Cold Storage Facility

Insulation is added to walls and ceilings of cold storage buildings to maintain proper temperatures. Expanded polystyrene insulated panel (EPS) is a type of insulated panel used extensively in buildings across the food industry. Most modern supermarkets have freezers and cold storage using EPS, while some may also feature EPS in the external cladding and roofing of the building. Polystyrene is highly flammable and will melt. During melting, toxic fumes may emanate and drift off the premises. Further melting creates a toxic stream and may migrate with firefighting water, contaminating surrounding soils and groundwater.

Due to the building materials, storage containers, and volume of chemicals present, there is a significant risk of hostile fire, smoke, and run-off. Fighting a fire poses unique challenges, as the insulated walls and ceilings retain heat and smoke, and the freezing temperatures make traditional wet sprinkler systems impractical. Systems designed for cold storage rooms risk forming ice plugs and require more testing, inspection, and maintenance.

Moisture control in cold storage facilities is challenging. These spaces are tightly constructed and sealed to maximize the cooling system’s efficiency. Poor ventilation and limited airflow typical of cold storage rooms further amplify this problem. Condensation can develop when doors are opened to surrounding areas with warmer temperatures, like a loading dock. Moisture can also be introduced by off-gassing from the products and occupants or by wash-down activities and being trapped in the air-tight room. Mold and mildew can grow on cold storage rooms’ walls, floors, and ceilings, including wooden structural components and drywall, resulting in structural damage and possible health hazards to third parties.

Cold storage facilities require energy backup systems to ensure the facility can maintain proper temperatures during power loss. Using diesel generators can generate diesel soot or particulates, an airborne carcinogen, and pose health hazards to third parties. Storage tanks for backup generators can leak fuel oil and contaminate a drainage ditch or migrate to an adjacent site, requiring cleanup. Loose components can cause leaks, deteriorated gaskets, incorrectly fitted components, cracks, or holes in fuel lines.

Heavy-duty trucks loading and unloading at the facilities can leak automotive fluids, including fuel and oil, or spill raw materials from the delivery. These fluids can be collected by rainfall, creating contaminated stormwater run-off that can pollute storm drains and adjacent sites.

Illicit abandonment, or midnight dumping, is the illegal dumping of pollutants on your property or jobsite. It can become the property owner’s burden for cleanup and third-party bodily injury or property damage if law enforcement cannot locate the originator of the waste.