One of the biggest factors that can cause food spoilage is temperature. This is especially true for medical and food items that are sensitive to temperature changes. In businesses that involve the handling of food, a temperature log template is the most widely used safety checklist used in the monitoring of food safety. This is an important document that ensures that food gets processed under correct conditions and stored properly under the right temperatures. You can also use this log to monitor the temperature of various appliances, medical items, and transport vehicles.

Temperature Log Sheets

What is a temperature log sheet?

A daily temperature log sheet is a document used to register temperatures in medicine storage areas, food, and other important things to ensure the temperature levels are safe and the items won’t get spoiled or compromised. For health facilities and food industries, maintaining the right temperature levels is a must to avoid any legal issues. For example, when administering an expired vaccine, the health facility could face serious legal issues. You can use this log for situations like:

  • Recording times and dates when you collect temperature data.
  • Collecting previous temperature readings to make comparisons.
  • Determining if the current temperature is ideal or not.
  • Sharing data with auditors and supervisors for further inspection.

Temperature Log Templates

Types of temperature log sheets

A temperature log is an indispensable document. The refrigerator temperature log is essential for food workers, a patient temperature log sheet is essential for healthcare personnel, and a medication refrigerator temperature log is essential for medical scientists. After setting the correct temperature, you can use the log to keep track of the items in cold storage and record accurate data. These items have their own temperature ranges which you can use to confirm if refrigerated equipment function without any problems. Some types of log sheets include:

  • Vaccine temperature log. Use this template to document temperatures in the freezer and refrigerator compartments of vaccine storage units each day. You can also use it to document room temperature and improper ranges when you discover an issue.
  • Food temperature log. Use this template for food workers or restaurant managers. Use this log to record and control the temperature of different food items at your establishments.
  • Refrigerator and freezer temperature log. Use this template to maintain all freezers and refrigerators at your facility. You can also use it to take corrective measures for additional repair or maintenance.

When do you need temperature log sheet?

There are many businesses that depend on regular temperature monitoring to maintain the quality of their products or the proper function of their facilities and equipment. Whether your industry is in food processing, IT, or medical, you would use these logs to provide evidence of time and temperature. Not having this log might result in inadequate temperature monitoring, which is why you need this document for the following industries:

  • Food. The improper preparation and storage of food beyond temperature thresholds poses a risk to safety. Eventually, these conditions lead to pathogen growth while increasing the risk of spoilage. But using a temperature log will prevent recalls or rejections, which will then help you avoid losses or potential legal issues.
  • Healthcare. Maintaining proper temperature levels is crucial in healthcare. It’s also important to demonstrate compliance with certain standards. Imagine what will happen if you apply incorrect temperatures in medical storage areas that contain vaccines and medications. This can lead to drug degradation, which then compromise or weaken the effect of the drugs on your patients. Also, if you don’t keep pharmaceutical products within safe temperature ranges during shipment, these can endanger the lives of those who use the drugs.
  • Infection control and prevention. Because of the onslaught of the COVID pandemic in recent years, recording temperature and visitor logs have become crucial in commercial workplaces and establishments. One of the most important functions of this log is to create a solid foundation for contact tracing.
  • Logistics and transport. You should dispose of perishable goods that you haven’t sold if they aren’t stored at the proper storage temperature when you transport them. Both the pharmaceutical and food industries depend heavily on cold chain or temperature-controlled logistics to maintain the quality of various products.
  • Information Technology. It’s essential to maintain the correct room temperature in IT server rooms. Otherwise, this could lead to a server crash, which then result in a delay in your business operations. Using an automated temperature log will help prevent crashes because IT facility managers receive automated warnings when temperature thresholds get breached in a server room or data center.
  • Company offices. Company employees today are constantly exposed to evolving and new health risks. Because of this, you need to bring in new tools to help maintain their health and safety. Also, you can use these log sheets to help your employees monitor their body temperatures to maintain a favorable work environment despite the changing safety and health risks.

Refrigerator Temperature Logs

How to make a temperature log sheet?

Generally, most temperature logs contain specific fields to make sure that the thermometers have correct readings and that the heating or cooling systems function optimally with the temperatures you have programmed into them. When you create the log sheet, make sure to include the following information:

