absolutely necessary to have an electrical supply to equipment during
servicing, then a permanently operating form of leak detection shall
be located at the most critical point to warn of a potentially hazardous
situation. Particular attention shall be paid to the following to ensure
that by working on electrical components, the casing is not altered in
such a way that the level of protection is affected. T
his
shall
include
damage
to
cables,
excessive
number
of
connections,
terminals not
made to original specification, damage to seals, incorrect fitting of
glands, etc. Ensure that apparatus is mounted securely. Ensure that
seals or sealing materials have not degraded such that they no
longer
serve the purpose of preventing the ingress of flammable atmospheres.
r
eplacement
parts
shall
be
in
accordance
with
the
manufacturer’s
specifications.
Repair to intrinsically safe components.
Do not apply any
permanent inductive or capacitance loads to the circuit without
ensuring that this will not exceed the permissible voltage and current
permitted for the equipment in use. Intrinsically safe components are
the only types that can be worked on while live in the presence of a
flammable atmosphere. T
he
test
apparatus
shall
be
at
the
correct
rating.
Replace components only with parts specified by the manufacturer.
Other parts may result in the ignition of refrigerant in the atmosphere
from a leak.
Cabling.
Check that cabling will not be subject to wear, corrosion,
excessive pressure, vibration, sharp edges or any other adverse
environmental effects. The check shall also take into account the
effects of aging or continual vibration from sources such as
compressors or fans.
Detection of flammable refrigerants. Under no circumstances shall
potential sources of ignition be used in the searching for or detection
of refrigerant leaks. A halide torch (or any other detector using a
naked flame) shall not be used.
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