Refrigerant safety

The following article was originally published on April 24, 2014. It has been reviewed and updated as necessary by the ProBrewer editorial staff. 

Other related resources on ProBrewer: Refrigeration Glossary of Terms and Keg Safety 

Servicing and maintaining your refrigeration system should only be performed by certified and trained technicians. Anyone working with refrigerants, or around refrigeration systems, should always follow these safety tips:

– Never tamper with refrigerant cylinder valves or pressure relief devices.

– Never refill disposable refrigerant cylinders with anything. Do not use disposable refrigerant cylinders as compressed air tanks.

– Wear protective clothing such as gloves and eye protection when handling any refrigerant.

– Avoid contact with liquid refrigerant because frostbite may occur.

– Avoid exposure to vapors through spills or leaks.

– Evacuate the area if a large spill occurs. Return only after the area has been properly ventilated.

– Avoid rough handling of refrigerant cylinders.

– Verify that all refrigerant has been removed, and the system evacuated, before cutting into the refrigerant piping.

– Before welding or brazing, evacuate the equipment and then break the vacuum with air or nitrogen. Do not perform any repair on pressurized equipment.

– Always ventilate the work area before using open flames.

(Above information is courtesy of DuPont, a manufacturer of refrigerants)

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