Nicole Johnson

Standard compliance templates keep your facility legal, but they rarely keep your mechanical systems completely safe on their own. In modern industrial and commercial facilities, transitioning to low-GWP (global warming potential) A2L refrigerants introduces a critical shift from traditional non-flammable systems to mildly flammable chemical profiles. The transition to an updated facility relies on implementing a precise, code-compliant visual identification system that accounts for these new chemical realities and prevents hazardous maintenance errors across the HVAC infrastructure.

This article examines how recent code updates—including changes to the International Mechanical Code (IMC), ASHRAE Standards 15 and 34, and UL 60335-2-40—reshape refrigeration safety and labeling requirements. It explores the practical impact of these standards on system design, detailing new mandates for leak detection, charge limits, and mandatory ventilation thresholds in occupied spaces. The piece also outlines essential best practices for pipe marking and equipment labeling, ensuring service technicians and emergency responders can immediately identify A2L hazards at the point of choice.

This article was originally published by DuraLabel. View the full article here.