Cold room/walk-in fridges and freezers are an essential tool for many businesses and industries across the country. They allow businesses to hold stock safely and legally until it is needed, prolonging the life of stock, and ensuring the goods you sell are in the best condition possible.
However, thanks to the low temperatures within, cold rooms can be dangerous places should staff become entrapped – causing conditions such as frostbite or hypothermia, and even oxygen deficiency and asphyxiation.
So, how can you make sure your cold room fridge or freezer is safe and won’t harm your staff should they become entrapped? With viewing windows and safety measures!
How To Keep Your Cold Room As Safe As Possible
All employers have a legal requirement to keep their staff as safe as possible while they work, as outlined in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Failure to do so can result in major fines in the best case and staff deaths in the worst, as Pret a Manger found in the summer of 2023. In July 2021, an employee became trapped in the walk-in freezer for over two hours and developed hypothermia, resulting in the food giant being fined over £800,000.
To uphold your duties and still protect your stock and business operations, what can you add your cold room freezer or fridge to help keep people safe?
The most common safety mechanisms include:
- Cold room windows
- Internal release handles
- Entrapment alarm systems
Cold Room Viewing Windows
Also called vision panels, viewing windows work by providing a window in the cold room door itself, allowing for people to look in and check for entrapment or stock levels, as well as looking out into the area beyond the door to reduce the chance of collisions.
If you have vision panels, your team need to work together to keep the panel clean and clear so they can perform effectively – this includes regular cleaning, storing materials out of the way of the door itself, and choosing clear chiller curtains.
Similarly, it is worth asking a designated member of staff on every shift to thoroughly check both through window and inside the cold room itself to check for entrapment before they leave – as well as installing the following additional safety features.
Internal Release Handles
Internal release handles allows staff to have another way to open the door, from the inside – lest they become locked in.
All kinds of cold room doors can be fitted with internal release handles, but it is important to check that your preferred internal release handle is compatible with your door – you can always ask our experts if you are unsure.
As with all parts of your cold room, internal release handles should be checked regularly as part of regular safety checks and maintenance, kept clear from stock or shelving, and training given on its usage – assuming your staff know how to use the handle while in such physically challenging environments can lead to accidents and entrapment.
Entrapment Alarm Systems
To remove the chances of entrapment altogether, entrapment alarm systems have been developed.
There are multiple varieties of entrapment alarm, all of which work to alert staff of a trapped person within. These alarm types include:
- Pull-switch alarm systems are triggered with a pull-down cord.
- Push-button alarm systems are activated with a push-button.
- Pull-switch alarm with battery back up use the same pull-switch but will continue to work in power cuts or failures thanks to the 240V battery.
- Remote repeater alarm systems use multiplesoundersin different spaces or rooms to ensure someone can always be alerted.
To ensure they can work effectively, these alarms also need to be checked regularly as part of ongoing safety checks and maintenance and be kept clear and accessible at all times, as well as staff being properly trained on how to use and respond to entrapment alarms.
Prioritise Staff Safety With Vision Panels in Cold Room Doors
High-quality cold room rooms can be a lifeline for your business and make trading possible for thousands of companies across the country.
But as they can be very harmful to staff if used incorrectly or if not built with the right safety features – so as the employer you need to make sure you do all you can to keep your staff safe.
For help with cold room safety, or for specific product guidance, reach out to the team at MTCSS. You can email us at sales@mtcss.co.uk, call us on 01886 833 381 or fill in our contact form and someone from our team will get back to you as soon as we can.
