Frequently Asked Questions
What features should a compliant blood fridge include?
A blood fridge should be built specifically for blood and blood products, not general medical stock.
Important features include stable temperature control, forced air circulation, continuous temperature recording, high and low temperature alarms, a power failure alarm, suitable internal storage, and rated blood pack capacity.
The alarm and monitoring system matters as much as the fridge itself. Temperatures need to be recorded securely, sensors need to reflect the temperature of the stored blood packs, and alarms need to be available where staff can respond if the fridge moves outside range.
The fridge should also be supplied with operating instructions, installation requirements, cleaning and maintenance instructions, and details of the ambient temperature range it is designed to operate in.
ENLAKE can help specify a blood fridge with the right capacity, monitoring, documentation and service support for your facility.What features should a compliant plasma freezer include?
A compliant plasma freezer must meet Australian Standard AS 3864, Medical refrigeration equipment — For the storage of blood and blood products, Parts 1 and 2.
AS 3864 sets the requirements for freezer performance, temperature control, alarms, temperature recording, construction, documentation, care and maintenance. In practical terms, a compliant plasma freezer must maintain frozen plasma and plasma products at -25°C or lower, provide reliable temperature recording, include temperature and power failure alarms, and have suitable internal storage for plasma packs.
The freezer should also be supplied with the information needed for installation, operation, cleaning and maintenance, including its rated plasma pack capacity and the ambient temperature range it is designed to operate in.
ENLAKE can help specify a plasma freezer that meets AS 3864 requirements and suits your facility, storage capacity, monitoring arrangements and service support needs.
What features should a vaccine fridge have?
A vaccine fridge, also called a purpose built vaccine refrigerator (PBVR), is designed to store vaccines between 2°C and 8°C. All vaccine fridges sold by ENLAKE are compliant with Strive for 5 vaccine storage requirements, with inbuilt temperature controllers, digital temperature displays, minimum and maximum temperature recording, and alarms to warn staff if the cabinet moves outside the required temperature range.
Strive for 5 lists several important PBVR features, including an audible alarm, visual temperature display, door left open alarm, and minimum, maximum and current temperature monitoring. Other useful features include fan forced air circulation, shelving designed to support air movement and temperature uniformity, adjustable shelves, lockable doors, automated temperature monitoring, SMS or email alerts, and back-to-base alarm options.
ENLAKE also strongly recommends using an independent vaccine fridge data logger, even where the fridge has inbuilt temperature data logging. An independent data logger gives you a separate temperature record, so if there is a problem with the fridge controller, probe or display, the logger can still help identify temperature excursions and support cold chain assessment.
What happens if a vaccine fridge goes outside 2°C to 8°C?
If a vaccine fridge records a temperature outside 2°C to 8°C, affected vaccines must not be used or discarded until the event has been assessed. Keep the vaccines refrigerated between 2°C and 8°C where possible, isolate the affected stock and clearly label it “Do not use / Do not discard”.
Staff need to review the temperature history, including data logger records, the minimum and maximum temperatures reached, how long the fridge was outside range and which vaccines were affected. This information is used to assess the event and decide whether the vaccines remain suitable for use.
Under Strive for 5, vaccine temperatures below 2°C or above 8°C must be reported to the relevant state or territory health department. A single temperature rise above 8°C is not treated as a cold chain breach if it reaches no higher than 12°C and lasts no longer than 15 minutes, such as during restocking or checking stock.
For privately purchased vaccines, the vaccine manufacturer may also need to be contacted for advice. Reliable alarms, temperature displays, data logging and staff procedures help identify problems early and provide the records needed for cold chain assessment.What is a plasma freezer?
What is a platelet shaker used for?
A platelet shaker, also called a platelet agitator, keeps platelet bags in gentle, continuous motion during storage. This helps reduce settling and clumping while the platelets are stored at controlled room temperature.
Platelet shakers are commonly used in hospital blood banks, blood centres, transfusion services and clinical research laboratories.
What is a vaccine fridge?
A vaccine fridge is a purpose built medical refrigerator designed to store vaccines between 2°C and 8°C. This is the recommended temperature range for vaccine storage in Australia, with 5°C used as the target midpoint under the Strive for 5 guidelines.
Purpose built vaccine fridges are the only suitable option for vaccine storage. Unlike domestic fridges or bar fridges, they are designed to maintain a stable, uniform and controlled cabinet temperature, with features that help protect vaccines from heat, freezing and temperature fluctuations.
Vaccine fridges are commonly used in medical centres, pharmacies, hospitals, veterinary clinics, laboratories and other healthcare settings. Depending on the model, they may include fan forced air circulation, high and low temperature alarms, minimum and maximum temperature displays, inbuilt data logging, fast temperature recovery after door opening, lockable doors and remote alarm options.
ENLAKE supplies benchtop, under counter, upright, glass door, solid door and large capacity vaccine fridges, including both Australian made and imported models. We can help you compare size, capacity, features, price, warranty, monitoring options and operating environment so you can choose a vaccine fridge suited to your facility and cold chain requirements.What is the difference between a blood fridge and a vaccine fridge?
A blood fridge is built for storing blood and blood products. A vaccine fridge is built for vaccines and temperature-sensitive medicines. They are not the same product category, and the compliance requirements are different.| Requirement | Blood fridge | Vaccine fridge |
|---|---|---|
| Main use | Blood and blood products that may be transfused into patients | Vaccines and temperature-sensitive medicines |
| Storage range | 2°C to 6°C | Typically 2°C to 8°C |
| Australian Standard | AS 3864, Medical refrigeration equipment – For the storage of blood and blood products | Vaccine cold chain requirements |
| Alarm system | Separate from the temperature control system | Not usually equivalent to AS 3864 blood storage requirements |
| Temperature records | Reliable temperature recording and audit trail capability | Temperature records required, but to a different standard |
| ARTG / TGA | Must be included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), unless a specific exemption, approval or authority applies | ARTG inclusion is generally not required for standard vaccine refrigeration equipment |
What is the difference between a plasma freezer and a laboratory freezer?
The difference is both performance and compliance. Plasma freezers are built to hold frozen plasma products at much lower temperatures than many standard laboratory freezers, with models operating around -35°C and no higher than -30°C under heavy use and defrost conditions. They also include more comprehensive monitoring and alarm features, such as high and low alarm testing, probe failure alarm, door alarm, battery-backed temperature recording and remote alarm contacts.
Plasma freezers used for frozen blood product storage must meet Australian Standard AS 3864, Medical refrigeration equipment — For the storage of blood and blood products, Parts 1 and 2. They must also have the correct ARTG status before being supplied in Australia.
A general laboratory freezer may be suitable for laboratory materials, but it is not usually suitable for frozen blood product storage. Frozen plasma and plasma products should only be stored in a compliant plasma freezer.