Literature Commission inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Muscat Book Fair    Saudi Minister of Culture holds talks with his Costa Rican counterpart in Jeddah    Saudi Arabia cracks down on fraudulent Hajj campaigns, urges pilgrims to use official channels    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Teenage girl killed in French school stabbing attack    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    Police fatally shoot man at Toronto's international airport    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Super Max Verstappen scorches to pole with record lap in Jeddah    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Counterfeit refrigerants ‘potentially dangerous'
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 15 - 12 - 2014

JEDDAH — Residents in Saudi Arabia are concerned about potentially dangerous counterfeit refrigerants which are increasingly found in the Middle East, a new survey released Satuday by Honeywell revealed.
Counterfeit refrigerants are a dangerous, persistent problem around the world.
After several containers carrying counterfeit refrigerants exploded in 2012, the United Nations Environment Program said that counterfeit refrigerants “appear to be a global issue of concern and a wider range of stakeholders are possibly at risk.”
Honeywell conducted the survey as part of its ongoing campaign to fight counterfeiting, and found that 9 in 10 respondents believe there are counterfeit refrigerants fraudulently labeled as brand-name, authentic refrigerants sold in Saudi Arabia.
In addition, 98% of respondents said they would prefer brand-name refrigerants sold by authorized dealers if it would limit the risks posed by counterfeits, which can often be flammable, toxic and damaging to air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
Incidents around the world point to a significant danger from counterfeit refrigerants. In 2011, three refrigerated containers containing a counterfeit refrigerant exploded, killing three people.
In 2012, an air conditioning unit in Brazil exploded due to a counterfeit refrigerant. Similar incidents in Greece, Germany, and Australia have also been reported.
Honeywell has fought the use of counterfeits for more than 10 years, helping local governments identify and seize counterfeit products all over the world. During the last two years, local governments working with Honeywell have seized more than 200,000 counterfeit products.
“We would like to applaud the local law enforcement and other government authorities in Saudi Arabia for taking the issue of counterfeiting seriously and cooperating with the industry to protect safety of citizens,” said Norm Gilsdorf, president, Honeywell Middle East, Russia and Central Asia.
“Their efforts have resulted in seizures of counterfeit refrigerants in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere around the world. We continue to introduce technology solutions to help combat this problem.”
Honeywell Fluorine Products is a world leader in the development and manufacture of refrigerants that are sold worldwide under the Genetron and Solstice brand names for a range of applications, including building and mobile air conditioning as well as refrigeration applications.
Ipsos, a survey specialist company, working on behalf of Honeywell, surveyed 400 people by telephone in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam who own and operate one or more refrigerators or air conditioners for their home, office or vehicle. The survey found that:
* 90% of those surveyed in Saudi Arabia believe counterfeit refrigerants fraudulently labeled as brand-name, authentic refrigerants are sold in their country
* 98% indicate they would prefer a brand-name refrigerant for their home, office, car or refrigerator if it would limit the risks posed by counterfeit refrigerants
* 88% believe that counterfeit refrigerants can cause equipment failure more serious and costly than genuine brand name products
* 64% believe that counterfeit refrigerants can be toxic, and 75% believe they can be flammable.
In 2013, Honeywell announced that local law enforcement in Saudi Arabia seized nearly 3,500 containers of counterfeit refrigerant being fraudulently sold under the Honeywell Genetron brand name.
The counterfeit product actually contained dangerous toxic and flammable substances. According to local authorities, the counterfeit refrigerant was marked as Honeywell's Genetron 134a, a common refrigerant for automobile air conditioning, and shipped to Dammam Port, Saudi Arabia, from China.
Honeywell continues its efforts to build awareness among end customers on the risks of using counterfeit products.
These include holding training seminars for contractors, distributors and customs officers to provide them with information about the dangers of non-genuine products to share with end customers.
All Honeywell refrigerants are subject to extensive quality and safety testing before they are sold. The safety and quality of Genetron and Solstice refrigerants can only be guaranteed when buying from Honeywell-authorized suppliers. — SG


Clic here to read the story from its source.