7679-e-international standards in rac

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An introduction to their

role in the context of theHCFC phase-out in

developing countries

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INTERNATIONAL S TANDARDS IN REFRIGERATION AND

AIR-CONDITIONING


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Copyright © United Nations Environment Programme, 2014

This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for

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Environment Programme.

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This document was produced by UNEP Division of Technology, Industry andEconomics (UNEP DTIE) OzonAction Programme as part of UNEP’s work programmeunder the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

UNEP OzonAction gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the following forreviewing and providing comments on the draft text:

Mr. Urvyn Boochoon – Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards, ImplementationDivisionDr. Marissa Gowrie, National Ozone Unit, Trinidad and TobagoMr. Douglas Tucker - Mitsubishi Electric US Cooling & Heating

We are particularly grateful to Mr. Daniel Colbourne from Re-phridge Ltd for his

invaluable assistance in nalising this document.

The project was supervised by:Dr. Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, Head, OzonAction Branch

The project was managed by:Dr. Ezra Clark, Programme Ocer, OzonAction BranchMr. Ruperto de Jesus, Programme Assistant, OzonAction Branch

This was researched and written by:Ms. Jana Mašíčková, consultantDr. Ezra Clark, Programme Ocer, OzonAction Branch

Layout and design by: Aurélie Ek

Credits for photos and graphics:Cover image: Indy Michael, Refrigeration and Air conditioning Engineer, Vanuatu,© Michael Moller (N.B. this image and the image on page 23 are posed photographs

and do not represent actual working conditions)Background image: © Jana Mašíčková

Acknowledgements3


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The UNEP DTIE OzonAction Branch inassisting developing countries to complywith their commitments under theMontreal Protocol on Substances thatDeplete the Ozone Layer, particularlythose related to the phase-out ofhydrochlorouorocarbons (HCFCs). Thealternatives to HCFCs include ‘ozone

and climate friendly alternatives’ suchas natural refrigerants - hydrocarbons,ammonia and carbon dioxide; and lowerglobal warming potential (GWP) HFCs,both saturated HFCs and unsaturatedHFCs (HFOs). In many sectors andindividual situations adoption ofthese alternatives is not completelystraightforward, since they exhibita range of specic properties such

as ammability, toxicity and highworking pressures which can limittheir applicability and require specialpractices or approaches.

‘Standards’ can assist with processof application of these alternativerefrigerants particularly in developingcountries for enterprises that are notnecessarily familiar with them and can

be very useful tools to assist countrieswith the introduction of alternativesto ozone depleting substances andrelated technologies, especially fromthe point of view of their safe handlingand preventing hazards. A ‘standard’is a formal document developed byexperts to ensure a certain uniform levelof products and services. International,regional and national standards can

provide an easily accessible mechanismand examples for nationally-applicablerequirements which could be adapted/

adopted in countries for alternatives toHCFCs.

It is the responsibility of each countryto set up appropriate national legalmeasures to comply with theircommitments under the MontrealProtocol to phase out HCFCs and otherozone depleting substances. Standards

can provide the framework and ‘insight’as to how alternatives can be adoptedwith minimal disruption. A nationalconsultation process may be requiredprior to adoption of a standard toensure the national context is carefullyevaluated in reference to existingstandards and that the requirements ofall relevant stakeholders are taken into

consideration.Historically in most developing countriesthe national ozone units (NOUs) havenot been closely involved with theissue of standards. As alternativesare considered and adopted betterengagement with these processes isbecoming increasing important andOzonAction is providing assistance toNOUs to increase their understanding ofthe standardisation process in generaland current standards in their particularnational context. Guidance is alsobeing provided in OzonAction networkmeetings and information materials asto how to establish a dialogue with therelevant national standardisation bodiesto ensure that the relevant standardsare adopted and that these will be

appropriate to the national context andsupport their eorts to phase-out HCFCswhile adopting non-ozone depleting, low-GWP, energy-ecient alternatives.

Executivesummary

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“NOUs should initially

build their own capacityin understanding

the standardisation

process in their nationalcontext”

© S h ut t e r s t o c k


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A/C Air ConditioningArticle 5 Countries operating under Article 5 of the Montreal Protocol,

(i.e. developing countries)ANSI American National Standards InstituteAREA Air Conditioning and Refrigeration European AssociationAHRI Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration InstituteAS Australian StandardASHRAE American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning

EngineersBS British StandardBSI British Standards InstitutionCEN European Committee for StandardizationCENELEC European Committee for Electrotechnical StandardizationCFC ChlorouorocarbonDEVCO The ISO committee on developing country mattersDG Directorate GeneralDIN Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V.FDIS Final Draft International Standard

GHG Greenhouse gasGWP Global warming potentialHCFC HydrochlorouorocarbonHC HydrocarbonHFC HydrouorocarbonHFO HydrouoroolenHVAC&R Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigerationIAF International Accreditation ForumIEC International Electrotechnical CommissionISO International Organization for Standardization

JSA Japanese Standards AssociationNGO Non-governmental organisationNOU National Ozone UnitNSB National standardisation bodyNZS New Zealand StandardODP Ozone depleting potentialODS Ozone depleting substanceRAC Refrigeration and air-conditioningUL Underwriters Laboratories

UNEP United Nations Environment ProgrammeUNIDO United Nations Industrial Development OrganizationWSC World Standards Cooperation

List of Acronyms6


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7

Foreword

As a result of the ongoing phase-out ofhydrochlorouorocarbons (HCFC) underthe Montreal Protocol on Substancesthat Deplete the Ozone Layer, countries- particularly developing countries are inthe process of introducing alternatives tothese ozone depleting substances (ODS).

The UNEP OzonAction Branch is assisting

developing countries to comply withtheir commitments under the MontrealProtocol, particularly those related to theHCFC phase-out, which involves a rangeof sectors and approaches.

For the developing countries whichUNEP DTIE OzonAction works with itis clear that, at present, the issue ofadoption and utilisation of appropriate

standards in the refrigeration andair conditioning sector is a relativelynew or unknown topic for many of theNational Ozone Units (NOUs). Giventhat many of the low-global-warming-potential (GWP) alternatives to HCFCsmay have properties such as toxicity,ammability and high working pressurewhich the hydrochlorouorocarbons(HCFCs) and chlorouorocarbons (CFCs)do not exhibit, adoption of appropriatestandards is one important approachthat can assist in enabling the uptake ofsuch refrigerants.

This guide is intended to provide anintroduction to standards and how theycan be useful in supporting the adoptionof alternatives in the context of the

HCFC phase-out in developing countries.It also includes an overview of existingstandards related to HCFCs and theiralternatives, barriers to alternatives, the

process of the adoption of internationaland regional standards at the nationallevel, barriers to the adoption and howto overcome them.

While this brief guide is principallydesigned as an information tool forNOUs, it should also be of interest

to refrigeration associations, variousgovernment departments, includingthose working on standardisationissues, and other stakeholders in therefrigeration and air conditioning sector.

As an NOU, armed with anunderstanding of the types of relevantstandards, the general mechanisms andmeans of adoption of standards, you will

be in a better position to start a dialoguewith the important standardisationbodies in your country to ensure thatthe relevant standards are adopted andthat these will be appropriate to thenational context, will be benecial andnot create any barriers to particularproducts or practices. I hope you will ndthis guide interesting and informative inthis regard.

We look forward to continue supportingyour eorts to phase out HCFCs andadopting non-ozone depleting, non-global warming and energy-ecientalternatives.

