FEATURE GAS DETECTION
Exposing and overcoming the
dangers of gas leaks
Industrial gases can pose a significant danger to the health and safety of workers if a leak occurs, not to mention the impact on the environment. Shaun Evers, managing director of Stonegate Instruments, discusses how the risk of refrigerant gas leaks has led to increasingly stringent legislation and encourages companies across a range of sectors to install the latest high-tech gas detection systems
F
rostbite, chemical burns and even brain damage can all be attributed to prolonged
exposure to refrigerant gases. While such serious scenarios are thankfully rare, employees working with cold stores, air conditioning units and refrigerated systems can be at risk of these and other serious conditions including eye, throat and skin irritation if refrigerant gases escape.
STICKING TO COMPLIANCY Recent F-Gas regulations impose a ban on any refrigerant with a GWP (Global Warming Potential) of more than 2,500, resulting in businesses, especially in the food supply chain, being prevented from using certain hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant gases such as R404a and R507a. Also, these regulations place greater focus on
conducting regular checks, meaning operators of stationary refrigeration equipment, heat pumps, air conditioners and refrigeration units fitted to trucks and trailers that contain F- gases in excess of five tonnes CO2
equivalent
(CO2e) must ensure the equipment is routinely monitored for leaks. For apparatus without gas leak detection systems installed the mandatory gas leak checks increase. The flammable characteristics of some class
A2L refrigerants mean operators must ensure the concentration level in a room stays below the lower flammability level (LFL) to avert any threat of ignition. Requirements to maintain levels below the flammability threshold in case of leakage are underpinned by safety legislation
24 SUMMER 2020 | INDUSTRIAL COMPLIANCE
and standards such as ISO 5149 and EN 378. Early detection of gas leaks is key to
minimising risk, and the latest detectors can pinpoint a comprehensive range of popular refrigerants including HFCs, CFCs and HCFCs. This ensures not only a company’s workforce
remains safe but also the environment. In order to tackle climate change, the EU has drawn up a list of targets to meet, including reducing F-gas emissions by two-thirds by 2030 compared with 2014 levels, and by up to 95 per cent of 1990 levels by 2050. Currently the Environment Agency can
impose civil penalties of up to £200,000 for breaches of the F-Gas regulations and provisions in the EU regulations. Although Great Britain has left the EU it is not anticipated regulations will alter or become more lenient.
CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY It is extremely dangerous to rely on staff to detect leaks when up to 60 per cent of gas can escape unnoticed and The Carbon Trust has recorded an average annual leak rate of up to 20 per cent in UK refrigeration systems. The government has shifted responsibility to employers with further regulations such as the DSEAR (Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulation 2002). A leak can occur for a number of reasons,
from mechanical damage to equipment failure or poor maintenance work. A gas detection system will help ensure that leaks are quickly identified and repaired at the first opportunity.
This minimises the risk to the health and safety of employees, complies with the requirements of the EU F-Gas Regulations, supports the DSEAR legislation and can save businesses money. Refrigerant gas leaks are the foremost
contributor to energy loss in modern heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) stores. When a leak occurs, an HVAC system or cold store needs to work harder to maintain the equipment’s cooling or heating capacity, using more energy than normal, leading to a potentially large rise in electricity bills. Even though systems can vary, by concentrating on the most common HVAC energy wasters such as refrigerant gas leaks, temperature control and equipment management, operators can maximise energy savings and ensure energy efficiency. For example, a small but continuous leak,
undetected for three months could use an extra 10kW in electricity, equivalent to £1,400. Thus, some leading detection systems have a return-on-investment period of just two years, not including the cost of repair to the system. Advanced detection systems are now more
intelligent and capable of combatting risks posed by toxic and non-toxic gases including HFCs. There are high-tech refrigerant sensors with signalling alarms, LED lights indicating the presence and status of each sensor, audio/visual alarms and a battery back-up system, in the event of power failure.
Stonegate Instruments
www.stonegate-instruments.com
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