Fire Safety in Kitchens

If you’re responsible for a food business like a restaurant, café or takeaway, there are specific areas of fire safety you need to really pay attention to. 

You have a legal obligation to protect your business, including employees, visitors and assets, from fires starting and spreading. You could potentially face an unlimited fine and even a custodial prison sentence if you don’t meet your legal obligations. It is reported that around 60% of private businesses never recover from a fire, so it makes good business sense to understand where the threat of fire comes from and invest time and effort in reducing the likelihood of a fire.

Statistics show that the main causes of fires in restaurants, cafés and takeaways are,

• Kitchen appliances
• Cookers
• Electrical distribution
• Other factors include open flames on gas burners, human error and poor ventilation.

Contributing factors to kitchen fires include:

• Neglecting regular cleaning of ducting in a kitchen extraction system which can increase the risk of ducting fires due to accumulated dirt / grease.
• Inadequate fire-safe separation between units, potentially leading to secondary fires.
• Risks of electrical fires when portable appliances are not tested / inspected and the electrical system lacks proper maintenance.
• Placing electrical lighting too close to flammable materials increasing the likelihood of an incident.
• Cooking techniques involving overheated oils or naked flames.
• Tumble dryers can pose risks when towels overheat. 
• Poor management of gas, such as not fully switching off after closing time, could lead to explosions.
• Storage practices and rubbish management, including blocked escape routes and the accumulation of rubbish, can increase the risk of arson or accidental fires from discarded cigarettes.

With proactive planning you can keep your customers, people and premises fire safe. 

• You must ensure that you have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment in place, with controls implemented. 
• Have planned routine maintenance in place for your equipment, which include the cleaning of ducting, testing and maintenance of all electrical equipment and fixed installations.
• Ensure your employees are aware of the risk and participate in keeping the workplace premises safe, e.g. not overloading sockets, supervising tumble dryer use, safe cooking techniques, etc. 
• Putting processes in place for ensuring the correct storage of flammable liquids such as cooking oils, cleaning agents, or alcohol, and make sure your employees adhere to them. 

If you require any help or advice regarding Fire Safety in Kitchens, or fire safety in general, please contact Spectra where one of our experienced Consultants can help.