Shamila Nair-Bedouelle PhD, HDRHead of OzonAction BranchUNEP Division of Technology, Industry

and Economics


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©Shutterstock


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Acknowledgements

Executive Summary

List of Acronyms

Foreword

1. Introduction

2. ODS and their Alternatives

3. An Introduction to Standards

4. The Main Standardisation Organisations

5. Existing Standards

6. Adoption of International Standards at the National Level

7. Final Remarks

8. Further Reading and References

Contents

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Introduction1

With the phase-out of HCFCs(hydrochlorouorocarbons) under theMontreal Protocol on Substances that

Deplete the Ozone Layer progressing,the introduction of alternatives withnot only zero ozone depleting potential(ODP) but also low global warmingpotential (GWP) and improved energyeciency is becoming an issue ofincreasing importance, especially indeveloping countries.

HFCs (hydrouorocarbons), which

have a zero ODP but many of whichhave high GWPs, are still the mostcommonly used replacement for HCFCs.

There are a number of other availablereplacements. These include ‘ozone-and climate-friendly alternatives’ suchas natural refrigerants - hydrocarbons(HCs), ammonia (NH

3) and carbon

dioxide (CO2); and lower-GWP HFCs,

both saturated HFCs (e.g., HFC-161and HFC-152a) and unsaturatedHFCs (sometimes referred to ashydrouoroolens, HFOs, e.g.,HFC-1234yf, HFC-1234ze). However,these alternatives exhibit a range ofspecic properties which may preventthem from being unconditionallyadopted: ammability, toxicity andhigh working pressures can limit

their applicability and require specialpractices or approaches for safehandling. Since these characteristicsrepresent a deviation from normal

practices, standards can assist witheasing the application of thesealternative refrigerants for enterprises

that are not necessarily familiar withhow to do it.

A standard (sometimes called a ‘norm’),is a formal document developed byexperts to ensure a certain uniform levelof products and services. Internationalstandards adapted by countries tosuit the national situation, or directlyadopted into national legislation, bring

with them the great advantage of atool which is agreed by the consensusof participants of national committees,with the aim of achieving high qualityand safety. Such standards can beuseful tools for the introduction ofalternatives and technologies for ozonedepleting substances (ODS) especiallythrough specifying safe handlingpractices and provision of measures forminimising risks.

In the process of the HCFC phase-out, developing countries can takeadvantage of experiences and lessonslearned by the developed countries thathave already signicantly progressedalong the path of HCFC phase-out andin the development and application of

such standards.

Since the middle of the last century,especially in developed countries,

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several standardisation organisationswere established to produce standards -documents based on consensus of group

of participants, to ensure a certainuniform level of goods, products andservices quality. Development of newstandards and their regular revisionsreect general technological progress,the changing needs and requirementsof international trade. Through thevoluntary use of standards, producers,users and other stakeholders can assureand be assured of comparable levels of

quality around the world. International,regional and national standards canprovide an easily accessible mechanismand examples for nationally-applicablerequirements which could be adapted/adopted in Article 5 countries foralternatives to HCFCs.

The main international and regionalstandardisation organisations are thefollowing:

• IEC - International Electro-technicalCommission

• ISO - International Organization forStandardization

• CEN - European Committee forStandardization

• CENELEC - European Committee for

Electrotechnical Standardization

Some national standardisationorganisations have a reach and

inuence which can be considered asregional or international in operation,for example:

• ASHRAE - American Society ofHeating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers

• ANSI - American National StandardsInstitute

This booklet is intended to be a conciseguide for National Ozone Units (NOU),as well as for refrigeration associations,

government departments, includingthose working on standardisation issues(but perhaps not familiar with thespecic requirements of the MontrealProtocol), and other stakeholders in therefrigeration and air-conditioning sectorin Article 5 countries.

During the preparation of this booklet,a questionnaire was distributed toparticipants in several UNEP OzonActionRegional Network Meetings. Therespondents, which were mainly NOUs,were requested to provide feedbackrelated to their national experience withinternational and regional standards,the level of their cooperation withvarious institutions, associationsand stakeholders and to identify any

barriers to the introduction of low-GWPalternatives and technologies in theircountry.

Introduction11


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The responses revealed that thevast majority of NOUs from countriesparticipating in the survey have very

little experience at the national levelof the use of international or regionalstandards. The majority of respondentsalso indicated that they did not have,or were not aware of, any regulationsor standards which could specicallyimpact the adoption and use of low-GWPalternatives. It was also highlightedthat existing regulations may not beappropriate to allow for the full range of

low-GWP alternatives to be adopted.

Taking into account the responses fromthe questionnaire, this guide providesa general introduction to standards inthe refrigeration and air-conditioning(RAC) sector, including an overview ofexisting standards related to HCFCs andtheir alternatives, barriers to alternativesand the process of the adoption ofinternational and regional standards atnational level. A general overview andsummary of the main relevant standardsis provided in Chapter 5. It is beyond thescope of this document to cover in detailall the related standards, particularly the

plethora of specic national standards.

The scope of the standards covered in

this document can be grouped into fourmain categories:

• Safety standards - for design,construction and installation of RACproducts and systems

• Performance standards - fordetermining the eciency andperformance of RAC systemsand equipment, as well as for

refrigerants1• Practice standards - for identifying

knowledge and guiding bestpractices for technicians whenhandling RAC systems andrefrigerants

• Quality standards - these can begeneral and cover any industry,but can be applied to processesinvolving refrigerants such asproduction, accounting, certifying,training, etc.

Introduction

1 This could be useful in this context as it is a means of identifying lower indirect CO2-eq emissions

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The Montreal Protocol

The objective of the Montreal Protocol

on Substances that Deplete the OzoneLayer is to protect the ozone layer byphasing-out production and consumptionof nearly 100 industrial chemicals knownas ozone depleting substances, whichinclude chlorouorocarbons (CFCs),hydrochlorouorocarbons (HCFCs),halons, methyl bromide, carbontetrachloride and methyl chloroform.Under this treaty, developing anddeveloped countries have equal butdierentiated responsibilities, butimportantly, both groups of countrieshave binding, time-targeted andmeasurable commitments. As of today,the Parties to the Protocol have phasedout 98% of the consumption of ODS.In 2009 the Montreal Protocol becamethe rst treaty to achieve universal

ratication by all 197 United NationsMember States. Given all of thesefactors, the Protocol has been widelypraised as one of the most successfulmultilateral environmental agreements.

At the 20th anniversary meeting of theMontreal Protocol in 2007, agreementwas reached to accelerate the MontrealProtocol’s phase-out schedule for

the production and consumption ofHCFCs. HCFCs were introduced in the1990s as alternative chemicals to CFCsand added to the list of substances

controlled by the Montreal Protocol.It was acknowledged at the time thatthese chemicals, with considerably

lower ODPs, were transitional and theirproduction and consumption was alsoto be phased out under the MontrealProtocol. Moreover, many HCFCs havehigh global warming potentials (of upto 2000 times that of carbon dioxide).

Therefore, the HCFC phase out willresult in a signicant reduction in ozonedepletion as well as in global warming,provided that low-GWP alternatives are

adopted. Table 1 shows the phase-outschedule for HCFCs.

The refrigerants which werecommonly used in the refrigerationand air-conditioning sectors, such asCFCs and HCFCs, had physical andchemical characteristics that madethem particularly suitable for theseapplications. One of the particularadvantages, in addition to the physicalcharacteristics that made them ecientrefrigerants, was that these chemicalsare generally non-ammable, non-toxicand relatively unreactive. Thereforethe refrigeration and air-conditioningsystems that were designed to use CFCsand HCFCs did not place great emphasison safety issues due to the relative

benign nature of the refrigerants. Withthe completion of the phase-out ofCFCs and the ongoing phase-out inthe production and consumption of

ODS and

their Alternatives

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Deadline Reduction step

By 2013 Freeze HCFC consumption at base level (average of 2009-2010)

By 2015 Reduction of HCFC consumption by 10%

By 2020 Reduction of HCFC consumption by 35%

By 2025 Reduction of HCFC consumption by 67.5%

By 2030 Total phase-out

2030 - 2040 2.5 % of baseline averaged over 10 years (2030-2040) allowed, ifnecessary, for servicing of refrigeration & air-conditioning equip-

ment until 2040

Table 1: The schedule for Article 5 (developing) countries phase-out for production

and consumption of HCFCs.

