Legislation Updates

Distributors who source refrigerant from companies that produce in the EU or import refrigerants do not need to pre-register and/or register their substances, but they will need to ensure that the companies they purchase from intend to pre-register/plan to register the refrigerant components. In these circumstances, distributors will be downstream users under REACH. REACH requires registration of individual substances and this means that the components of blended refrigerants need to be registered. Blended refrigerant does not need to be registered, just the individual components. Recycled refrigerant will need to be registered. The Regulation 2006/1907/EC concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH) was finally adopted by EU Member States in December 2006. It has entered into force on 1 June, 2007. The European Fluorocarbons Trading Council provides helpful guidance on REACH and Refrigerants which can be downloaded from the link on the title above.

This Guidance Note explains your obligations under the Hazardous Waste Regulations (as revised April 2009) and provides a sample consignmentnote for you to customise. It has been approved by the Environment Agency. The contractor is the PRODUCER and CONSIGNOR of the Recovered Refrigerant (which is officially hazardous waste) and has the responsibility to ensure that the material is handled correctly and in compliance with the regulations, the required CONSIGNMENT NOTE is prepared and accompanies the material when it is moved from the site where it was produced and the appropriate records are provided and kept.

This guide is intended to help anyone who manages or controls air-conditioning plant understand how the Directive and Regulations work in practice, how to apply the Regulations, what their responsibilities are and when air conditioning inspections are required. Free download at http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/889248.pdf

Detailed guidance and overview is available on the ACRIB F Gas pages.

The EPBD requires inspection of all air conditioning systems over 12kW rated output installed in buildings. By January 2009 all systems over 250kW must have been inspected. Systems over 12kW must have had their first inspection by January 2011. The inspections will give building owners information about the performance of their equipment and identify energy saving opportunities. CIBSE, in association with other bodies including ACRIB has pubished a guidance document, endorsed by the Department for Communities and Local Government, offeringa recommended procedure for these inspections. The guide can be purchased from the CIBSE bookshop at www.cibse.org

The EC Regulation on Ozone Depleting Substances (2037/2000) was published in 2000 and affects the manufacture and use of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment and is relevant to all users, designers, equipment manufacturers, installation and maintenance contractors. Common Ozone Depleting Refrigerants include: R22, R401A, R401B, R402A, R402B, R403A, R403B, R408A, R409A, R409B, R413A (Ozone depleting CFCs such as R12 and R502 cannot now legally be handled other than for disposal). The Regulation introduced a ban on the use of virgin HCFCs from 1st January 2010 and a ban on the use of all HCFCs including recycled materials, from 1st January 2015.