Don't Get Locked In: The Facts About Refrigerator Suffocation

Children climbing into an old refrigerator and suffocating when the door latched shut was once a regular news story in the United States. Today those deaths are rare, thanks to a federal law and a simple change in door design. The same principle protects anyone working inside a commercial walk-in cooler or freezer.

How many refrigerator suffocation deaths happen each year?

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 96 children died after being trapped in refrigerators between 1973 and 1984. In the 25 years before 2022 the CPSC recorded two reported deaths, the most recent in 2007. Deaths from refrigerator door entrapment are now nearly eliminated.

What the Refrigerator Safety Act requires

Congress passed the Refrigerator Safety Act on August 2, 1956. The Federal Register explains that household refrigerators of that era usually had external latches that held the door shut. The law requires a device that lets the door be opened easily from the inside. The rule, 16 CFR part 1750, covers household refrigerators made after October 30, 1958. The release must work automatically, by pushing outward on the door or turning a knob, and it must work with or without electrical power. That is why modern refrigerators close with a magnetic gasket instead of a mechanical latch.

Where the risk still exists

The CPSC still receives reports of children trapped in latch-type chest freezers, clothes dryers, picnic coolers, camper ice boxes and pre-1958 refrigerators. In each case the door could not be pushed open from inside, and the tight gasket cut off air. The CPSC recommends:

• Remove the door from any refrigerator or freezer you discard or store; it is usually a simple job with a screwdriver.
• Many local jurisdictions make it unlawful to discard an old refrigerator without removing the door.
• Keep children away from old latch-type appliances still in use, and lock utility rooms.

Walk-in coolers and freezers: the inside safety release

Commercial walk-ins present the same hazard for adults. OSHA notes that staff can be trapped if a cold-room door closes behind them, and it tells employers to provide a panic bar or other means of exit inside walk-in freezers under the exit-route standard, 29 CFR 1910.37. A walk-in door is fitted with a safety latch and an inside release rod that opens the door from inside even when the outside latch is padlocked. Our guide to walk-in cooler door hardware covers latches and releases in detail.

Safe habits for anyone using a walk-in

• Test the inside release from inside the box before you rely on it, and repair a sticking latch right away.
• Tell a coworker when you go in and how long you expect to be inside.
• Keep the release clear of shelving, carts and stored items.
• Post the emergency procedure inside the door and check the box at closing time.

Every walk-in mortuary cooler and walk-in mortuary freezer we build ships with a safety latch and inside release as standard.

Frequently asked questions

How many refrigerator deaths are there per year?

The CPSC reports refrigerator entrapment deaths are now nearly eliminated, with two reported deaths in the 25 years before 2022. Between 1973 and 1984, 96 children died.

What does the Refrigerator Safety Act require?

Household refrigerators must have a device that lets the door be opened easily from the inside, with or without power. The rule applies to refrigerators made after October 30, 1958.

Can you suffocate in a modern refrigerator?

Modern household refrigerators use magnetic gaskets that can be pushed open from inside. The remaining risk is mostly old latch-type refrigerators, chest freezers, dryers and coolers.

Do walk-in coolers have an inside release?

Yes. Walk-in cooler and freezer doors use a safety latch with an inside release so anyone inside can open the door, even if it is padlocked outside.