This Regulation has set out methods of control for the production, trade, use and recovery of ozone-depleting substances, whilst stipulating detailed reporting requirements for these substances and a legal basis for inspections and penalties, whilst also encouraging new environmentally alternatives.

Such legislation will have dramatic effects on a variety of industries and companies are being encouraged to act now. HCFC’s are found in many common workplace equipment including refrigeration and air conditioning systems (most commonly in the form of R-22).

For companies that are reliant on refrigeration, delayed action or inaction can pose a real threat to the business. It is predicted that many businesses will act late creating a bottleneck effect, incurring legal costs for business that do not respond in time. Broad ranges of installations use HCFC’s, spanning across many commercial and business sectors. Given this wide range of installations, the ban will inevitably affect an even wider range of businesses encompassing retailers, food manufacturers, office facilities as well as the public sector, the leisure and hotel industry.