In fast-paced environments like restaurants that depend on the use of stoves and open flames, accidents are bound to happen. Practicing fire safety routines and educating staff will only go so far in the case of an emergency. It is essential for restaurant owners to equip their facilities with industrial kitchen fire protection systems to save lives and protect your investment. Here are the key devices your industrial kitchen needs to be prepared in the event of a fire.
Industrial Kitchen Suppression Systems
In the past, industrial kitchens had limited options when it came to fire suppression. Most restaurants relied on general-purpose fire extinguishers that used dry chemicals to douse flames. However, modern kitchens use slightly different cooking methods and ingredients that burn hotter and can be harder to put out.
Additionally, most kitchen fires are started by cooking oils, which react differently than other materials like wood, paper, and fabric. To make fire suppression systems more effective, wet chemical extinguishing agents were introduced. The wet chemicals create a soapy layer on the surface of the oil, sealing it off from the oxygen that helps to fuels the flames.
1. Fire Alarm
The first step to protecting staff, guests, and your property is to detect the problem as soon as it starts by making sure the building has commercial emergency fire alarms. The alarms should have sound and light capabilities to account for people in the building who might be deaf or blind. Most fire alarms will also be equipped to work as carbon monoxide detectors which can alert occupants to the invisible, odorless gas that can be deadly.
2. Fire Extinguisher
One of the primary tools restaurant owners needs in their kitchen suppression system is a fire extinguisher. These should be easy to access and all staff should be familiar with their locations. It is important to note that these devices become less effective with time, so they would be properly serviced, tested, and replaced on a regular basis to ensure their ability to perform in an emergency situation.
3. Sprinkler Systems
Some fires can be taken care of quickly with just a fire extinguisher, but others might get out of control and span across an entire room or even multiple rooms. In this case, the objective is to get everyone out of the building and minimize damages as much as possible with an emergency fire sprinkler system. Fire sprinklers are automatically activated when they reach a certain temperature, sending water through the sprinkler to put out the fire. To make sure sprinkler systems are operating properly a fire sprinkler inspection is necessary.
Equipment Maintenance and Safety Precautions
You can increase the safety of your industrial kitchen by maintaining best practices and scheduling regular testing for all of your fire suppression devices. It’s also wise to invest in consistent fire drills, educating kitchen staff on the flammability of fats, oils, and grease, and providing ample fire extinguisher training sessions.
All restaurants hope they never experience a fire, but these best defense against a disaster is to equip your facilities with industrial kitchen fire protection. To learn more about specific codes that might apply to your restaurant or find the best fire suppression devices for your unique needs, contact our knowledgable team at APFE Corp today.