  • Temperature readings. Since you have to log temperatures in this sheet, you need to add a space for the temperature readings. The log is where the person responsible for monitoring the freezer, heating equipment, or refrigerator will record their temperature readings. You can include several fields to use depending on the type of operation and the equipment involved.
  • Time of temperature measurement. One very important entry in the log sheet is the time of temperature recording as it ensures the safe use of the goods. It’s not right to assume that cooling and heating equipment will have accurate temperatures all day, every day. At some point, machines and equipment will malfunction. Depending on the type of products you will store, even just a couple of hours can compromise the integrity of your products and the safety of your consumers.
  • Date of temperature measurement. When keeping records, including the date is a must. Accurate recording of dates is essential because you can use the log in case you encounter a legal issue.
  • Name of machine or equipment. Indicate the equipment used to store the products like freezers, refrigerators, food trucks, hold ovens, heater proofers, steam tables, transportation trucks, coolers, and so on. If your business uses different types of temperature-controlled machines, you need to specify the temperature ranges for each.
  • Method of recording. Specify how you will fill out the temperature log. Will you fill it out manually, will you use a digital template to record information, or will the data be automatically documented through digital software.
  • Type of measurement. Indicate the scale you will use to measure and record the temperature. Choose the type of item the measurement refers to. For instance, if it’s for cold food, hot food, or whatever type of storage method or product your business uses.
  • Other notes. This is where you would jot down any additional information that you need to record. For instance, you could add a comment about the seals on your refrigerator that have started leaking or your thermometer isn’t working well and you need to replace it. You may also include instructions on how to resolve any issues that have surfaced while you monitored the situation.

How to use temperature log sheet?

If you’re in the business industry, it’s recommended by the Food Standards Agency that you monitor and document the temperatures of your freezers and refrigerators at least one time each day. This will also depend on the risk levels – the higher the risk, the more often you should perform monitoring sessions. For instance, If your business requires that your refrigerators will remain open for long hours as your employees would use them regularly. In this kind of situation, you should perform monitoring sessions 3 times:

  • When your employees arrive.
  • In the middle of the day.
  • Before your employees leave.

Many templates for recording temperatures include different sections for logging in temperatures. In each of these sections, you will record the time when you performed the check and the temperature of the freezer or refrigerator. You can decide if you want to use a few or many sections. You can even decide how many checks to carry out each day. After downloading a temperature log sheet template, you can start using it in your regular checks. You can print the template and fill it out manually or choose an editable one and fill it out with your laptop or tablet while you carry out inspections.

Following the structure of the template will ensure that you are properly performing the checks and keeping accurate records while doing so. The template will also allow you to jot down any potential issues and solutions along with the people in charge of fixing those issues. Recording all of the relevant information is for due diligence. Here are some steps to use templates for logging temperatures:

  • Specify the location where you keep your freezers or refrigerators.
  • If you have several freezers or refrigerators, take note of which ones you’re checking every time.
  • Fill out the temperature and time recordings during your checks. You should use the internal temperature gauge or a probe to check the correct temperatures. Remember that most refrigerators should be 5ºC and below while most freezers should be -18ºC and below. It’s recommended to alternate between a gauge and a probe, then use both occasionally to account for situations where one might not work correctly.
  • Take note of any corrective actions you must take if you discover inaccurate temperatures. For instance, you can change the temperatures manually, discard spoiled food, call someone to make repairs, and so on.
  • Clearly specify the person who performed the check. If it was you, indicate your name. The person must have the right training to take accurate readings and know who to report to if they encounter any issues.
  • Also, take note of the supervisor in charge. This is essential to ensure accountability, as they’re in charge of signing off the temperature log sheet after its completion.

When you use a proper system for recording temperatures, you won’t find it challenging to create a suitable temperature log that will show compliance. This diligence will keep your freezers, refrigerators, and other equipment working at the right temperatures to provide your customers with food that’s safe to consume.

Patient Temperature log Sheets

Things to consider when logging temperature readings

Measuring the temperature of your refrigerator doesn’t just involve filling the template. This task might seem easy but when your team would have to fill out many temperature logs each day, which is a standard in most food service companies, it could become a real challenge. But if you maintain a proper log sheet, it will help you organize the data you need, thus making it easier for you to remember the information that will need when making regular checks. Here are some important tips to consider when monitoring temperature to prevent safety issues:

  • Use a dependable thermometer to measure accurate temperature. Since most freezers and refrigerators have displays that show the temperatures, you only need to check and record the data in your temperature log.
  • Schedule calibration procedures regularly for built-in thermometers and hand-held ones. This will ensure that all of the data entries are accurately recorded.
  • Make sure that you keep the thermocouples protected from any obstructions that could cause erroneous readings.
  • Maintaining a log for each of your refrigerators within the facility will avoid confusion.
  • Make sure that all of the log sheets are clearly labeled and contain all of the required information. You should also indicate the standards next to the temperature readings to serve as your reference for verification.
  • Keep your temperature logs in accessible locations. Make sure that the correct freezer and refrigerator log sheets for temperatures are in places where your team members can easily notice them.

Store the log sheets according to your HACCP plan documentation program. Usually, you would store these sheets are commonly filed and kept for up to 3 years.

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Tagged:LogSheetsTemperature Log Sheets
TemplateLab May 24th, 2022