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)