Most businesses forget to create a contingency plan that reduces the risk of downtime if they need refrigerator repair services.
Businesses should look beyond the cost of commercial refrigeration repair for a contingency plan. The true cost of downtimes can not only affect your operations, but it also poses legal risks.
This is especially true for food businesses, which heavily rely on refrigeration to comply with food safety standards. Here are three things to include in a back-up plan in case you need urgent refrigerator repair services:
The True Cost of Refrigerator Repair Services
1. Make Sure That Perishables Remain Cold
The Food Safety Information Council warns against the Temperature Danger Zone. Businesses are at risk of having contaminated food if stock is kept between 5°C and 60°C – food-poisoning bacteria thrives within this temperature range.
For that reason you need to find an alternative cold storage area, where the temperature reaches below 5°C, and create as much space as possible for every item – to allow proper circulation of cold air.
Use a thermometer to check the temperature while you wait for your commercial refrigeration repair. You also want to avoid an overly low temperature except for products such as meat and fish. Keep a checklist of items that are taken out from the cold storage.
You should serve the food immediately if stored above 5°C for 2 hours, while you should throw away anything that has been taken out for more than four hours.
2. Be Familiar With the Average Shelf Life of Your Perishables
The worst case scenario for commercial refrigeration repair involves an unexpected delay for uncontrollable reasons. A perfect example is the COVID-19 outbreak. The strict lockdown period during the early stages of the pandemic hampered the movement of goods and services.
While we’re not hoping for a resurgence of cases, it pays to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances. Your contingency plan for refrigerator repair services should include a detailed knowledge of product shelf life.
Here are some of the products that can be kept for a certain time:
- Minced meat and seafood – up to three days
- Eggs – up to six weeks
- Cured meat and soft cheese – up to three weeks
Fresh whole fish should be cleaned and gutted before you store it for more than a day. You should also wash whole chicken if you plan to store it for more than two days.
3. Find a Licensed HVAC Company for Your Refrigerator Repair
BEARS takes pride in its team of professionals who have a Refrigerant Handling Licence for commercial refrigeration repair. The Australian Refrigeration Council only grants the licence to professionals in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry.
We train our technicians to handle a variety of problems from bottle cabinets to 24/7 e-monitoring of system breakdowns. Round-the-clock availability of service is crucial because urgent repairs rarely occur during the most convenient time.
Even if you don’t need refrigerator repair services at this time, follow our tips to optimise system performance. For instance, check for signs of broken refrigerator seals that can affect the level of internal temperature.
What Is Your Contingency Plan?
Businesses can avoid an expensive commercial refrigerator repair if they regularly seek a professional for routine maintenance. It’s not too late to adopt a proactive approach on a contingency plan, especially during any global health crisis.
Contact us for urgent repairs or simply inquire about a free inspection. To read what our customers have to say about us click here to go to Bears’ testimonials.