ODS and their alternatives14

HCFCs under the Montreal Protocol,there are a wide range of zero ODPalternatives which can be adopted.

Some of these alternatives are similarin properties to the chemicals theyreplace (such as HFCs), but others (suchas hydrocarbons) have characteristicsthat are considerably dierent. Some ofthese alternatives are ammable, toxicor operate at much higher pressures.

Therefore equipment that operate withsuch refrigerants require a signicantlydierent approach in terms of design,

installation, servicing and operationwhich places a considerably higheremphasis on safety.

Standards can be a useful tool whenpreparing national legislation andfacilitating the HCFC phase-out,

especially in such areas where theintroduction of alternative substanceswith particular characteristics (e.g.ammability, toxicity) may be ofconcern. The implementation ofappropriate standards to cover thevarious aspects of the equipment,chemicals and servicing is thus veryimportant to ensure quality, eciencyand safety. Adoption of existing

international or regional standards canbe very advantageous to a country sothat each enterprise does not need tostart from scratch and establish its own


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2 As in the case in some countries, such as the UK, where it must be followed if previously agreed to.

Alternatives to ODS

In the context of replacing HCFCs,the alternatives must meet the basicrequirement of having zero ozonedepleting potential. Additionally it isbenecial, and specically encouragedby Montreal Protocol Decision XIX/6

which promotes the selection ofalternatives to HCFCs that minimiseenvironmental impacts, in particular

impacts on climate taking into accountglobal-warming potential, energy useand other relevant factors. However,there is not a single ‘one-size-ts-all’ option to replace HCFCs: eachalternative has its respective pros and

cons and several important issues needto be considered, particularly relating tosafety.


standard criteria. Standards can bemodied at the national level by relevantexperts in order to make them more

suitable for specic situations. Provisionof suitable standards are therefore oneimportant means of assisting enterprisesto transition away from HCFCs. However,excessively strict or inappropriateregulations or standards can restrict theadoption of alternatives and preventthe country from beneting from the

range of available alternatives and thebenets these can bring. The standardsthemselves are voluntary instruments

and are consensus-based having beendeveloped by participants in technicalcommittees and working groups. Theycan be adapted and/or incorporated intonational legislation, but otherwise haveno legal standing (except in contractlaw).2



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ODS and their alternatives

Table 2: Examples of zero-ODS, low-GWP HCFC alternatives

The most common low-GWP alternativesto HCFCs at present are ‘ozone andclimate friendly alternatives’ such as

natural refrigerants - hydrocarbons(HCs), ammonia (NH3) and carbon

dioxide (CO2); and lower-GWP

HFCs including saturated HFCs andunsaturated HFCs which are known ashydrouoroolens (HFOs). Historically,natural refrigerants have been used

in many applications, particularly inrefrigeration, for many decades beforethe introduction of uorocarbons.

Table 2 provides an overview and someexamples of the current major zero-ODS,low-GWP HCFC alternatives consideredin this booklet. This list is not exhaustive.

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Natural Refrigerants

HCs (hydrocarbons)

Ammonia

CO2(Carbon dioxide)

e.g. R-290 (Propane),

R-600a (Isobutane),

R-1270 (propene)

R-717

R-744

Synthetic HFCs

Saturated HFCs

Unsaturated HFCs (known

as “hydrouoroolens” or

“HFOs”)

e.g., R-161, R-152a

e.g. R-1234yf,

R-1234ze


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Table. 3: Characteristics of alternatives to ODS

RefrigerantNatural Refrigerants Synthetic HFCs

HCs Ammonia CO2

Saturated HFCs UnsaturatedHFCs (HFOs)

GWP

(100 years) ++ ++ ++ --* ++

Flammability -- - ++ ++* -Toxicity ++ -- + ++ ++Pressure + + -- + +Availability + + + ++* --Familiarity

+ + - ++ -


* This refers to conventional, widely used HFCs such as R-134a, R-404A, R-407A, R-410A, etc. Some saturated HFCs such asR-161 and R-152a have low GWPs, are ammable, and may not be as easily available as the common HFCs.

++ - very positive

+ - positive

- - negative

-- - very negative


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3 European Norm (i.e. European Standard)4 EN 378 is currently under revision

The safety characteristics of refriger-ants are classied according to theirammability and toxicity as dened by

international and regional standards (ISO817:2014 and EN3 378-1:20084). Theletters ‘A’ and ‘B’ are used to classifytoxicity. Flammability is classied by thecategories: ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘2L’ and ‘3’ (see Table

4 below). The category ‘2L’ is a specicclass for ‘lower-ammability refrigerantwith low ame speed’ which was added

in the latest update of the ISO standardin 2014 (ISO 817:2014) and is beingconsidered in the revision of EN 378.

Lower toxicity Higher Toxicity

No ame propagation

(i.e. considered

non-ammable)

A1 B1

Lower Flammability A2L B2L

Lower Flammability A2 B2

Higher ammability A3 B3

Table 4: Classication of safety characteristics of refrigerants (ISO 817:2014)

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Increasing hazard: toxicity I n c r e a s i n g

h a z a r d : f a m a b i l i t y


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6 Available from: http://www.unep.fr/ozonaction/information/mmcles/7476-e-Report-low-GWPbarriers.pdf

Barriers to using low-GWP

alternativesIn many countries, particularlydeveloping countries due to theirdierentiated HCFC phase-out schedule,a number of barriers to the adoptionof low-GWP alternatives may existat the national level. In an eort tobetter understand these barriers

UNEP OzonAction prepared a reportentitled: “Barriers to the use of low-GWPrefrigerants in developing countries andopportunities to overcome these6.” Thisreport, based on the responses of some250 representatives from more than 40developing countries, identied about30 distinct barriers which were classiedunder the following main areas:technical (refrigeration and safety),supply and availability, commercial,market, information resources,regulations and standards, psychologicaland sociological. The relevance of eachbarrier naturally diers according to thecountry context, as well as the specicdetails of the facility, equipment andtype of refrigerant. In this report, thelack of, or inappropriate regulations and

standards was identied as a signicantbarrier to using low-GWP alternatives.

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http://www.unep.fr/ozonaction/information/mmcfiles/7476-e-Report-low-GWPbarriers.pdfhttp://www.unep.fr/ozonaction/information/mmcfiles/7476-e-Report-low-GWPbarriers.pdf


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7 Responses to survey from: “Barriers to the use of low-GWP refrigerants in developing countries and opportunities toovercome these”, http://www.unep.fr/ozonaction/information/mmcles/7476-e-Report-low-GWPbarriers.pdf

Signicant barriers identied by UNEP survey

General barriers identied by respondents to survey7:

• “There are no systems using low-GWP alternative refrigerants available to buy”• “There is nothing to incentivise enterprises to invest in low-GWP alternative

technology”• “No one is willing to invest in production of systems, parts, components and

refrigerants”• “Consultants developing HPMPs are not recommending low-GWP alternative

refrigerant projects”• “The rules for using low-GWP alternative refrigerants are too restrictive to allow

their use”• “There is a general fear of the safety risks”

Barriers related to standards identied by respondents to survey:

• “There are no suitable rules to direct users how to use the low-GWP alternativesproperly”

• “The rules for using low-GWP refrigerants are too restrictive to allow their use”• “Some stakeholders are unaware of the existence of the rules”

Barriers to implementation ofstandardsA country may face a number ofobstacles or barriers related toimplementation of standards foralternatives to HCFCs. These barriers

can be generally grouped into four maincategories:

DevelopmentDeveloping a specic national standardrequires signicant technical resourcesand expertise with associated nancialcommitment. Likewise participationin international standardisationorganisations requires considerable

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http://www.unep.fr/ozonaction/information/mmcfiles/7476-e-Report-low-GWPbarriers.pdfhttp://www.unep.fr/ozonaction/information/mmcfiles/7476-e-Report-low-GWPbarriers.pdf


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8 Pricing is a national decision and should reect both the value of a standard’s content and its aordability. In general these can range,for the standards covered in this booklet, for example, from around US$70 to approximately US$600 for each individual standard sold inEurope

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resources, both in terms of personneland cost. For developing countries,particularly smaller countries this can

present a challenge particularly if therelevant national institutions are notin place. Developing countries mightnot have at their disposal the technicalexpertise or resources to activelycontribute to the international/regionalstandard development processes.

Adoption

Barriers to adoption of standards may berelated to:

• Time-consuming administrative andprocedural issues.

• Lack of awareness or nationalcapacity.

• Requirements that make adoption ofcertain alternatives dicult

• A lack of the relevant national

institutions.• A lack of formal connections

with international/regionalstandardisation bodies, and/or alack of cooperation with the relevantnational institutions, etc.

• Bureaucracy (in some countries) thathinder the standardisation processespecially where incorporation intothe national legislation is concerned.

• The associated cost of acquiringinternational/national standards,which can be an issue for small

companies.

Content of standards The specic content of standards can be

a barrier to the adoption of alternativesto HCFCs:

• Without eective planning a newlyadopted standard could initially

present a challenge for industriesand companies in developingcountries which need to modifypractices to be in compliance withinternational standards.

• Excessively strict or constrictivemeasures included in existingstandards which may severelylimit or prohibit the application ofparticular HCFCs alternatives or

equipment.• Inappropriate regulations or

standards.• Standards may not be designed

in such a way that they can beexplained to and understood bysmall companies and individualsthat make up the ‘informal sector’of servicing technicians in manydeveloping countries, as well as

larger established enterprises andcompanies.8


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Industry uptakeOnce a standard is adopted withina particular country there is still

considerable work to ensure thestandard is implemented and adheredto. In the case of large companies orenterprises this can be reasonablyeasily addressed, particularly if theenterprise was involved or consultedin the development or adoption of thestandard. However, in many developingcountries, installation and servicingof refrigeration and air-conditioningequipment is carried out by smallcompanies or individuals. In order toreach these, there is a need to providesimple guidance and support to explainthe relevant standards and how theyneed to be implemented.

There is no general or single measurethat can be applied to address such

barriers. Initially, the relevant NationalStandardisation Body (NSB) shouldestablish contact and assure nationalmembership within the respectiveinternational/regional standardisationbody. In relation to the development oradoption of particular standards the NSB,prior to the adoption of internationalstandards should ensure adequateconsultation with relevant national

and international experts, includingconsulting with experts in both HFCsand natural refrigerants to help achieveimprovements.

The National Ozone Unit as a focalpoint for the Montreal Protocol canplay an important role in ensuring the

relevant NSB is aware of the appropriaterequirements in the context of theHCFC phase-out management plans(HPMPs) and working closely with localand regional RAC associations andstakeholders. The standardisation bodiesusually oer specic assistance todeveloping countries.

When developing or adopting a standard

it is important to take into considerationthe timing of its development oradoption to ensure it is synchronisedwith other related or interconnectedstandards and is appropriate for thenational context. For example, standardsare seldom, if ever, self-standingdocuments and usually refer to manyother standards.

Particularly in case of technical andsafety standards it is very important toconsider the ‘age’ of standards, whichmay have impact on the technologytransition process. Both standards thatare very old or very recent can have anegative impact. The former can resultin being locked into legacy systems andthe latter can present the country with a

considerable challenge to be innovativeand an early adopter.

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Right: Cindy Liatlatmal, Refrigerationand Air conditioning Engineer, Vanuatu


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©Michael Moller


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An Introduction to

Standards

3

A standard or “norm” is developed toensure a certain uniform level of goods,products, and service quality. It is a

formal document which requires certaincharacteristics or behaviour of goods,persons, situations, etc. representingthe consensus view of participants inthe standards development process.Standards are developed to ensure acertain uniform level of goods, productsand service quality. Internationalstandards are based on a consensualmechanism with a wide network of

national members and stakeholders.In practice however many developingcountries have limited engagementin the standardisation process andconsequently cannot review, vote andcontribute to standards and the processof developing these. Smaller enterprisesor non-industry participants can bedeterred due to the often high level offees charged for participation.Standards can be supported bysupplementary information andinterpretation of requirements, whichcan be covered by industry guidelines orcodes of practice

Main benets of standards:• Ensure safety considerations (of

products, people, production, use,

etc.).• Enable dissemination and

harmonisation of best practices.• Present a harmonised, stable and

globally recognised framework.• Can support economic growth.• Can minimise technical barriers for

trade.

In the RAC sector, technical standardsare becoming increasingly recognisedas a key component in successfullytransitioning away from reliance onozone-depleting and powerful global-warming gases. The adoption andutilisation of appropriate technicalstandards can establish uniformdenitions, guidelines, rules, criteria,methods, processes, practices or

characteristics for activities and theirresults.

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An introduction to Standards

Standards and regulations

• Many industries, trade associations and governments require products and

services to conform to a standard or a regulation prior to being placed on themarket to ensure a certain level of quality and safety.

• An international standard does not have any legal force and it cannot supersedenational regulations.

• An international standard is not a mandatory regulation.• A national regulation may refer to a standard or a part of a standard. Standards

can be used as a technical reference when developing regulations.

Development of standards

Standardisation bodies are open toparticipation of experts from industryand manufacturers, academia,governments, consumer associations,

non-governmental organisations (NGOs),etc. This varied representation bystakeholders is intended to ensure thequality of the nal document includingits scope and content. In practice,however, in many countries the vastmajority of those participating in thedevelopment of standards are fromindustry.

Within the standardisation organisations(international, regional, national) expertstypically work in technical committees

focusing on specic issues. Moredetailed and specic elements within therespective committee can be consideredby experts in specialised subcommittees,

as shown in the example below on thestructure of the ISO Technical Committee86 on Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning(Table 1). Within Subcommittees, Working Groups are normally set up todraft documents.

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Subcommittee Title

SC 1 Safety and environmental requirements for refrigerating systems

SC 2 Terms and denitions- disbanded

SC 3 Testing and rating of factory-made refrigeration systems (exclud-

ing systems covered by SC 5, SC 6 and SC 7)

SC 4 Testing and rating of refrigerant compressors

SC 5 ‘Testing and rating of household refrigeration appliances” wastransferred to IEC TC 59, Performance of household and similar

electrical appliances, in 2006

SC 6 Testing and rating of air-conditioners and heat pumps

SC 7 Testing and rating of commercial refrigerated display cabinets

SC 8 Refrigerants and refrigeration lubricants

Table 5: Structure of ISO Technical Committee 86 on Refrigeration and

Air-conditioning

Procedure of standards

developmentFormalised procedures are carriedout within each standardisation bodyto develop a standard. The rst stepwhich initiates development of astandard is its demonstrated need. Thestandard development is started by theappropriate committee of the NSB, whichis a member of the relevant internationalor regional standardisation body.

The new standard is proposed to therelevant technical committee, whichusually sets up a working groupconsisting of industry representativesand other experts. The working groupprepares a draft standard and provides itto the technical committee for approval.

The draft standard is then distributed to

all members of the standardisation body.In the case of an international or regionalorganisation, the draft is shared withthe national members. Once consensus

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An introduction to Standards27

is reached, the nal draft is sent to allmembers of the standardisation body fora vote. The standard is only published

if a sucient number of votes in favourof the standard is received. The processfrom the acceptance of a standardproposal to its publication can take, onaverage, two to four years, although in

some cases this can be considerablylonger. Existing standards are regularlyrevised and amended.

