A safety latch release apparatus for an institutional walk-in refrigerator or freezer cabinet doors provided with a bushing inserted into the mounting plate and surrounding the plunger rod for substantially blocking the internal cabinet air from flowing into the latch release pathway through the door to the external latch release assembly. The bushing also provides enhanced support and positional guidance to maintain the plunger rod centered along the annular opening of the mounting plate and bushing so that the rod is properly operationally aligned with the rear side of the handle latch assembly.