With open flames, hot equipment, numerous electrical connections, high-temperature cooking oils, flammable cleaning liquids, and ubiquitous paper products, restaurants have all of the ingredients for a fire to go out of control. These elements combine to create conditions that can quickly lead to a fire emergency. Understanding these threats and how to reduce them with a commercial kitchen suppression system can help avoid property damage, business downtime, and injury/death.
Top Fire Hazards:
Let us look at the top fire hazards within the commercial kitchens and understand how to decrease this threat.
Oil Fires
Oil is among the most dangerous fire hazards in commercial kitchens because of how rapidly it can accumulate and how volatile it is once a fire starts.
Problem: Oil deposits can rack up on vents or ducts, and if this deposit catches fire, the kitchen could be in danger.
Solution: Appoint a qualified expert to service the equipment and clean the fume hoods regularly.
Electrically Started Fires
Because even a slight rip in a wire can cause a kitchen fire, it is a brilliant idea to check wiring for frays, bends, or damage and avoid using items with broken cables or open wires.
Problem: Overloaded outlets are major causes of electrical fires, so never connect too many products to a single outlet or extension cable.
Solution: Use an adequate number of power sources and ensure that power boards have overload and surge protection.
Clutter is the Enemy
A busy restaurant receives supplies and deliveries 24/7, and most products are supplied in bags or containers, which often require wrapping.
Problem: If these items are kept haphazardly, they will not only serve as fuelwood for a fire but will also interfere with an evacuation procedure.
Solution: To minimise the risk of injury or fire spread, any sort of clutter, including storage boxes, should be organized or disposed of as soon as possible.
Open Flames
Multiple open flames are unavoidable in a busy restaurant kitchen.
Problem: Many things inside the restaurant are flammable, for instance, oil, clothes, etc. Cloth, in general, is a hazard around open flames, including dishtowels, potholders, aprons, etc.
Solution: It is crucial to have strict rules about attire around the cooking area. Employees should keep their loose items or hair held back or covered (not just for hygienic reasons.)
Handling Fire Hazards with Commercial Kitchen Fire Suppression System
Fire hazards lurk in every corner of the restaurant’s kitchen, and knowing how to spot them can help you in successful prevention. Water is not an ideal choice of firefighting agent in the case of kitchen fires, and fire extinguishers can spoil food. On the other hand, a commercial kitchen suppression system is quick and effective in dousing the fire.
To know more about our range of LPCB-approved water-mist and wet chemical-based Kitchen Suppression Systems check our website.