ACCIDENTS AND CRITICAL SITUATIONS DUE TO UNINTENTIONAL ESCAPE OF REFRIGERANTS - A SURVEY OF CASES IN NORWAY OVER THE LAST 2 DECADES

Safety is an overriding consideration in the design and operation of r efrigeration systems. Present practices and regulations must be judged against the experience of the recent past. Regrettably, there are ver y few systematic records available concerning the frequency and nature of accidents caused by escape of refrigerants, and the discussion is often based on hearsay, preconceived ideas and prejudice. As a contrib ution to clarify the situation this paper attempts to give a reasonabl y complete survey of refrigeration accidents and near-accidents in one country. It is highly desirable that similar investigations can be ca rried out in other countries, in order to provide a more complete basi s for objective decisions.