to the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Chemicals Regulations (CLP) 2015 mean that risk assessment requirements under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulation must now be followed where gases under pressure, such as any refrigerant, are to be used.
The POWRA template, created by the IOR’s 32 September 2019
technical committee, will assist those involved in operating, servicing or maintaining vapour compression air conditioning and heat pump systems.
Graeme Fox, IOR trustee and head of REFCOM, said: “The IOR has traditionally been seen by many as having an industrial or commercial refrigeration bias, but this Good Practice Guide and template has clearly bridged the gap across the sector as a whole. The IOR’s inclusive remit extends to its publications, events and activities, including its technical committee, which develops relevant materials and resources for all those working in the RACHP sector.
“The release of the new point of work risk assessment template has come at the perfect time and will enable contractors to comply with their workplace risk assessment requirements more easily and readily and in a consistent manner.” The in-depth risk assessment is designed to be used at the point of work, where the work is taking place, and at the moment the work
is due to take place. A new risk assessment should be carried out where circumstances within the work environment have changed significantly, at the start of each day and where shift changes have taken place. Miriam Rodway, chief executive of the IOR, said: “Members of the IOR have already received this risk assessment template following our Annual Conference on this topic in June. Recognising the need to raise awareness of this issue more widely across the RACHP industry, we’ve made this available to non-members too, who can download this useful tool for free from the IOR website.” Mr Fox further commented on the new risk assessment template, stating: “As the nature of refrigerants in common use in air conditioning and heat pump applications changes to reflect new or additional risks including flammability, coupled with the greater emphasis on risk assessment management, we’ve faced increasing requests for help and guidance in addressing these needs.”
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