FEATURE COLD HARD FACTS
By their very design, cold stores, blast freezers and other
temperature-controlled areas may create working environments that are
inherently hostile to human life
due to low temperatures and the rapid movement of cold air. Additional risks may be created by: the increased chance of slips and falls caused by condensation, freezing surfaces and ice; reduced mental faculty, dexterity and reactions of workers caused by lower temperatures; and the presence of moving equipment such as forklifts.
There are also potential risks associated with the refrigeration system itself which is often, but not always, located in a separate plant room outside the cooled space (which allows employers to restrict access to authorised personnel only).
The refrigerants used in these systems are often hazardous – toxic and/or flammable - and are governed by their own regulations, so require very specific risk assessments. Preventing and managing the risks associated with potential leaks of these refrigerants is an important duty for employers.
SAFER BY DESIGN While the responsibility for health and safety compliance
lies firmly with the employer, the role played by good refrigeration system design in keeping the workplace safe should not be overlooked. The fact that cold stores are becoming more ‘intelligent’, with automated storage systems which minimise manual handling of goods, cannot completely eliminate the need for humans to enter the refrigerated space – perhaps for inspection, for maintenance or to fix problems.
When humans are required to enter the refrigerated space, safety guidelines should be followed to: avoid lock-in, reduce lone-working, ensure training is provided on good working practices, ensure suitable PPE, and minimise the time spent in the cold.
Through good design at the outset, the cold store and refrigeration system can provide assistance if the unthinkable does happen; including emergency stop buttons, ‘trapped-man’ alarms, door safety mechanisms to enable personnel to get out from inside a ‘locked’ door, emergency lighting and emergency exits.
These incorporated safety elements are not all created equal. Trapped-man buttons are mandatory on blast freezers, but it doesn’t always stop the refrigeration
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Cold stores and blast freezers are high-risk environments, and businesses have a legal duty to understand and manage these risks. Here, Steve Shipp of Ultra Refridgeration explores the nature of those risks, how they can be minimised and the part that can be played by good refrigeration system design.
system or the fans working – it usually only raises an alarm so you hope someone comes to find you quickly. We design our blast freezers so it turns off the system and the fans – this immediately stops the flow of cold air to give the operative more time to survive.
Also, when an emergency button is activated, we design it so it’s not making a circuit but it’s breaking a circuit. This way it always fails safe; so, if the switch fails, or a connecting wire breaks or indeed if the button is pressed, the circuit breaks and the alarm sounds.
These safety systems must of course be regularly tested to ensure correct operation, and the refrigeration system itself should be monitored for safe and efficient operation. This can potentially reduce the need for intervention or maintenance and eliminate the need for humans to enter the cold space. This monitoring should ideally be automated and incorporated into the initial design.
For more about health and safety in cold stores we recommend the following link: Cold Chain Federation publication: Keeping People Safe in Cold Store
https://www.coldchainfederation.org.uk/publications/
If you’d like to discuss your existing refrigeration equipment, or want to talk about a new project, email us today at
info@ultraref.co.uk or call +44 (0) 330 2232404.
https://ultra-refrigeration.com
www.tomorrowshs.com
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