5 Commercial Refrigerator Safety Tips You Should Follow

If you have a commercial refrigerator, you need to follow proper safety measures to protect yourself and your employees. Standard safety guidelines will also protect the integrity of your equipment and save you from costly repairs. Here are six commercial refrigerator safety tips.

1. Keep your refrigerator clean

You should always keep your commercial refrigerator clean and tidy. Food spills in the refrigerator can lead to mold growth and lead health problems, such as respiratory complications. Therefore, you should clean shelves, handles, interior walls, and exterior parts.

During a regular cleaning, you should also remove all frost and ice from the refrigerator. Ice cubes can take up space or cause items to fall on your lap when you open the freezer.

Clean the refrigerator with a mild detergent or a mixture of baking soda and hot water. Avoid strong-smelling cleaners, as stored items, especially food, can absorb odors. Dry the solution with a microfiber cloth.

2. Wear protective clothing

If your business handles products that require refrigeration, your work environment is often cold. Therefore, you and your employees should always wear protective clothing to prevent cold-related illnesses such as hypothermia, pneumonia, or the common cold. Protective clothing includes gloves, jackets, boots, and headgear.

Employees working in supermarkets and retail stores may not need protective gear as a large part of the store has normal temperatures.

3. Check your refrigerator regularly

You can prevent most commercial refrigerator problems with the early inspection. Therefore, you should check your refrigerator regularly. Inspect the interior and exterior parts for dents, damaged shelves, clogged coils, frost, defective water supply lines, damaged door seals, and rust.

These problems can reduce refrigerator performance and cause stored items to spoil, making them unsafe to eat. So, hire a maintenance professional to fix the problem on time. You should also hire an expert to conduct regular inspections.

4. Keep it at the right temperature

You should not operate the refrigerator at the wrong temperature. Your commercial refrigerator and freezer should always operate at the manufacturer's recommended temperature.

Setting the temperature lower can freeze your stored items, while higher temperatures can lead to spoilage. This can lead to health and safety issues. For example, if you are in the food business, serving spoiled food can lead to food poisoning and legal problems. Therefore, you should be extra careful with how you store food.

Check your temperature regularly and use a thermometer to spot any differences early.

5. Don’t overload your refrigerator

Air needs to be circulated in the refrigerator to keep items fresh. An overloaded refrigerator may not maintain the desired temperature and may cause food to spoil. Therefore, you should buy a refrigerator that matches your needs and type of business. If you're getting a lot of couriers, you may want to buy a large refrigerator or walk-in cooler.