A recent inspection campaign identified that the majority of owned or hired refrigerated sea containers used at workplaces do not have appropriate means for safe egress. If a worker were to be locked in such container for a long period of time, the risk of injury or death as a result of hypothermia is high.
In one incident, a worker became trapped in a refrigerated sea container being used as a temporary refrigerator. The container did not enable the worker to exit from the inside when the door was shut. There were no warning devices or other means of drawing attention to the trapped worker. After 20 minutes, the worker’s cry for help was heard by an alert passer-by. The worker was very lucky, as a cry for help is often not heard from outside an insulated cold storage sea container.
This Alert contains safety information following inquires made by WorkSafe about an incident or unsafe practice. The information contained in this Alert does not necessarily include the outcome of WorkSafe’s action with respect to an incident. WorkSafe does not warrant the information in this Alert is complete or up to date and does not accept any liability to any person for the information in this report or as to its use.