General Work Safety

General Work Safety

- As per VBG 20, German industrial liability insurance association.
- Observe workshop specific instructions Environmental Protection Vol. 2-2. 23.0), which must be hung in the refrigerant workshop.

Product characteristics
Refrigerants used in motor vehicle air conditioning systems belong to the new generation of refrigerants based on chlorine-free, partially fluorinated hydrocarbons (H-FKW, R134a).

With regard to their physical properties, these are refrigerants which have been liquefied under pressure. They are subject to the regulations governing pressure vessels and use is only to be made of approved and appropriately marked containers.

Compliance with specific conditions is required to ensure safe and proper use.

Refrigerant, handling

CAUTION:
- There is a danger of ice-up.
- Refrigerant may escape in liquid or vapor form.
- Do not open vessels which store refrigerant.

If refrigerant vessels are opened, the contents may escape in liquid or vapor form. This process is intensified the higher the pressure in the vessel.

The pressure level is governed by two factors:
- The type of refrigerant in the vessel. "Rule: The lower the boiling point, the higher the pressure."
- The temperature level. "Rule: The higher the temperature, the higher the pressure."

Wear protective goggles
Put on protective goggles. It prevents refrigerant getting into the eyes, as this could cause severe injury from exposure to cold.

Wear protective gloves and apron
Greases and oils dissolve readily in refrigerants. They would therefore destroy the protective layer of grease if allowed to come into contact with the skin. Degreased skin is however sensitive to the cold and germs.

Do not allow liquid refrigerant to come into contact with the skin
The refrigerant draws heat for evaporation from the surrounding area - even if this is the skin. This may cause extremely low temperatures. Local frost bite may result (boiling point of R134a: -26.5 degrees C at ambient pressure).

Do not inhale refrigerant vapor

NOTE: If highly concentrated refrigerant vapor escapes, it mixes with the surrounding air and displaces the oxygen necessary for breathing.

Absolutely no smoking
A burning cigarette can cause refrigerant to decompose. The resultant substances are toxic and must not be inhaled.

Welding and soldering on refrigeration systems
Before performing welding or soldering work on vehicles in the vicinity of air conditioning system components, extract refrigerant and remove remnants by flushing with nitrogen.

The products of refrigerant decomposition due to the effect of heat are not only toxic, but may also have a highly corrosive effect on pipes and system components. They mainly take the form of hydrogen fluoride.

Pungent odor
A pungent odor indicates that the products of decomposition mentioned above have already formed. Avoid inhaling these substances under all circumstances, as otherwise the respiratory system, lungs and other organs could be damaged.

First aid
- Following contact with eyes or mucous membranes, immediately rinse with copious amounts of running water and consult an eye specialist.
- Following contact with the skin, immediately remove clothing affected and rinse skin with copious amounts of water.
- Following inhalation of highly concentrated refrigerant vapors, person concerned is to be taken immediately into the open air. Call a doctor. Administer oxygen in the event of breathing difficulties. If the person affected is having great difficulty breathing or is not breathing at all, tilt back head at neck and administer artificial respiration.

Pressure vessels, handling
- Secure vessels to prevent them falling over.
Secure upright cylinders to stop them falling over and cylinders lying flat to stop them rolling away.
- Do not throw vessels.

If dropped, the vessels could be so severely deformed that they rupture. The refrigerant evaporates immediately, liberating considerable force. Flying fragments of cylinders can cause severe injuries.

Valves may break off if cylinders are not properly transported. To protect the valves, cylinders are only to be transported with protective cap screwed on.
- Never store in the vicinity of radiators.

High temperatures may occur next to radiators. High temperatures are also accompanied by high pressures and the maximum permissible vessel pressure may be exceeded.

Do not heat above 50 degrees C
To avoid possible risk, pressure vessel regulations specify that vessels are not to be heated to in excess of 50 degrees C.

Do not heat in an uncontrolled manner
Do not heat with a naked flame under any circumstances. Localized overheating can cause structural changes in the vessel material, which then reduce its ability to withstand pressure. There is also a danger of refrigerant decomposition due to localized overheating.

Seal empty vessels
Empty refrigerant vessels must always be sealed to prevent the ingress of moisture. Moisture causes corrosion of steel vessels. This weakens the vessel walls. In addition, rust particles penetrating into refrigeration systems from vessels will cause malfunctioning.

Safety regulations for working with extraction and charging systems
- Make sure the shut-off valves are closed before connecting the charging system to the air conditioning system.
- Before disconnecting the charging system from the air conditioning system, make sure the charging process has been completed to stop refrigerant escaping into the atmosphere.
- Once the purified refrigerant from the charging system has been transferred to an external compressed-gas cylinder, close the hand shut-off valves at the cylinder and charging system.
- Do not expose charging system to moisture or use it in a wet environment.
- Disconnect from power supply before performing service work on the charging system.
- Never use an extension cable on account of the fire hazard. If the use of an extension cable is unavoidable, the minimum cross-section should be 2.5 sq.mm.
- In case of fire, remove external cylinder.
- Entrained oil from the air conditioning system drawn by the suction unit into the measurement vessel supplied is subsequently to be transferred to a sealed container, as it contains a small quantity of refrigerant which must not be released into the environment.
- Following shutdown, service station is to be secured to stop it rolling away.