Compliance & Certification
Stay audit-ready year-round. We provide post-repair compliance checks, HACCP documentation, temperature logging and certification for food safety, pharmaceutical and council requirements.
The real cost of non-compliant refrigeration documentation
Most businesses don't think about refrigeration compliance until an auditor is standing in front of them asking for records that don't exist. These are the consequences when that happens.
Consequences of a failed food safety or refrigeration compliance audit
Environmental Health Officers issue improvement notices requiring documented corrective action within a specified timeframe. Failure to respond with adequate evidence — including temperature records and maintenance documentation — can escalate to a prohibition order.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand Code — Division 5, Standard 3.2.2.
Council EHOs have authority to issue prohibition orders closing a food premises if refrigeration is found non-compliant and adequate corrective action cannot be demonstrated. Closures affect revenue, reputation and staff.
Even temporary closures have lasting impact on customer trust for hospitality venues.
Where temperature exceedances cannot be disproved through documented logs, food safety authorities may order product quarantine or disposal. Without continuous temperature records, the burden of proof falls on the operator.
Cost of product disposal plus the compliance response typically exceeds months of documentation service fees.
Pharmaceutical storage non-compliance under TGA cold chain requirements can result in licence conditions, mandatory product recalls, or suspension of wholesaler authority. Temperature exceedance events must be reported, assessed and documented with corrective action evidence.
Applies to community pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, medical centres and pharmaceutical wholesalers.
Stock loss claims following refrigeration failure may be rejected if the insurer finds insufficient evidence of equipment maintenance and temperature monitoring. Maintenance records and temperature logs are increasingly required documentation for commercial refrigeration insurance claims.
Applies to all commercial operations with insured perishable stock.
“An EHO audit doesn't ask whether your refrigeration is working today. It asks whether you can prove it was working correctly, consistently, over the past two years — and who serviced it when it wasn't. Without documentation, the answer is always no.”
— ACRO compliance team — refrigeration compliance and certification, SE Queensland
Three different compliance frameworks. One contractor who understands all of them.
Food safety, pharmaceutical and council compliance each have distinct documentation requirements. Most refrigeration contractors are familiar with none of them in detail.
Food safety — EHO & HACCP
Food Standards Code, local council EHO inspections
Restaurants, cafes, hotels, commercial kitchens, food manufacturers, aged care, hospitals, schools and any business handling food that requires temperature-controlled storage.
- Documented temperature monitoring at defined intervals
- Evidence refrigeration is maintained and serviced regularly
- Corrective action records for any temperature exceedance
- HACCP plan supported by equipment verification records
- Technician qualifications documented for refrigerant handling
- HACCP-ready service reports every visit
- Temperature validation post-repair
- ARCtick licence number on every compliance certificate
- 2+ year digital records retained and exportable
Pharmaceutical — TGA cold chain
TGA cold chain guidelines, Australian Medicines Handbook
Community pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, medical centres, GP clinics, aged care facilities storing medicines, and pharmaceutical wholesalers and distributors.
- Continuous temperature monitoring with calibrated sensors
- Documented exceedance response and product assessment
- Validation of refrigeration equipment for pharmaceutical use
- Annual calibration of temperature monitoring devices
- Evidence of corrective action following equipment service
- TGA cold chain compliant service documentation
- Post-repair temperature validation to TGA protocol
- 24/7 monitoring integration available
- Exceedance response records with corrective action evidence
Council & building compliance
QBCC, local council DA conditions, BCA compliance
Businesses installing new cold rooms, upgrading refrigeration systems, or fitting out commercial premises where council development approval or building certification is required.
