Checklist template

Refrigeration failure and recall response for grocery stores

A ready-to-use checklist with 104 items in 6 sections, covering Alarm response, Product evaluation, Recall execution, Disposal, Records, Communication. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 104 Items
  • 86 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 116 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Alarm response 20 items

  1. Refrigeration alarms reach a location that is staffed 24 hours a day Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The alarm call list shows current names and phone numbers of the on-call managers Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Alarm set points and delays for each case type are on file at the store Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The alarm panel showed no unacknowledged alarm at the time of the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Active refrigeration alarms at the time of the visit Number
  6. Each alarm in the last 30 days has a recorded response (who, when, what was done) Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Longest time from alarm to response in the last 30 days (minutes) Number
  8. A written case and cooler failure procedure is posted in each fresh department Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Employees asked know the first steps: probe the product, stop the sale, move the product Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The refrigeration contractor's emergency number is posted Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Not-for-sale signs or covers are on hand to close a failed case Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Insulated covers or night curtains are available to protect product in open cases Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The walk-in that receives product from each case line is identified in the procedure Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Contacts for a refrigerated trailer and for dry ice are listed Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The power outage procedure states to keep doors closed and to record the time the power went out Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Date of the last generator test, where the store has one Date
  17. A probe thermometer with spare batteries is available to the night crew Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Scheduled defrost times are posted so that defrost readings are not mistaken for a failure Yes / No 1 pt
  19. The closing manager and the night crew leader know who may decide to discard product Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Readiness for a refrigeration failure Rating
    • Procedure, contacts and equipment in place 5 pts
    • Partly in place 3 pts
    • Not prepared 1 pt

2. Product evaluation 17 items

  1. Product temperature is taken with a calibrated probe, not read from the case thermometer Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Readings are taken at the warmest points of the case (top and front, near the doors) Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The time product first went above 41°F (5°C) is established from the monitoring system history Yes / No 1 pt
  4. A decision chart for time and temperature is posted or in the procedure Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Refrigerated product above 41°F (5°C) for more than 4 hours is discarded Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Product still at 41°F (5°C) or below is moved to working refrigeration Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Thawed frozen product is not refrozen for sale unless the decision chart allows it Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Frozen product is checked for signs of thawing (ice crystals, misshapen ice cream, stained cartons) Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Raw poultry, ground meat, seafood, cut produce, dairy and deli items are evaluated first Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Product under evaluation carries a hold tag until a decision is made Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The decision is made by a manager or the food safety department and the name is recorded Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Smell and appearance are not used to decide that product is safe Yes / No 1 pt
  13. A repaired case is restocked only after it has held 41°F (5°C) or below for the time set in the procedure Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Raw and ready-to-eat product stay separated in the cooler that receives relocated product Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Refrigerated medicines and vaccines are evaluated by the pharmacist, where the store has a pharmacy Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Product temperature in the warmest case found during the visit (°F or °C) Number
  17. Quality of the evaluation in the most recent failure Rating
    • Temperatures, times and decisions documented 5 pts
    • Partly documented 3 pts
    • No evidence of evaluation 1 pt

3. Recall execution 19 items

  1. Recall notices arrive at a mailbox or portal that is checked every shift Yes / No 1 pt
  2. A named person and a backup are responsible for recalls on each shift Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Notices in the last 90 days were completed within the deadline stated on the notice Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Recalled product is removed from the shelf, displays, back room, markdown rack and returns desk Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The barcode, lot code and date on the product are compared with the notice Yes / No 1 pt
  6. A test scan confirms the recalled item is blocked at the register Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Recalled product is held in a locked or marked area labeled as recall, do not sell Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The quantity removed is counted and reported to head office by the deadline Yes / No 1 pt
  9. A zero count is also reported when no product is found Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Items made in the store with a recalled ingredient (deli salads, bakery, ground beef) are identified and removed Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Removal by a direct vendor is verified by a store employee Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Customer notices are posted at the shelf or the service desk when the recall notice requires it Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Recalled product returned by customers is refunded and added to the held product Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Staged online orders are checked for the recalled item Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The shelf is rechecked after the next delivery for affected lots arriving again Yes / No 1 pt
  16. A mock recall was carried out in the last 12 months Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Date of the last mock recall Date
  18. Time taken to complete the last mock recall (minutes) Number
  19. Execution of the most recent recall Rating
    • Complete and on time 5 pts
    • Complete but late 3 pts
    • Incomplete 1 pt

