Star Refrigeration is urging customers to continue to carry out planned preventative maintenance (PPM) of plant and equipment during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In line with government guidance, Star’s nationwide engineering team is continuing to provide an essential support service for food production, processing, storage and distribution. Star is also providing critical repair and maintenance for cooling systems in key industries, including healthcare and IT/communications.
Star is advising existing customers that they should continue to carry out plant maintenance, as deferring site visits by refrigeration engineers could have an adverse effect over time. The company recommends that all current maintenance schedules are followed for as long as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Star Refrigeration Operations Director, James Ward, says: “Some businesses may be thinking about making cutbacks or deferring maintenance visits at this difficult time, but we are urging customers to consider the future financial implications of such decisions.
“Our experience demonstrates that a lack of refrigeration plant maintenance can lead to longer periods of downtime at the point of failure. Without ongoing preventative maintenance, customers increase the risk of unplanned downtime due to faults and poor running conditions. Plant repair and downtime creates additional costs and can have a significant detrimental effect on business.
“Duty holders must also consider the ongoing regulatory and legislative compliance of operating refrigeration and HVAC equipment. Despite the demanding circumstances, compliance with occupational health and safety legal requirements remains and the necessary inspections and corrective actions should be carried out.”
Star’s Operations Group develops bespoke maintenance plans to ensure the best operation, reliability and efficiency of refrigeration plant and equipment. Planned preventative maintenance helps to identify potential faults early and reduces any adverse impact for customers. In addition, the monitoring hub and Ethos remote monitoring customer plugin also allow Star to accurately plan maintenance visits by monitoring customer refrigeration plant data remotely 24-hours a day whilst informing engineers of alarms and faults so that they can act quickly when needed.
Star is currently working in line with government guidance to provide critical repair and maintenance services to essential industries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Star is also committed to carrying out maintenance and service work for existing customers, to ensure continuity and compliance with refrigeration industry regulations.
James Ward says: “Whilst our team is prioritising critical engineering activities in essential industries, we have an ongoing commitment to provide all customers with an appropriate level of service. We are working carefully within government guidelines to provide on site maintenance support, whilst ensuring the safety of our staff, valued customers and the wider community.”
“With the warmer weather approaching, it is important to check your cooling equipment is operating at its optimum and continuing with your PPM will ensure this.”
Star is UK’s largest refrigeration engineering company, with over 100 field engineering staff currently in operation across the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic.