Refrigerant alarm monitoring

Subject

Refrigerant Monitoring SAFETY 07-02 (Rev 5/18)

Purpose

To ensure the safety of UW Facilities (UWF) personnel and to comply with applicable regulations and UWF policy.

Practice

All University employees are required to comply with occupational safety and health regulations that apply to their actions and conduct on the job. Supervisors and Managers have the additional responsibility of assuring that safe working conditions exist and requiring that employees under their supervision are aware of and adhere to safe work practices.

Employees, leads, supervisors, superintendents, and managers must comply with the UWF Refrigeration Monitoring Program. A copy of the program is linked to this Safety Practice.

References

• Refrigerant alarm monitoring SOP (pdf)
• Bacharach 3015-5466 manual (pdf)
• Seattle Fire Code Section 605: Mechanical Refrigeration (pdf) - City of Seattle
• Restricted area refrigerant sign (jpg)

Responsibility: Action

Rooms requiring portable monitoring

A small number of mechanical spaces have been identified on the Seattle Campus that require refrigerant alarm monitoring due to Seattle Mechanical Code. Below are three charts that list; rooms that require portable refrigerant monitoring, rooms with permanent refrigerant monitoring systems, and rooms where refrigerant systems have been revised/removed.

To enter spaces requiring a portable monitor, UWF employees must be trained on the use and operation of the portable monitor, understand and be familiar with the content of the Work plan/SOP for portable refrigerant alarm monitoring (pdf), or be accompanied by a trained and knowledgeable employee.

The list of rooms below require a portable refrigerant monitor be used when any entry is necessary. The refrigerant monitoring systems in these rooms are either not monitored by the building fire alarm system, or the refrigerant monitoring systems in place cannot be calibrated. Portable refrigerant alarm monitors are not to be lent to individuals outside of UWF. This includes contractors and facilities employees from other UW Departments.

The following permanent restricted access signage is posted on each entry door.

Rooms with permanent refrigerant monitoring systems

The rooms listed below have permanent monitoring systems and they are monitored by the building fire alarm system. In normal operating status, no portable refrigerant monitor is needed to enter these spaces (*).

(*)In the event a system component fails, or calibration is expired, a portable refrigerant monitor must be used. The following temporary sign will be placed on all doors into such spaces.

Rooms where refrigerant systems have been revised/removed

The rooms listed below have refrigerant systems that have been removed or been replaced with different systems which may be listed above. This information is provided to document changes in the various systems over time.