4. Disposal 16 items

  1. Product discarded after a failure is recorded by item and quantity before disposal Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Photos of the product and of the case temperature are taken for the loss claim Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Discarded product is made unusable or put in a locked compactor Yes / No 1 pt
  4. A manager witnesses the disposal Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Recalled product is destroyed, returned or held exactly as the notice instructs Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Recalled product is never sent to the food bank, to reclamation or to employee sale unless the notice says so Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Discarded product is not given to employees or customers Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The dumpster or compactor is locked after a large disposal Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Meat and seafood waste goes to the rendering or organics stream as required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Leaking raw meat is bagged leak-proof before it is carried through the store Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The case is cleaned and sanitized before restocking after product thawed or leaked Yes / No 1 pt
  12. A certificate of destruction is filed when the recall notice requires witnessed destruction Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The risk or insurance department is told of a loss above the company threshold before disposal Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Employees handling spoiled product wear gloves Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Value of product discarded in the most recent failure (dollars) Number
  16. Control of disposal Rating
    • Recorded, witnessed and secured 5 pts
    • Recorded but not witnessed 3 pts
    • Unrecorded 1 pt

5. Records 16 items

  1. A failure report exists for each event with the case, times, temperatures, product and decision Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Failure reports for the last 12 months are on file Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Refrigeration failures in the last 12 months Number
  4. The monitoring system temperature history is attached to each failure report Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The contractor's service report with the cause is attached to each failure report Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Repeat failures on the same case or rack have been escalated to facilities Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The recall log lists each notice with the date received, date completed, quantity and signature Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Recall notices received in the last 90 days Number
  9. The file of one recall notice picked at random was produced during the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Proof of the register block or response confirmation is saved with each recall Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A log of the recall hold area shows what is held, since when and what it is waiting for Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Preventive maintenance of the refrigeration (coil cleaning, door gaskets) is documented Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Date of the last preventive maintenance of the refrigeration Date
  14. Calibration of the probes used for evaluation is recorded Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Failure and recall records are kept for the period required by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Completeness of failure and recall records Rating
    • Every event has a complete file 5 pts
    • Files exist, with attachments or signatures missing 3 pts
    • Events with no file 1 pt

6. Communication 16 items

  1. An escalation chart with after-hours numbers for the store manager, district manager, food safety and facilities is posted Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Failures are reported to the district manager and food safety within the time set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Open failures and recalls are written in the shift handover notes Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Employees asked were aware of the most recent recall affecting their department Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The service desk has the current recall notices to answer customer questions Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Employees asked know to refer media questions to head office Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The health authority is notified of an extended outage where local regulation requires it Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Direct vendors are told when their case or product is affected by a failure Yes / No 1 pt
  9. In-store tenants and licensed departments (pharmacy, sushi, coffee kiosk) are on the alarm and recall distribution Yes / No 1 pt
  10. A debrief with lessons learned is recorded after each major event Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Managers and key holders are trained on the failure and recall procedures every year Yes / No 1 pt
  12. New managers are trained on the procedures before closing the store alone Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Corrective actions from the previous review have been completed Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Name of the manager on duty Short text
  15. Overall readiness for product safety events Rating
    • Procedures, contacts and records in place and known to employees 5 pts
    • In place, but incomplete or not known to employees 3 pts
    • Missing or not followed 1 pt
  16. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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