Figure 1: Process of international-regional standard development (based on ISO

example).


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“The main role

of the NationalStandardisations

Bodies is to produce

or review their ownstandards”

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9 e.g. by a private company for private use.

‘Levels’ of standards

Standards are developed at theinternational, regional, nationaland other levels9 by a variety oforganisations. These organisations areindependent of governments, industry,associations and the private sector.Chapter 4 provides an overview of themain standardisation bodies relevant

to the refrigeration and air-conditioningsector.

At the national level, many countrieshave their own national standardisationbodies. Usually these nationalstandardisation bodies are thecontact points for the regional andinternational organisations developingstandards. The main role of the national

standardisations bodies is to produceor review their own standards. Bodiescan be independent or linked to thenational government. Standards issuedat the national level generally havepriority over the regional or internationalstandards.

It is a common practice thatinternational and regional standards areadopted at the regional and nationallevels. During this procedure, standardscan be modied to suit the best localdemands and conditions. In some casesa contrary approach can be appliedand the standard from the national orregional level may be adopted for theregional or international level.

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The Main

StandardisationOrganisations

4

There are several principal organisationsdeveloping standards related to therefrigeration and air-conditioning

sector. Figure 2 below, summarisesthe main international standardisation

organisations and provides someexamples of national and regionalstandards organisations.

Figure 2: Standardisation organisations

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The Main Standardisation Oganisations31

International level

Of the international standardisationorganisations, the two main bodieswhich are principally involved into thedevelopment of standards related to theRAC sector are the ISO (InternationalOrganization for Standardization) andthe IEC (International Electro technicalCommission). A formal agreement

between these organisations aimsto prevent overlap and potentiallycontradictory standards.

The International Organization forStandardization (ISO)ISO is the largest standardisationorganisation in the world with 162member countries (the complete list isavailable on ISO website: http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htm)and with more than 19,500 standards

issued which were developed by some300 technical committees.

The Technical Committee TC 86 onRefrigeration and Air-conditioning iscrucial for the RAC sector. Its structure ispresented in Chapter 3.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO)Website: www.iso.org

ISO standard nomenclature:

ISO 14001:2004 Environmental management systems

ISO Number 14001

Year 2004

Name Environmentalmanagementsystems

http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htmhttp://www.iso.org/http://www.iso.org/http://www.iso.org/http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htm


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The Main Standardisation Oganisations

10 The rst number (60335) refers to the number of the standard. The second number (1) refers to the particular part of the standard

which may consist of several parts. This standard 60335 consists of more than 100 parts.

International Electro technicalCommission (IEC)IEC is primarily focused on safety issues

of electrical and electronic technologies,devices containing electronics, using orproducing electricity. IEC has 82 membercountries (national committees). The list of countries is available from the IECwebsite (http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5:0##ref=menu).

Standards related to the RAC sector aredeveloped by experts of the technicalcommittees:

- TC 59 on Performance of household and similar electrical appliances (http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ ORG_ID:1275).- TC 61 on Safety of household andsimilar electrical appliances (http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ ORG_ID:1236).

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International Electro-technical Commission (IEC)Website: www.iec.ch

IEC standard nomenclature:

e.g. IEC 60335-1:2012 Household refrigerating systems usedfor cooling and heating – Safety requirements

IEC Number 60335

Number10 1

Year 2012

Name Householdrefrigeratingsystems usedfor cooling andheating – Safety

requirementsEnvironmentalmanagementsystems

http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5:0##ref=menuhttp://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5:0##ref=menuhttp://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5:0##ref=menuhttp://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5:0##ref=menuhttp://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5:0##ref=menuhttp://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5:0##ref=menuhttp://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1275http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1275http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1275http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1275http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1275http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1275http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1236http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1275http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1236http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1236http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1236http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1236http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1236http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1236http://www.iec.ch/http://www.iec.ch/http://www.iec.ch/http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1236http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1236http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1236http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1236http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1275http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1275http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1275http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1275http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5:0##ref=menuhttp://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5:0##ref=menuhttp://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5:0##ref=menuhttp://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5:0##ref=menu


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Regional level

Good examples of regional standardsinclude two European Committees forstandardisation: CEN and CENELECwhose approved standards are automati-cally valid within the member countries.

European Committee forStandardization (CEN) andEuropean Committee for

Electrotechnical Standardization(CENELEC)CEN and CENELEC are recognisedEuropean standards organisationsindependent of governments, Europeaninstitutions and each other. TheseEuropean standards organisationscooperate with each other and with theEuropean Commission to harmonise theirwork and prevent contradictions.Members of CEN and CENELEC are

national standardisation bodies of allEU member countries and some otherEuropean countries (33 countries intotal, see http://standards.cen.eu/dyn/www/f?p=CENWEB:5:::NO:::).Implementation of EuropeanStandards as national standards isthe responsibility of the CEN/CENELECnational member country.

Standards directly related to the RACsector are developed by TechnicalCommittee CEN TC 182 on Refrigeratingsystems, safety and environmentalrequirements (http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182).

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CEN and CENELECWebsites: www.cen.eu, www.cenelec.eu

IEC standard nomenclature:e.g. EN 13313:2010 Refrigerating systems and

heat pumps – Competence of personnel

EN Number 13313

Year 2010

Name Refrigeratingsystems andheat pumps –Competenceof personnel

http://standards.cen.eu/dyn/www/f?p=CENWEB:5:::NO:::http://standards.cen.eu/dyn/www/f?p=CENWEB:5:::NO:::http://standards.cen.eu/dyn/www/f?p=CENWEB:5:::NO:::http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182http://www.cen.eu/http://www.cenelec.eu/http://www.cenelec.eu/http://www.cen.eu/http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182http://www.cen.eu/cen/Sectors/TechnicalCommitteesWorkshops/CENTechnicalCommittees/Pages/default.aspx?param=6163&title=CEN/TC%20182http://standards.cen.eu/dyn/www/f?p=CENWEB:5:::NO:::http://standards.cen.eu/dyn/www/f?p=CENWEB:5:::NO:::


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Harmonised and

non-harmonised European

standards The European Standardisationorganisations develop harmonised andnon-harmonised standards:

• Harmonised standards are basedon an ocial request made by theEuropean Commission. Their scopeis to support EU Directives andRegulations. Harmonised standardsare very useful as they provide apresumption of

conformity to the relevant directiveor regulation (users are deemed tomeet requirements of directive orregulation).

• Non-Harmonised standards

are not linked to directives orregulations, thus producers areobliged to develop methodologies

and interpretations to achieveconformity to directives andregulations independently.

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11 Some NSBs may be linked to ISO whilst those linked to IEC may be dierent (e.g., in Germany), whereas the NSB in some

countries (e.g. UK) is the same for both.

National level

At the national level, the majorityof countries have a nationalstandardisation body (NSB) orseveral bodies. These institutions canproduce their own national standardsor adopt international/regionalstandards. Depending on the country,national standardisation bodies canbe independent or linked to and be

responsible to the government.

A comprehensive list of NSBs is availableon the ISO website: http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htm andNSBs for IEC can be found here11: http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5

Some national standardisationorganisations can have a reach andinuence which can be considered as

regional or international in operation(e.g. ANSI, ASHRAE).