- Licensed contractor sign-off for electrical and refrigeration works
- Form 16 or equivalent certification for notifiable work
- ARCtick documentation for refrigerant handling
- Compliance with DA conditions where applicable
- As-built documentation for council or certifier submission
- QBCC licensed contractor — all works certifiable
- Form 16 / notifiable work certificates issued as required
- As-built documentation for council or certifier submission
- ARCtick refrigerant handling records on every job
What ACRO documentation actually contains — and why auditors accept it
A compliance certificate is only as useful as what's in it. Most service reports don't contain what an auditor actually needs. Ours are built for that purpose.
- Date and technician name
- Work performed — brief description
- Parts replaced
- Invoice total
Sufficient for a maintenance record. Insufficient for a HACCP audit, TGA inspection or EHO review — none of the critical compliance data points are included.
- Technician name, ARCtick licence number and QBCC licence reference
- Equipment details — make, model, location and asset identifier
- Pre-service temperature reading and post-repair temperature validation
- Refrigerant type, quantity handled and handling method
- Fault found, root cause identified and corrective action taken
- Parts replaced with component identifiers
- System test results — temperature stability confirmed before job close
- Digital signature and date/time stamp
- Stored in compliance portal — exportable on demand for audits
“When an EHO or TGA auditor asks for refrigeration maintenance records, they're looking for specific data points — temperature validation before and after repair, refrigerant handling documentation, technician qualifications. A standard invoice doesn't contain any of that. Our certificates are built to answer those questions directly.”
— ACRO compliance team — refrigeration compliance documentation, SE Queensland
What happens without a documentation trail — and what changes when you have one
| Audit scenario | No compliance documentation | ACRO compliance records in place |
|---|---|---|
| EHO arrives unannounced | Unable to demonstrate refrigeration has been maintained. Improvement notice issued. Corrective action required within days. | Full service history exported from compliance portal on the spot. Temperature logs, technician credentials and service dates all documented. |
| Temperature exceedance event | No records to show when equipment was last serviced or whether the fault was pre-existing. Product must be quarantined pending investigation. | Service history shows last maintenance date, temperature at service and any flagged defects. Corrective action record demonstrates response. |
| Insurance stock loss claim | Insurer requires evidence of maintenance and monitoring. No documentation means claim may be disputed or rejected. | Maintenance records, temperature logs and compliance certificates provided as supporting documentation. Claim supported. |
| New cold room council sign-off | Works completed by unlicensed or unregistered contractor. No Form 16 or as-built documentation available for certifier. | QBCC licensed works. Form 16 and ARCtick documentation issued on completion. As-built provided for certifier submission. |
| TGA pharmacy inspection | No calibrated temperature monitoring records. No documented response to exceedances. Potential licence condition applied. | Continuous monitoring records with exceedance response documentation. TGA cold chain protocol followed and evidenced. |
What's Included
A failed food safety audit can cost your business thousands in fines, forced closures and reputational damage. Our compliance service ensures every repair, maintenance visit and system modification is fully documented to the standard required by EHOs, TGA auditors and HACCP inspectors.
Discuss Your NeedsKey Benefits
- Post-repair compliance certificates for every job
- HACCP-ready temperature logs and maintenance records
- TGA cold chain documentation for pharmaceutical storage
- Council compliance assistance for new cold room builds
- Digital records retained for 2+ years
- On-demand report export for audits and inspections
How It Works
System Assessment
We review your current documentation, equipment and compliance gaps.
Repair & Certify
All work is performed by ARCtick-licensed technicians and documented to compliance standard.
Documentation
Digital compliance report issued — temperature validation, parts replaced, technician sign-off.
Ongoing Records
All records stored in your compliance portal, accessible anytime for audits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a compliance certificate include?
Our compliance certificates document the work performed, refrigerant handled, post-repair temperature validation, and technician ARCtick licence number.
Do you provide HACCP documentation?
Yes. Every maintenance visit includes a service report suitable for inclusion in your HACCP records.
Can you help with TGA cold chain requirements?
Yes — we are experienced with TGA cold chain guidelines for pharmaceutical cold rooms, including validation protocols and redundant monitoring requirements.
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