EU Directive on Ozone Depleting Substances

A high proportion of the users of refrigeration and air-conditioning in the UK, and Europe generally are still simply unaware of the wide-ranging implications of the European Community Regulation that became legally binding on 1 October 2000 - and the same could be said of a surprising number of people in the equipment and service sectors." This was the challenging assertion by Dr Lorcan J. Maher, Managing Director of MURCO, one of Europe's leading manufacturers of advanced refrigerant leak detection equipment.

The key point of the EC Directive No. 2037/2000 is so all-embracing that it applies to all refrigeration and air conditioning installations in all circumstances," said Dr Maher. "The Directive on Ozone Depleting Substances states unambiguously: 'All precautionary measures practicable shall be taken to prevent and minimize leakages of refrigerant from refrigeration and air conditioning systems''

For the last year, Dr Maher points out, all users and all equipment manufacturers and installers have been under these new and legally binding obligations. Yet the seriousness of leaking systems was until recently - if not still - of little concern to the industry. Most plant operators found it easier to top up leaking systems with refrigerant rather than find leaks and operate tight systems. In fact historically some 70% of refrigerants were used for topping up leaks.

This started to change with the Montreal Protocol in 1987, which formalized a response to the damage being caused to the ozone layer by ozone depleting substances. With the subsequent international phase-out programme for CFCs and HCFCs the cost of refrigerant leaks started to become of concern but even still few operators took the positive step of installing gas leak monitors. A number of countries worldwide including the USA, Netherlands and South Africa, responded to the Protocol by introducing regulations or standards requiring the installation of fixed leak monitors in refrigeration and air conditioning machinery rooms.

Regulation 2037/2000 now represents the belated EC response and its requirements would normally be satisfied by compliance with the new European Standard EN378 which details a range of suitable and practicable measures. Dr Maher points out that since the end of 2000 it supersedes all national standards in EC countries.

EN378 Refrigerating Systems and Heat Pumps - Safety and Environmental Requirements requires the installation of fixed leak monitors in refrigeration and air-conditioning machinery rooms. However, it goes significantly further than earlier Standards worldwide by including the special requirement to ensure safety in air-conditioned spaces in Category A occupancy buildings if a sudden leak into an occupied space would exceed specified concentrations. Typically, this could occur with direct expansion split systems. Category A buildings include those that have restricted movement such as dwellings, residential institutions (hotels, hospitals, prisons, schools) and public places such as courts, theatres, public transport termini, supermarkets, restaurants, etc. Installation of appropriate gas leak detectors in such buildings should meet the requirement.