Fire safety is a critical element to get right in a restaurant kitchen. While the statistics about fires only include those that are reported, there are an average 9,076 fires reported every year, causing 107 civilian injuries and $175 million in direct property damage. Those costs don’t include expenses generated by business interruption or other impacts of a fire. This is according to Brian O’Connor, an engineer with the National Fire Protection Association, who was the guest speaker at a recent National Restaurant Association webinar about fire safety in commercial kitchens. Cooking is far and away the top cause of fires and direct property damage, he said. While cooking-related fires generate less cost per fire than other hazards like heating equipment, electrical distribution and lighting equipment, they are far more common than those risks. A number of factors increase cooking hazards. Beyond the ignition of grease in a kitchen, grease may vaporize and build up in a building’s ducts and ventilation system. Cooking equipment may not be in safe condition or approved for use. Kitchen equipment might be moved around without a subsequent reevaluation of the fire extinguishing system’s placement. Similarly, changes to storage areas or the placement of furniture may not meet fire and building codes. O’Connor offered some tips to help operators stay on top of their cooking risks: Only operate the exhaust of the restaurant’s fire extinguishing system with filters, and only use cooking equipment if the exhaust is working. Don’t leave cooking equipment unattended. Regular inspections are important too: Inspect cooking equipment annually. Maintain the fire extinguishing system and exhaust every six months. Replace fusible links every six months. Every week, inspect the metal containers used to collect grease drippings and drain or replace them if needed. Follow the equipment manufacturer’s instructions for specific guidance on maintenance. For further reference, the National Restaurant Association offers a downloadable guide, Always Ready: Fire, which covers the areas restaurant operators need to think about when it comes to fire preparedness and safety. Improve your fire safety Research from the National Fire Protection Association found that U.S. fire departments respond to an average of 20 fires per day at restaurants and bars. Fire hazards can increase if your equipment isn’t sufficiently cleaned and maintained – tasks that can slip through the cracks when a restaurant is short-staffed. Make sure fire safety procedures are part of your staff training, so your employees know where to find fire extinguishers, how to keep their work areas clean and free from fire hazards, what ingredients and cooking methods pose the greatest risks, and how to safely exit the premises in case of fire. Conduct regular inspections of your gas and electrical power supplies, and ensure your fire alarms and sprinklers are in working order. At a time when your restaurant may be using more heaters, both indoors and outdoors, to make your spaces more comfortable and accessible regardless of the weather, it’s important to give your equipment and staff a fire safety check-up. The risk of fire increases in the winter months – and some of the newer or temporary structures you may be heating can present an additional risk to your restaurant if heaters aren’t used properly. In addition to maintaining indoor appliances that can pose fire safety hazards, like your vent hood, now is a good time to deliver updated fire safety training to your staff and make sure your fire extinguishers are in good working order. |
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