ISO 5149-1:2014 specifies the requirements for the safety of persons and property, provides guidance for the protection of the environment, and establishes procedures for the operation, maintenance, and repair of refrigerating systems and the recovery of refrigerants.

ISO 5149-1:2014 specifies the classification and selection criteria applicable to the refrigerating systems and heat pumps. These classification and selection criteria are used in ISO 5149‑2, ISO 5149‑3, and ISO 5149‑4.

ISO 5149-1:2014 applies to: a) refrigerating systems, stationary or mobile, of all sizes including heat pumps; b) secondary cooling or heating systems; c) the location of the refrigerating systems; and d) replaced parts and added components after adoption of this part of ISO 5149 if they are not identical in function and in the capacity.

ISO 5149-1:2014 applies to fixed or mobile systems, except to vehicle air conditioning systems covered by a specific product standard, e.g. ISO 13043 and SAE J 639.

ISO 5149-1:2014 is applicable to new refrigerating systems, extensions or modifications of already existing systems, and for used systems, being transferred to and operated on another site.

ISO 5149-1:2014 also applies in the case of the conversion of a system to another refrigerant.

Systems containing refrigerants which are not listed in ISO 817 are not covered in ISO 5149-1:2014.