3 Safe Refrigerant Handling Free Online FlashCards

What should you do before opening a refrigerant system?

Identify the refrigerant and check equipment labels, its safety data sheet (SDS), and service instructions before opening the system.

How can refrigerant vapor cause asphyxiation?

Refrigerant vapor can displace oxygen, especially in low, enclosed, or poorly ventilated spaces, creating an asphyxiation hazard.

Why are odor and symptoms unreliable ways to judge air safety?

Refrigerant may have little or no noticeable odor, and symptoms such as dizziness or headache do not establish whether air is safe to breathe.

How can liquid refrigerant injure skin or eyes?

Liquid refrigerant evaporates rapidly and becomes extremely cold; contact can freeze skin or eyes, and pressurized liquid can also cause injury.

How should you determine whether a refrigerant presents a flammability hazard?

Check the refrigerant label and SDS; some refrigerants are flammable, so do not assume a refrigerant cannot ignite.

What additional hazards can high concentrations or extreme heat create?

High concentrations can harm the body, and contact with flames or very hot surfaces can produce hazardous decomposition products.

What PPE is commonly used for refrigerant service?

Choose protection based on the task, refrigerant, SDS, and hazard assessment. Service work commonly requires eye protection, refrigerant-resistant gloves, and skin-covering clothing.

What work-area controls help prevent dangerous refrigerant accumulation?

Ventilate to prevent refrigerant accumulation. In enclosed or potentially oxygen-deficient spaces, use appropriate atmospheric monitoring and follow confined-space procedures.

What does a refrigerant leak detector not tell you?

A refrigerant leak detector locates leaks; it does not establish that the air is safe to breathe.

What should you do about a suspected major leak or unknown atmosphere?

Do not enter a suspected major leak or unknown atmosphere to investigate or rescue someone. Leave, keep others out, and call trained emergency responders.

Why can an ordinary air-purifying respirator not make an oxygen-deficient space safe?

Respirators do not replace ventilation or leaving a dangerous atmosphere. Ordinary air-purifying respirators do not protect against oxygen deficiency.

What immediate steps should you take when a leak is suspected?

Stop work, avoid ignition sources if the refrigerant may be flammable, move people away, and ventilate only if it is safe to do so.