Fridge Breakdown & Power Failure

Why you need it

When a fridge or freezer fails, food can warm up without anyone noticing, and nobody wants to throw away a full fridge in a hurry. Without a plan, staff may guess, and guessing with chilled food is a real risk.

A written procedure, and a record of what you decided, helps you show that any food served afterwards was safe.

What it’s for

Four steps for a cold storage failure: telling the supervisor, recording equipment and food temperatures, moving food to working storage, and letting the manager make an informed decision. It belongs near your fridges and freezers, ideally beside your emergency contacts.

How to use it

1. Put it up beside the main fridges and freezers so it is there when something goes wrong.
2. Note the time the problem was found and keep the doors closed as much as you can.
3. Probe the food, record the temperatures and list the affected stock.
4. Move food to working cold storage and keep it separate until the manager decides what happens to it.
5. If you cannot be sure food is safe, do not serve it, and keep the decision with your food safety records.