Some examples of national standardisation bodies:

AHRI (Air-conditioning, Heating, & Refrigeration Institute),

http://www.ari.org/standards.aspx

ANSI (American National Standards Institute), www.ansi.org

ASHRAE (American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers),

www.ashrae.org

BSi (British Standards Institution), www.bsigroup.com

DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V.), www.din.de

EOS (Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality Control), www.eos.org.eg

IJISI (Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran), www.isiri.org

JSA (Japanese Standards Association), www.jsa.or.jp

NZS (Standards New Zealand), www.standards.co.nz

Standardization Administration of China, www.sac.gov.cn

Standards Australia, www.standards.org.auUL (Underwriters Laboratories), www.ul.com

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http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htmhttp://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5http://www.ari.org/standards.aspxhttp://www.ansi.org/http://www.ashrae.org/http://www.bsigroup.com/http://www.din.de/http://www.eos.org.eg/http://www.isiri.org/http://www.jsa.or.jp/http://www.standards.co.nz/http://www.sac.gov.cn/http://www.standards.org.au/http://www.ul.com/http://www.ul.com/http://www.standards.org.au/http://www.sac.gov.cn/http://www.standards.co.nz/http://www.jsa.or.jp/http://www.isiri.org/http://www.isiri.org/http://www.eos.org.eg/http://www.din.de/http://www.bsigroup.com/http://www.ashrae.org/http://www.ansi.org/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_6/%20www.ari.org/standards.aspxhttp://www.ari.org/standards.aspxhttp://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htm


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Membership of standardisationorganisations

Members of standardisation bodiesshould play an active role in thedevelopment of standards and of currentand future work plans of technicalcommittees and the standardisationbody itself. Generally, the mainstandardisation organisations (ISO, IEC,CEN, CENELEC, ANSI/ASHRAE) have twodistinct levels of membership:

• Full members: these have accessto all the technical and managerialactivities and functions of theorganisation, they can be directlyinvolved in development and reviewof standards, attend committeemeetings, sell and adopt standard at

the national level, and have votingrights.

• Associate/correspondence members:these have limited rights andthey can only observe standardsdevelopment, can attend committeemeetings as an observer and havevery limited or no voting rights.

Depending on the organisation,other types of membership also exist(e.g. associates, aliates, partners,counsellors, etc.).

Advantages of membership in astandardisation organisation

• Opportunity to inuence technicalcontent of standards to ensure theyreect specic needs.

• Early access to information andtechnological knowledge.

• Wide source of know-how, goodaccess to knowledge and resources.

• Experience in internationalstandardisation work can help buildnational infrastructures.

• Improvement of access to globalmarkets.

• Development of the international

trade by meeting denedcharacteristics of products andservices.

Before accession to the international orregional standardisation organisation,it is necessary to also evaluate theavailability of national technical expertsand resources to be able to actively andmeaningfully contribute to the content of

the international standard.


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Cooperation between standardisationorganisationsCooperation between standardisationorganisations developing standards atvarious levels and with legislative bodiesis the common practice. This processeliminates double work, overlap andcontradiction.

ISO and IEC are members of the WorldStandards Cooperation, which was

established in 2001 (WSC, http://www.worldstandardscooperation.org/). Themain scope of the WSC is to promoteadoption and implementation ofinternational consensus-based standardsworldwide to ensure cooperationin the technical work of member

standardisation bodies in a transparentway to avoid duplication, overlap andpotential conict. One of the resultsachieved is the synchronisation of termsused in standards regarding technicalrequirements.

Cooperation of the Europeanstandardisation bodies with ISO has

been established at the technical levelso European and international standardsare developed in parallel. Around 30% ofstandards under CEN are identical to ISOstandards. In such cases the standardsare called “EN ISO”.

Further information:

International standardisation bodies organise trainings and provide technical andnancial assistance to developing countries. Specic information is available on theirrespective websites:

• ISO: DEVCO (Committee on developing country matters), http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso-and-developing-countries/devco.htm

• IEC: IEC Aliate Country Programme, http://www.iec.ch/aliates/?ref=menu

http://www.worldstandardscooperation.org/http://www.worldstandardscooperation.org/http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso-and-developing-countries/devco.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso-and-developing-countries/devco.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso-and-developing-countries/devco.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso-and-developing-countries/devco.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso-and-developing-countries/devco.htmhttp://www.iec.ch/affiliates/?ref=menuhttp://www.iec.ch/affiliates/?ref=menuhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso-and-developing-countries/devco.htmhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso-and-developing-countries/devco.htmhttp://www.worldstandardscooperation.org/http://www.worldstandardscooperation.org/


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Existing Standards5

In general the standards related to theozone depleting substances and theiruse are concerned with four major areas:

• Standards for the substancesthemselves such as specicationsfor refrigerant gas and refrigerantdesignation (e.g ISO 817).

• Standards for systems, equipmentand components; including, forexample, safety requirements forrefrigerating equipment, codes/

guides for refrigeration & air-conditioning systems (e.g. ISO5149), and refrigerant recovery/recycling equipment (e.g., IEC

60335-2-104), and equipmentcharge size.

• Standards for refrigerant containers,including content of recoverycylinders (AHRI), colour codes, andpressurized cylinders standards.

• Other related standards such asfoam nal products, content and reretardant requirements, buildingscodes (which for example couldprohibit the use of ammable

refrigerants), energy eciencylabelling programmes, installations,and practice.

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41

Safety issues, such as safety inconstruction and installation, use,service, maintenance, leak prevention,

dismantling and recycling oftechnologies and substances are ofparticular importance, and in generalstandards aim to maximise operationalsafety and minimise hazard and risk.

There are several technical internationalISO and IEC standards as well asseveral regional and national standardsparticularly from the European Union

(e.g. CEN, CENELC) and the UnitedStates (e.g. ANSI/ASHRAE, UL) relevantand applicable to ozone-depletingsubstances and technologies relying onthem.

In the context of the HCFC phase-out and requirement for non-ozonedepleting, low-GWP alternatives, thereis a requirement that existing standardsare updated and/or new standardscreated to cover the use of thesesubstances. Some important relevantstandards, published several years agohave recently been revised and updated(e.g ISO 5149, ISO 817) or are currentlyunder the process of revision (e.g EN378). The previous version of standardISO 5149 on ‘Mechanical refrigerating

systems used for cooling and heating –Safety requirements’ which was issuedin 1993 essentially prohibited the use ofammable refrigerants which are nowwidely applied in many sectors.

Because many of the lower-GWPrefrigerants are ammable, RAC

equipment must conform to therequirements of any standards forfammable atmospheres. In mostcountries these standards have a higherstatus than the general refrigerationstandards. For example, the UN has“ A Common Regulatory Framework forEquipment Used in Environments with anExplosive Atmosphere”, to which a largenumber of developed and developing

countries are signatories.

Although the general refrigerationstandards include provisions forammable refrigerants, they arenot considered to provide adequateguidance for how to safely apply them.In this regard, the design, constructionand evaluation requirements forachieving safety of equipment usingammable refrigerants must be soughtin the relevant standards (such as EN1127-1 and the IEC 60079-series in theEuropean Union).

The most important standards whichhave a role in supporting the HCFCphase-out and standards related to thelow-GWP alternatives and alternative

technologies are listed below. Full detailsof all the related standards can be foundin the catalogues of standardisationorganisations and bodies.

