Australia adopts ISO fridge standards
AUSTRALIA: In addition to being part of the global agreement to phase down HFCs, Australia has also now adopted international refrigeration safety standards.
Strong industry and government engagement is said to have been behind Australia’s adoption of ISO standards to supersede the AS/NZS 1677 series.
“PRIME, the HVAC&R industry strategy to transition to low emissions, identified early on that AS/NZS 1677 had to be reviewed,” commented Tony Gleeson, CEO of the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH).
Significant changes have been made to refrigeration standards, with the following now published and available:
AS/NZS ISO 817:2016, Refrigerants – Designation and safety classification
AS/NZS 5149.1:2016, Refrigerating systems and heat pumps – Safety and environmental requirements – Part 1: Definitions, classification and selection criteria
AS/NZS 5149.2:2016, Refrigerating systems and heat pumps – Safety and environmental requirements – Part 2: Design, construction, testing, marking and documentation
AS/NZS 5149.3:2016, Refrigerating systems and heat pumps – Safety and environmental requirements – Part 3: Installation site
AS/NZS 5149.4:2016, Refrigerating systems and heat pumps – Safety and environmental requirements – Part 4: Operation, maintenance, repair and recovery.
“The adoption of these standards is a really important step as the HVAC&R industry transitions to a low-emission future,” said AIRAH’s executive manager – government relations and technical services Phil Wilkinson.
As direct or modified adoptions of international standards, AS/NZS ISO 817 supersedes AS/NZS 1677.1:1998, Refrigerating systems – Refrigerant classification. The AS/NZS 5149 series supersedes AS/NZS 1677.2:1998 Refrigerating systems – Safety requirements for fixed applications.
