Flammable refrigerants firefighter training: Hazard assessment and demonstrative testing FINAL REPORT BY: Noah L. Ryder, P. E. Stephen J. Jordan Fire & Risk Alliance, LLC. Rockville, Maryland, USA. Peter B. Sunderland, Ph.D. University of Maryland Department of Fire Protection Engineering College Park, Maryland, USA. May 2019 © 2019 Fire Protection Research Foundation 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169-7417, USA Email:
[email protected] | Web: nfpa.org/foundation ---page intentionally left blank--- —— Page ii —— FOREWORD 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 project is part of the overall two-year project with a goal to enhance firefighter safety and reduce potential injury by providing training on the hazards from appliances with flammable refrigerants. It will document the information about flammable refrigerants technologies and the hazards to emergency responders and develop interactive training modules to transfer the knowledge to the fire service. 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.