Existing Standards


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Main technical standards relevant to the HCFC

phase-out and low-GWP alternativesInternational Organization for Standardization

ISO 5149:2014 Mechanical refrigerating systems used for cooling and heating –Safety requirements

• Recently revised from 1993 version

• Includes requirements for new classication on low ammability (2L) forrefrigerants

• Species the requirements relating to the safety of persons and property forthe design, construction, installation and operation of refrigerating systemsand puts an emphasis on minimising the leakage of refrigerant to the

atmosphere

• Species classication of the refrigeration systems

• Species monitoring of leakage; i.e., refrigeration concentration in themachine room - a special requirement for ammonia

• Applicable to all types of refrigerating systems in which the refrigerant isevaporated and condensed in a closed circuit

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ISO 817:2014 Refrigerants – Designation and Safety Classication

• Provides a clear system for numbering and assigning composition-designatingprexes to refrigerants (e.g. for chlorouorocarbons the prex CFC is used)

• Refrigerant safety classication (ammability, toxicity)

• Refrigerant concentration limits

• Is intended to be used with other relevant safety standards such as ISO 5149,IEC 603352-24 and IEC 60335-2-40

ISO 17584:2005 Refrigerant properties

• Species thermophysical properties of several commonly used refrigerantsand refrigerant blends

• Applicable to the refrigerants R-12, R-22, R-32, R-123, R-125, R-134a, R-143a,R-152a, R-717 (ammonia), and R-744 (carbon dioxide) and to the refrigerantblends R-404A, R-407C, R-410A, and R-507

• Includes specications of several properties, including the following: density,

pressure, internal energy (total energy contained by a thermodynamicsystem), enthalpy, entropy, heat capacity at constant pressure, heat capacityat constant volume, speed of sound and the Joule-Thomson coecient


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ISO 11650:1999 Performance of refrigerant recovery and/or recycling equipment

• Specication of the test apparatus, test gas mixtures, sampling proceduresand analytical techniques used to determine the performance of refrigerantrecovery and/or recycling equipment

• Specication of the refrigerants to be used for the evaluation of equipment

International Electrotechnical Commission

IEC 60335-1:2012 Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety, generalrequirements

• The basis for a series of more than 100 parts covering broad variety ofrequirement and appliances including non-RAC systems

• The most relevant are:

• IEC 60335-2-24 Particular requirements for refrigerating appliances,ice cream appliances and ice makers

• IEC 60335-2-40 Particular requirements for electrical heat pumps, air-conditioners and dehumidiers (currently prohibits HC use)

• IEC 60335-2-75 Particular requirements for commercial dispensingappliances and vending machines

• IEC 60335-2-89 Particular requirements for commercial refrigerating

appliances with an incorporated or remote refrigerant unit or compressor • IEC 60335-2-104 ed1.0 Particular requirements for appliances to

recover and/or recycle refrigerant from air conditioning and refrigerationequipment incorporating open drive or motor-compressors

European Committee for Standardization

CEN: EN 378:2008 Refrigerating systems and heat pumps - Safety andenvironmental requirements

• Consisting of 4 parts (amendments were approved in 2012):

1) Basic requirements, denitions, classication and selection criteria

2) Design, construction, testing, marking and documentation

3) Installation site and personal protection

4) Operation, maintenance, repair and recovery

• Main scope is to reduce the number of hazards to persons, property and theenvironment, caused by refrigerating systems and refrigerants

• Applicable to almost all refrigeration systems• Covers almost every phase of the design, construction and operation of a

refrigerating system

• References several other European standards


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CEN: EN 13313:2010 Refrigerating systems and heat pumps – competence ofpersonnel

• Species procedures for achieving and assessing the competence of personswho design, install, inspect, test and commission, maintain, repair anddispose of refrigerating systems and heat pumps with respect to health,safety, environmental protection, and energy conservation requirements

• Requirements for training, assessment, and maintenance of competence

• Certication set up in F-gas regulation is based on the requirements of thisstandard

CEN: EN 1127-1:2011 Explosive atmospheres — Explosion prevention andprotection Part 1: Basic concepts and methodology

• Provides basic risk assessment and risk reduction methodology for anyequipment using ammable substances (including refrigerants)

• Guidance of level of protection for sources of ignition

• Guidance on tightness of systems

IEC and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

CENELEC: EN 60335-1:2012 Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety,

general requirements

• Consists of a series of more than 100 parts

• This CENELEC series corresponds to the IEC standards. Some modicationswere carried out to conform to the European context

• The most relevant are:

• EN 60335-2-24 Particular requirements for refrigerating appliances, icecream appliances and ice makers

•EN 60335-2-40 Particular requirements for electrical heat pumps, air-conditioners and dehumidiers

• EN 60335-2-75 Particular requirements for commercial dispensingappliances and vending machines

•EN 60335-2-89 Particular requirements for commercial refrigeratingappliances with an incorporated or remote refrigerant condensing unit orcompressor


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CENELEC: EN 60079 Electrical Apparatus for Explosive Gas Atmospheres

• Consists of a series of parts

• Covers dierent requirements for construction safety, protection and training

for electrical systems in potentially explosive gas atmospheres• EN 60079 series consists of more than 20 standards most of which are

harmonised with the EU Directive on Explosive Atmospheres (includingammable substances in the form of gases, vapours, mists or dust)

American National Standards Institute/ American Society of Heating,Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers

ANSI/ASHRAE 15-2013 Safety Standard for Refrigeration Systems

• Establishes safeguards for life, health, and property and prescribes safetyrequirements of persons and property on or near the premises whererefrigeration facilities are located

• Specications for fabrication of tight systems but does not address the eectsof refrigerant emissions on the environment

• Specication of the safe design, construction, test, installation, operation andinspection of all refrigeration and stationary A/C applications

• Modications and replacements of parts or components and substitutions ofrefrigerants having a dierent designation

• Safety classications of ASHRAE Standard 34 -2010 used to provide safetyguidelines for the design and installation of refrigerating systems

ANSI/ASHRAE 34-2010 Designation and Safety Classication of Refrigerants

• System of referencing refrigerants and classication of refrigerants based on

toxicity and ammability• Denition of permissible concentration limits allowed by ASHRAE standard 15-

2010


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Underwriters Laboratories

UL 207 Refrigerant-Containing components and Accessories, NonelectricalUL 250 Household Refrigerators and FreezersUL 471 Commercial Refrigerators and freezers

UL 474 DehumidiersUL 484 Room Air ConditionersUL 984 Hermetic Refrigerant Motor-CompressorsUL 1995 Heating and cooling equipmentUL 60335-2-40 Safety of Household and Similar Electrical Appliances Part2-40: Particular Requirements for Electrical Heat Pumps, Air-Conditioners andDehumidiers

• UL standards are focused on setting of complex requirements for devices

stated in the title of respective standard• Reliance on other regional or national standards is always specied in the

scope of the standard

AS/NZS 1677.2 -1998 Refrigerating systems part 2: Safety requirements for xedapplications

• Species requirements for the safety aspects, in terms of the design,construction, installation and inspection of refrigerating appliances, systemsand ancillary equipment intended for use or installation in institutional, publicassembly, residential, commercial and industrial occupancies

• Applies to new refrigerating systems, to extensions and modications ofexisting systems and to used systems being reinstalled and operated atanother site

• Also applies in the case of the conversion of a system for use with anotherrefrigerant. It does not apply to household refrigerators

Australian Standard/ New Zealand Standard

AS/NZS 2022 – 2003 Anhydrous Ammonia – storage and handling

• Species requirements for the design, construction, location, and operationand testing of systems for the storage and handling of anhydrous ammonia.

• Requirements for the management of emergencies involving anhydrousammonia and for the re protection of any associated facilities are alsospecied


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Complete lists of international and regional standards

Usually each standardisation body has a ‘catalogue’ or ‘store’ available on theirrespective websites where all standards and other publications developed by the

organisation are listed.

Examples of catalogues and stores include:

ISO Standards Catalogue: http://www.iso.org/iso/home/store/catalogue_ics.htm

IEC webstore: http://webstore.iec.ch/?ref=menu

CEN Standard database http://esearch.cen.eu/esearch/

ANSI Standards store: http://webstore.ansi.org/default.aspx

A database of standards and technical regulations is available from Perinorm www.perinorm.com (registration required).

