The ozone layer encircles the earth’s upper atmosphere and acts as a filter against UV radiation. It helps to reduce the amount of radiation reaching the earth’s surface, particularly the harmful UV-B. Reduction in ozone concentration can have a number of harmful impacts including health effects, particularly increasing the risk of skin cancers, changes in chemical composition and quality of certain plant species and damage to aquatic organisms, leading to losses in fisheries. As a result steps have been taken to reduce the release of ozone depleting substances (ODS). These substances fall into a series of distinct chemical classes and are generally chlorinated, fluorinated or brominated hydrocarbons. European and domestic legislation came into force in 2000 and 2003 banning production and placing on the market of these substances a prescribing offences, penalties and persons authorised to enforce these provisions. The Ozone Depleting Substances (Qualifications) Regulation Northern Ireland 2006 came into operation on 31 August 2006 and covers a number of sectors, including refrigeration and air-conditioning, fire protection using halons, fumigations using methyl bromide and solvents. It covers personnel servicing, maintaining or disposing of waste equipment containing ODS and those recycling, reclaiming or destroying ODS.
