 Home Health and Safety Health and Safety News
Sensible advice on work in chillers and freezers in food industry
23 March 2007
The HSE has added new advice on work in chill units and inside freezers to its food industry web pages.
The advice draws upon standards from the British Standards Institute and DIN, the German standards organisation.
It points out that workers can be protected by providing local heating, e.g. inside the cab of a lift truck, or by providing suitable thermal clothing. For work down to zero Celsius, protective clothing and normal rest breaks should be sufficient. However, in freezers down to minus 30 Celsius, clothing on its own can not provide sufficient protection and regular breaks at normal room temperature will be needed. The German standard suggests for moderate work wearing appropriate PPE, there should be a 30 minute break after 90 minutes working at minus 18 C to minus 30o C, and a 60 minute break after 60 minutes working at minus 30 C and below.
The HSE points out the health risks include circulatory problems as well as respiratory problems and gives advice on the dangers of workers being accidentally trapped inside freezers.
To view the HSE advice click here.
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