Cold storage rooms are required to undergo a series of periodic technical inspections in accordance with current regulations. This aims to promote the safety of these facilities, as well as ensure the efficient operation of cold storage rooms so they fulfil their function.
What regulations apply?
Newly constructed refrigeration installations, as well as extensions, modifications, and maintenance, must comply with the following European standards:
- UNE-EN 378:2016: Safety and environmental requirements for refrigeration systems.
- Directive 2014/68/EU: Safety requirements for pressure equipment.
- Directive 2000/54/EC: Protection against biological agents.
- EN 13241-1 and EN 12604: Safety requirements for sliding doors.
Which refrigeration installations are affected by obligatory technical inspections?
Installations regulated by these standards include:
- Fixed installations in cold storage warehouses.
- Ice factories.
- Freezing or cooling plants for various products (meat, fish, ice cream).
Excluded are:
- Installations that already have specific regulations, such as refrigeration installations in air, sea, and land transport.
- Secondary systems of installations intended for the thermal comfort of people in buildings, which are governed by the Regulation on Thermal Installations in Buildings (RITE).
- Small compact refrigeration systems (portable air conditioning systems, domestic refrigerators, and freezers, etc.)
Who carries out the technical inspections in cold storage rooms?
The responsibility for maintaining, reviewing, and inspecting refrigeration installations lies with the owner of the installation. Obligatory technical inspections are carried out by Authorised Control Bodies (OCA) in each EU member country.
How often should these inspections in cold storage rooms?
Depending on the use of the refrigeration installations, the frequency of technical inspections varies. The timeframe for the first inspection is established from the date the refrigeration installation is commissioned. In the case of installations that underwent inspections under the old regulations, the timeframe begins from the date of the last inspection.
| Maintenance type | Frequency | Agent | Inspection | Preventive maintenance | According to the manual except legionella prevention and insulation inspection (RSIF) | Authorised refrigeration company | Verification of equipment and load control | Obligatory periodic review | 5 years / 2 years | Authorised refrigeration company | Comprehensive technical review | Periodic inspection | 10 years / 5 years / 2 years / 1 year | Authorized regulatory authority | Document review and procedures | Leak control | Annual | Authorised refrigeration company | Document verification and leak detection |
|---|
What is checked during each technical inspection?
Technical inspections, depending on the legislation of each country, cover specific points to be checked; however, generally, they include the following:
- Verification of obligatory reviews and leak controls.
- Inspection of waste management.
- Verification of documentation according to current regulations.
- Compliance with hygiene and sanitary criteria.
- Inspection of refrigeration vessels and pressure equipment.
- Verification of the marking and documentation of the installation.
Review of safety elements, alarm systems, the condition of cold storage doors, electrical installation, and personal protective equipment.
Each inspection culminates in the issuance of a resolution report, copies of which are distributed among the owner, the inspecting technician, and the competent authority.
At Kavidoors, we specialize in the manufacture of cold storage doors that comply with all European regulations, facilitating approval during technical inspections. Our models have CE Marking and meet safety requirements, including patented safety systems for sliding doors.
An example of this is Kavidoors´ patented anti-fall, anti-tilt safety system for sliding doors, thus complying with the requirement to equip a horizontally moving door with safety measures to prevent derailment, as required by article 4.2.8 of UNE-EN 13241-1 and article 4.3.1 of UNE-EN 12604:2001.
These regulations are complemented by specific standards of each member country, which may impose additional requirements according to their national legislation. For more details, you can consult the full texts of the regulations on the official websites:
European Union
Directive 2014/68/EU
Regulation (EU) No 517/2014
Regulation (EU) 2016/2281
Directive 89/391/EEC
You can find more information about our cold storage doors by clicking here:
