Fire Protection Research Foundation report: “Flammable refrigerants firefighter training: Hazard assessment and demonstrative testing”
Authors: Noah L. Ryder P. E. and Stephen J. Jordan, Fire & Risk Alliance, LLC; Peter B. Sunderland, Ph.D., University of Maryland.
Date of issue: May 2019
The ongoing push toward sustainability of refrigeration systems will require the adoption of low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants to meet the shift in environmental regulations. Fire safety is a lingering issue with the new age of flammable refrigerants being adopted and first responders may not be familiar with the change in material hazards or the appropriate response procedures required to safely handle these fire scenarios.
This report is focused to develop material documenting the hazards associated with flammable refrigerant technologies and the risks posed to the first responders. The material documentation included a literature review, Task 1, identifying baseline information on flammable refrigerants, their existing usage and implementation into products, potential integration into future technologies, and finally any existing guidance and best practices on response and tactics. A hazard assessment examined the current and potential use cases for refrigerants, the various technologies in which they are employed, the types of environments in which they might be encountered, and the range of hazards associated with them.