When it comes to restaurants, they contain various elements that cause sudden fire. Open flames, hot cooking equipment, cooking oils, electrical appliances, etc. increase the risk of devastating fire flares. So, fire protection and prevention is crucial!Here, we’ve listed seven must-have equipment, such as http://www.ph-el.dk/, in your restaurant that ensure fire safety-
Fire Extinguisher-Your First Line Of Defense Against Fire
Every restaurant needs several portable fire extinguishers to protect the business, customers and staff. The restaurant kitchens should have Class K type fire extinguishers. These are specifically built to fight kitchen fires involving fats, grease or oils.
One of the biggest dangers in a restaurant kitchen is splashing hot oil. However, spraying a mist of Class K fire extinguisher suffocates the fire. It contains a blend of potassium citrate and potassium acetate. These two chemicals create a barrier between oxygen and heated oil, preventing the re-ignition of fire.
Fire extinguishers need to be inspected and tested regularly, at least once a month. Also, everyone on the staff, from manager to waiters should be trained to use the equipment in emergency.
In a restaurant, having essential fire safety equipment like extinguishers and smoke detectors is crucial for preventing disasters. However, protecting critical electrical components is just as important for maintaining safety. Installing a fireproof enclosure around electrical junctions and splice boxes can help contain potential hazards, ensuring that vital systems remain intact during a fire and reducing the risk of further damage to the building.
Install A Fire Alarm To Manage Fire Risk
Depending upon the size of your restaurant, you may or may not require a fire alarm system. But, it’s good to have a fire detection system in place to ensure that everyone gets notified if a fire incident happens at your place. On average, a guest has two minutes to escape safely in case of fire in a hotel room. A fire alarm will give them sufficient time to use the escape route.
If the alarm doesn’t double as CO detectors, make sure that you have installed a CO detector plugged in as well.
Have A Kitchen Hood Fire Suppression System
A grease hood and ventilation system over the coking appliances ensures that the grease laden vapors are vented out of the area. Along with ventilation, install fire suppression systems inside the kitchen hoods to prevent fire flares.
A suppression system connects to both the hood over your cooking station and the gas line running through it. It this system is tripped, the gas line shuts off automatically. This way, it kills the fuel source of the fire.
Keep Fire Sprinkler Systems Handy
Whether it is a dance hall, night club, disco or a restaurant, a fire sprinkler system is required in all types of establishments. It does the excellent job of diminishing fires and saving lives. According to NFPA, the death rate from fires is 87% lower in the buildings with sprinklers than those without these systems.
However, not all sprinklers are same. Some are designed to withstand freezing temperatures, while others focus on flooding the space with fire extinguishing agent. You can go for automatic fire sprinkler systems that activate automatically as they reach a certain temperature.
There Should Be Special Protection For Hazardous Areas
Several hazardous locations are required to be separated from the rest of the building if a fire incident happens. There are areas in a restaurant that include-
- Electric transformers
- Furnaces and Boilers
- Storage of combustible supplies
- Refrigeration machines, etc.
Other hazardous areas such as laundries, or rooms used for processing flammable liquids need to be separated by an automatic fire extinguishing system and at least one-hour fire-resistance construction.
Emergency Exit Lighting Must Be There
Emergency lights run on batteries and separate system than the main lighting. Having exit lighting and fire evacuation routes in your restaurant ensures that your guests aren’t stuck if the worst scenario happens. Besides this, install proper exit signs, as well as nearest exit plans, maps if you have a large restaurant, bar or a coffee shop.If the premises are small, the normal entries or exits are sufficient.
Further, doors in the escape routes should always be available for use without using a key. If there are security grills or roller shutters, they must be open if people are on the premises.
Cooking Equipment Need Specific Protection
Minimum requirements for cooking equipment protection include a hood and a duct system. A fire extinguishing system must be there within the duct to remove grease-laden vapors. Further, as the hood sucks all the moisture and smoke out of the air, it’s also sucking grease. Just one flare from the stove and all the grease have a possibility of burning up!
So, it is crucial to have a professional hood cleanup to degrease the equipment and keep the fire hazards at bay.
To Sum Up
One of the most important things you can do to minimize the fire hazards is to be vigilant! Keep an eye on the electrical fixtures, and get an electrician to check them out if they are cracked. Check if there are any lose combustibles floating around in the areas in kitchen or near electrical equipment. Educate the staff about the fire safety measures and how to use fire-fighting equipment to minimize the effects.