Walk In Freezer Safety: The Health And Safety Rules

• Keeping access to the store restricted to authorised, trained persons only.
• ‘No entry’ signs clearly posted.
• Emergency exit provided, door fitted with strip heaters.
• Emergency lighting provided (mains powered, battery back-up).
• Daily check on emergency exit door to ensure it is not frozen shut.
• Regular maintenance is crucial to prevent ice build up, which can cause the walk in freezer door to become stuck and create slippery conditions.
• Regular temperature monitoring is essential to ensure the walk in freezer is operating within safe limits.
• Emergency exit door instructions posted on illuminated board by exit.
• A proper ventilation system is necessary to ensure air quality and prevent the buildup of harmful gases.
• Employees should be trained on the dangers of being trapped inside and the protocols to follow in such situations.
• Two trapped worker alarms (battery operated, mains back-up) next to both exits.
• Supervisor ensures thorough check of building before it is locked.
• Alarms and emergency lighting regularly tested/maintained by competent person.
• Wearing appropriate clothing is essential to protect against cold stress and frostbite in freezer conditions.

Becoming trapped inside is not the only hazard associated with walk in freezers, employers must also consider the other risks associated with working in a cold room temperature environment.

In 2013, a major supermarket was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £33,000 in costs after an employee slipped on the ice-covered floor and suffered knee injuries. The court heard that employees were left to chip ice off the floor themselves and sweep it away, that necessary precautions were not followed and that risk assessments for work in freezers and shelves had not been reviewed since 2003.

• Personal protective equipment – will it ensure employees are protected from the cold and able to perform their duties whilst wearing it?
• Training – employees need to know the correct working procedure and safety/emergency protocols.
• Safety audits – conducting regular safety audits is crucial to identify and address potential hazards.
• Accidental release of Group 2 refrigerant (ammonia) – employees and others may suffer fatal respiratory irritation following exposure to ammonia. Exposure to even low concentrations can cause severe eye and throat irritation.
• Slips, trips and falls – a wet / icy floor isn’t the only concern, consider other possible trip hazards.
• Storage and layout – consider both the manual handling associated with the storage, any possible working at height for high stored items and the potential for the collapse or falling of goods.
• Fire – your fire risk assessment should consider any sources of ignition and fuel in that cold storage area, as well as emergency evacuation procedures for those working in there should a fire start elsewhere.
• Welfare – ensure employees get appropriate rest breaks in a warm area.

These are just some of the considerations for protecting your cold storage area, by completing a through risk assessment you can establish all the potential hazards in your workplace.

Don’t get left out in the cold, if your risk assessment isn’t up to date – review it now!