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AHRI 700-2012 Specications for Fluorocarbon Refrigerants

• Important specication to assist in avoidance of use of mislabelled, low-

quality and/or counterfeit refrigerants

Air-conditioning, Heating, & Refrigeration Institute

http://www.iso.org/iso/home/store/catalogue_ics.htmhttp://webstore.iec.ch/?ref=menuhttp://esearch.cen.eu/esearch/http://webstore.ansi.org/default.aspxhttp://webstore.ansi.org/http://www.perinorm.com/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_6/%20www.perinorm.comhttp://www.perinorm.com/http://www.perinorm.com/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_6/%20www.perinorm.comhttp://webstore.ansi.org/http://webstore.ansi.org/default.aspxhttp://esearch.cen.eu/esearch/http://webstore.iec.ch/?ref=menuhttp://www.iso.org/iso/home/store/catalogue_ics.htm


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Adoption of

InternationalStandards at theNational Level

6

It is the responsibility of each countryto set up appropriate national legalmeasures to comply with theircommitments under the MontrealProtocol to phase out HCFCs and

other ozone-depleting substances. Inthe context of the phase-out, it is theresponsibility of the country to selectalternative technologies and substancesto those ozone-depleting substanceswhich are being phased out. In the casewhere these alternative substances aresignicantly dierent from those theyreplace and have certain properties thatthe various sectors are not familiar with,

standards can provide the frameworkand ‘insight’ as to how these substancescan be adopted with minimal disruption.International and regional standardscan be adopted at the national level

or they can be used as guidance andas examples in the preparation ofnational legislation. A comprehensivenational consultation process may berequired prior to adoption of a nationalstandard to ensure the national contextis carefully evaluated in referenceto existing standards and that therequirements of all relevant stakeholdersare taken into consideration.

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12 In Europe the EN must be adopted “as is” except when there is a conict with national legislation

Adoption of International Standards at the National Level

“At the regional level in Europe, theNSBs of members of CEN, CENELEC andEU Member States are responsible foradopting European standards as national

standards. The European standardadopted at the national level is namedaccording by the country.

Example: DIN EN 378-1 on Refrigeratingsystems and heat pumps - Safety andenvironmental requirements is theEuropean standard EN 378-1 adopted inGermany.

Cooperation of standardisation bodiesenables the adoption of internationalstandard through regional standards atthe national level.

Example: DIN EN ISO 14001 onEnvironmental management systems isthe international ISO standard adoptedas the regional European EN standardand also adopted at the national level in

Germany.12

Usually national standardisation bodiesliaise with ISO, IEC and at the Europeanlevel with CEN and CENELEC. In casesof a national standard conicting with aregional or international standard, thenational standard is usually withdrawn.Example: Since the EN 378:2000 some

national standards had to be withdrawn:e.g. NPR 7600 in the Netherlands, DIN7003 in Germany, BS 4434 in the UK.

A comprehensive list of NSBs which areISO members is available on the ISOwebsite: http://www.iso.org/iso/home/

about/iso_members.htm NSBs which are IEC members(sometimes dierent from ISO NSBs) canbe found here:http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5

National Ozone UnitsNational Ozone Units (NOUs) are thefocal points for the Montreal Protocol,responsible for implementation of theProtocol’s requirements at the nationallevel and responsible for the nationalcompliance with the Protocol and itstargets. While it is not recommendedthat NOUs become directly involved inthe standards setting process, as this ismost likely beyond their mandate androle in most countries, they neverthelesshave an important part to play.

Ideally the NOUs should remainappraised of the status, developmentand review of international standardsand can provide input on the nationally-relevant context. NOUs can play animportant role in promoting dialoguebetween the appropriate actors on theissue at the national level, for examplewith the relevant Energy agency, Safetyagency and Standards organisations.

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http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htm.http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htm.http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htm.http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htm.


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Accreditation bodiesAccreditation bodies are used to ensurethat the application of the national,regional or international standards iscorrectly achieved by organisations thatprovide certication, testing, inspectionand calibration services. A list of nationalaccreditation bodies can be found on

the International Accreditation Forum(IAF) website: http://www.iaf.nu/articles/IAF_Members_&_Signatories/4

National RAC associations National RAC associations are technicalbodies and are contact points forthe technicians. Frequently they areresponsible for training and certicationof technicians. They can provide usefulinput to the National StandardisationBodies, as well as having an important

role to play in ensuring standards areimplemented and adhered to and canprovide guidance and support to explainthe relevant standards to their members

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Recommendations for NOUs:• Learn about which types of standards could aect the adoption of alternatives

in the context of the HCFC phase-out in key sectors in their country.• Review the country’s national standards (Substances, Systems/ Equipment/

Components, Containers, other related standards) and determine whether thecountry has adopted the latest international standards related to the HCFCphase-out.

• Identify and make contact with the dierent national authorities responsiblefor standards, and educate them about Montreal Protocol developments andthe HCFC phase-out.

• Consider areas where there are gaps with standards and take up dialoguewith standard setting authorities on how they might be addressed.

• Understand the process of adopting existing standards as part of nationallegislation.

• Explain the process of adopting standards to relevant stakeholders within thecountry.

• Promote awareness to national industry and the government about theimportance of standards to HCFC phase-out and the latest developmentsabout international standards.

• Consider whether and how the standards issue might be addressed duringthe HPMP implementation process (e.g. it could be part of the legislation andpolicy component of HPMPs).

http://www.iaf.nu/articles/IAF_Members_&_Signatories/4http://www.iaf.nu/articles/IAF_Members_&_Signatories/4http://www.iaf.nu/articles/IAF_Members_&_Signatories/4http://www.iaf.nu/articles/IAF_Members_&_Signatories/4http://www.iaf.nu/articles/IAF_Members_&_Signatories/4


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The process of adoption ofinternational standards

A standard is usually initially proposedby a national standardisation body and

developed by the working group of therespective technical committee of therelevant standardisation organisation. AnNSB can develop the standard itself, butmore often it is carried out by a nationalinstitution on technical standardisationor relevant expert. It is the responsibilityof the NSB to prepare a guideline ondevelopment, maintenance and layoutof the national and adopted international

standards based on the requirementsand general principles elaborated by theinternational or regional standardisationbodies.

Before the adoption of an international/regional standard or its implementation

into national regulation it is importantto ensure that the objective will bringabout the anticipated benet, will notpresent any unforeseen barriers and willnot duplicate or be in conict with anyexisting regulations. This may involvea comprehensive national open andtransparent consultation and process ofmonitoring and evaluation.

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Approaches for standards

adoption

Several approaches are possible to adoptan international or regional standard asa national standard. International andregional standardisation organisationsset up rules and guidelines for adoptionof their standards at the nationallevel. These rules are obligatory andare available from the respectivestandardisation organisations.

Considerations for theadoption of a standard at

the national level

1. Adoption by translation• A national cover page and national

foreword must be added• Translation cannot substantially

change the content of the document• Translation is carried out from

the English original in case morelanguages are available

• The national translation can beaccompanied by nationally relevantannotations, or an annex to providemore information

• National annex of informativecharacter may accompany the

document

2. Adoption by acceptance of the originalversion• The standard text remains in the

original version, in the originallanguage and layout• A national cover page is added, and

a national foreword and nationalannex can also be added

3. Adoption by the NSB ocialannouncement on standards’ approval• Carried out through an ocial

announcement by the NSB (no

other actions are done as in thetwo previous options on standardadoption)

• Standard is approved for directapplication

• This is the usual practice for regionalEuropean CEN/CENELEC standards

4. Adoption by modication to suit thebest the national needs• Adoption of the international/

regional standard adapted by theNSB or by an expert/experts securedby the NSB to best suit nationalneeds.

• Standard draft containing clearlymarked national modicationsincluding their explanation isdisseminated for comments to

all relevant participants. Aftersettlement of all comments, naldraft of the standard adapted to thenational needs is nalised.

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13 For more information, see: “Risk assessment and standards survey for use of ammable refrigerants in transport

refrigeration applica

7679-e-international standards in rac

Documents