Emergencies such as wildfires, floods or severe storms sometimes lead to prolonged power outages. If your refrigerator and/or freezer becomes damaged or loses power for too long, perishable foods will become unsafe to eat. Find out more about what food safety precautions to take if your home is affected by a power outage.
If you are currently experiencing a power outage, keep your refrigerator and freezer door closed as much as possible. Keep track of what time the power went out. When doors remain closed, outages lasting less than 4 hours are unlikely to lead to spoiled foods.
During a power outage, your unopened appliance will keep items cold for about:
If a power outage lasts longer than the specified time frames, throw away all perishable food in your appliance. Remember, if you have opened the doors of your appliance, shorter power outages may still lead to spoiled foods. Contaminated food may not always smell bad or appear spoiled – when in doubt, throw it out.
When handling spoiled foods, including meat products, use personal protective equipment, like rubber or latex gloves, protective aprons or gowns, protective glasses, masks, and wash your hands thoroughly.
If you have large quantities of spoiled foods or meat that cannot be disposed of in a residential setting, contact your local government for guidance.
Take the following steps before using your appliance after a prolonged power outage:
After a prolonged power outage, you will need to determine if your refrigerator or freezer is safe to continue using. Do not use an appliance that appears damaged.
If you have concerns, consult a professional appliance technician to determine if your appliance is safe to use.
If your appliance cannot maintain the following temperatures, it is not safe to use:
Consult a professional appliance technician to determine if the appliance can be repaired or should be replaced.
If you notice visible signs of damage on your appliance, either externally or internally, do not try to use it. Consult a professional appliance technician to determine whether the appliance is still safe to use.
Your appliance needs to be cleaned and disinfected thoroughly before you use it again. If it cannot be safely disinfected, the safest option is be to replace your appliance.
During a fire, soot or smoke can enter through appliance openings which can damage internal components and may pose a safety or fire hazard. Consult a professional appliance technician to determine whether the appliance is still safe to use.
Guidance from Health Canada on steps to take before, during and after an emergency to protect your family from foodborne illness.
Safety tips from the Government of B.C.’s Emergency Management and Climate Readiness blog.
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