REFRIGERATION
reading. These are especially convenient for spaces such as cold storerooms where a reading must be taken of a large space quickly for a general routine check-up reading. There must be a level of ease and accessibility when it comes to monitoring temperatures due to the need of the routine nature.
Response time Unfortunately, time is not on your side when
it comes to a fl uctuation in temperature or worse, a complete unit breakdown. In this scenario response time means everything to saving the produce or getting operations for the supermarket back up and running in as short a time period as possible. As maintenance engineers you need to be made aware of the interruption/issue with immediate eff ect and also be told precisely where and what has happened. Due to the scale of supermarkets and the large number of units that are spread across both customer facing and staff -only areas, having a centralised system installed that regularly checks, reads and alerts to any issues can help resolve the matter at a much faster rate than a staff member simply discovering an incident, it being left unchecked or unfound for a large period of time. Through Bluetooth technologies, supermarkets can implement a centralised system that will tell an engineer exactly what has happened and be alerted instantly to any level of performance problems. This not only saves time in resolving the issue but also increases the chance of produce not spoiling and being salvaged. In a move to be more environmentally conscious and to save excessive energy usage, most major supermarkets will have implemented closed-door refrigeration units. In the event of a full unit breakdown, a refrigerator will generally keep cold with a closed door for around four hours. However, temperatures will need to have remained between the 1–5 degrees Celsius range for the food to be considered safe. A well-implemented Bluetooth system can continue to report on the ambient temperature while also reporting on the breakdown, allowing for engineers to be completely informed at all stages of what is happening. These systems can be pre-installed into new builds or retrofi tted into existing units. Think of it as equipping yourself for success when things go wrong.
Data logging The food standards agency recommends that
commercial refrigerators have a minimum daily temperature check-up completed at the minimum twice a day. Some businesses will
often delegate this task to frontline workers who are not specifi cally trained in temperature monitoring or the refrigeration units themselves. A lot of supermarkets will have the workers take out a temperature check using a handheld thermometer reader by opening the door, sticking in the reader, taking a quick temperature
There must be a level of ease and accessibility when it comes to
monitoring temperatures due to the need of the routine nature.
snapshot and then move on to the next. All happening while penning the results on physical paper with a checkbox. As engineers, you will already be aware of all the variables and inaccuracies that can potentially come from this outdated process. First of all, having an under skilled worker complete this task can result in incorrect data being collected or logged. Using physical pen and paper as your logging process has the potential for loss, damage or human error. Mitigating any kind of errors when it comes to food safety should be a top priority and this process doesn’t cut it anymore. Further to this, opening a closed refrigerator door brings in an immediate rush of hot ambient air into the unit. If taking a quick snapshot reading at that time this will not produce an accurate result. A resolution for this is to have a centralised data logging system installed in all of the units that automatically complete, log and organise
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digital readings of the refrigerators and that can be accessed remotely at any time for a spot check. These are connected through Wi-Fi and have many variable options for alerts, time for readings to be taken and the optimum temperatures. This allows engineers and users to pull and review the data at any time, remotely and in an organised way. This eliminates potential of human error and increases accuracy.
Test and adjust Large cool rooms and cold storage areas
are sometimes diffi cult to monitor accurate temperatures of but are equally as important as the customer-facing refrigeration units. Food safety is paramount and even when in storage, supermarkets need to ensure the correct temperatures and storage solutions to ensure no hot pockets build when stored and stacked. Developing infrared technologies housed in a point-and-shoot reader can now accurately gain an instant reading of ambient temperatures in cool rooms and storage facilitates. Simply take a range of readings across walls and areas within the space and the reader will be able to gain the data needed with ease. Equally, taking a reading from storage areas and shelving will help identify any unexpected warm pockets which can be a deceptive area often forgotten about. By equipping yourself with these tools this will ensure the consistency and quality expected from supermarket customers and stakeholders alike. Testing and adjusting temperatures in these types of areas is commonly needed to be adjusted, considering weather and other ambient factors. Being able to take these readings means any fl uctuation can be challenged and resolved quickly and without fault.
www.acr-news.com • October 2023 23
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