How to Plan and Maintain Cold Storage Safety for Food Facilities
Foodborne illness is on the rise nationwide. Industrial refrigeration maintenance is critical in ensuring products remain safe for consumption. Taking a proactive approach minimizes food safety risks, helping you protect customers and workers, avoid legal liability, and maintain strict FDA and USDA food safety requirements. Learn how to plan and maintain cold storage safety for food facilities with these tips from CW Refrigeration, Central Washington’s trusted industrial refrigeration services provider.
Perform Regular Industrial Refrigeration System Inspections
Routine inspections, including the following, identify potential issues before they become hazards, ensuring safe, reliable operation:
Equipment inspections
Verifying that compressors, evaporators, fans, and other equipment are in optimal condition and performing preventive repairs promptly prevents system failure.
Routine pressure testing
Routine pressure testing prevents potential chemical releases and explosions in industrial refrigeration systems, which operate under high pressure.
Ammonia leak detection
Installing leak detection ensures even the smallest leaks are identified, triggering alarms or shutdown when they occur to initiate emergency procedures.
Thermostats and sensor calibration
Accurate thermostat and sensor readings are essential to maintaining an optimal storage environment and preventing the growth of bacteria, mold, and yeast, ensuring safe, high-quality, lasting food.
Strict cold chain adherence
Keeping products out of the temperature danger zone of 40-140°F at every stage, from picking and processing to storage and transport to the consumer, is crucial to food safety.
Implement Process Safety Management (PSM) Programs
CW Refrigeration offers PSM development and training programs for ammonia-based industrial refrigeration systems to prevent accidental ammonia release and equipment failure that can lead to food safety issues, worker injury, and product loss. Our comprehensive PSM programs include:
- Process safety information on ammonia’s properties, hazards, and corresponding equipment design and operational specifications
- Process hazard analysis to identify and evaluate potential hazards
- Pre-startup safety reviews for new systems
- Step-by-step operating procedures including shutdown, start-up, emergency response, equipment limits, and consequences of deviation (hazards)
- Training for operators, technicians, and maintenance staff on operational, maintenance, hazards, and safety rules for ammonia cooling systems
- Inspection, testing, and maintenance schedules to ensure mechanical integrity
- Formal management of change review and approval in response to procedural, equipment, and chemical process modifications
- Site-specific emergency action plans, including ammonia release drills, evacuation plans, and coordination with local emergency response providers
- Compliance audits to ensure OSHA and PSM compliance
Hold Regular Staff Safety Training and Feedback Sessions
Establish and document clear employee protocols for safe industrial refrigeration system use. Train staff on proper cold chain management, product handling and storage, refrigeration system operation, maintenance, door usage, refrigerant hazards, the correct use of personal protective equipment, and how to respond to equipment failures and outages. Hold regular training and safety reviews. Encourage all team members to participate in hazard and procedural analyses to improve operations and safety.
Emergency Response Planning
Unexpected equipment failures, power outages, leaks, and fires pose significant risks to food and employee safety. A clear, well-documented plan and staff training for responding to emergency issues provide insurance, mitigate product loss, and reduce potential liability. Instructions should include procedures for emergency shutdown or generator operation, relocating products, evacuation procedures, contacting emergency response providers, first aid, and fire safety measures.
Ensure Operational Integrity and Food Safety
Get the help you need figuring out how to plan and maintain cold storage safety for food facilities in Central Washington from CW Refrigeration. Contact us at 509-248-4600 to discuss your industrial refrigeration and process safety management improvement needs today.