Shropshire firm warns of air-con maintenance law
A local refrigeration and air conditioning firm is warning businesses across the county to ensure they are fully up-to-date with legislation regarding greenhouse gas emissions to avoid being faced with harsh penalties.
Shrewsbury-based Central Refrigeration is urging all organisations who have refrigerators, freezers or air conditioning units within their premises to get them regularly inspected to check that they meet the legally-required limit, as outlined under the European Commission’s ‘F Gas’ certification standard.
The F Gas regulation was introduced with the aim of reducing emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases, more commonly known as HFCs, through introducing measures for their containment, use, recovery and destruction. It requires commercial owners of gas-omitting equipment to take the necessary steps required to reduce such emissions, or face the imposition of prohibition notices or hefty fines.
Jason Bennett, Managing Director of Central, said: “With environmental issues becoming increasingly prevalent in recent times, it is becoming essential for businesses to ensure that they comply with legislation by getting their systems checked regularly and undertaking any necessary remedial action.
“The law currently states that all systems containing more than 3kg of refrigerant must have a minimum of one maintenance inspection and leak test every year, with larger systems requiring more frequent inspections, but not all businesses are aware of this obligation. Owners of such equipment must also ensure that up-to-date records of these inspections are kept on file, and be easily accessible should they be asked to present them to the authorities.
“The cost-savings of ensuring full compliance are potentially significant, and we’re inviting businesses from across the region to get in touch with us to find out how they can benefit from a free, no-obligation assessment of their current HFC emission status by a member of our dedicated team.”
