Systematic literature review on the risk assessment of ammonia refrigeration systems in the food industry

Abstract

Refrigeration technology plays a crucial role in sustainable development due to its usage in a wide range of fields, including air cooling, food preservation, chemical processing, and biological applications. However, employees in the food industry face significant occupational hazards due to insufficient preventive measures and mitigating protocols. This study conducts a systematic literature review on the safety and health of workers in the food industry using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) approach. A stringent eligibility procedure yielded 15 articles that were systematically analysed. A thematic analysis of these studies revealed four main themes: the main risk factors associated with ammonia refrigeration systems, comparisons of various risk assessment approaches, software used in quantitative risk assessment calculations, and the efficacy of risk management measures that have been proposed or implemented in the food industry. A further exploration of these themes revealed an additional 12 sub-themes. This review highlights the benefits of consolidating findings from a diverse range of research studies, which can help stakeholders formulate strategies that are aligned with the requirements, capabilities, and interests of food industry manufacturers. This study also provides recommendations for future research to prospective scholars in this field.