Safety is something that every restaurant has to worry about. A simple logic is if your employees are hurt, they cannot do their job. If that happens you as the owner starts to lose money. However, this logic also applies to your restaurant building itself. If a fire was to break out in your kitchen the damage could be a catastrophe. The tips below will help to minimize the chances of a fire in your restaurant.
According to several different sources including foodservicewarehouse.com and firstcomp.com there are several common risks:
- Open flames- clothing and hair can very easily catch on fire when they come in contact with open flames.
- Full grease traps – Will have pieces of material that are flammable when more hot grease is added.
- Poor housekeeping – Areas that are dirty or cluttered can cause a fire to rapidly spread out of control.
- Faulty or frayed electrical cords – can be the spark that starts the fire
- Improper storage of flammable materials – should always be stored in accordance to any warning on the label or away from open flames and heat sources to help ensure they do not combust.
There are several steps that an employer and employees can do to help prevent fire and protect themselves.
- Everyone in the workplace should understand fire safety procedures and risk in the workplace. This should include knowing when to use what fire extinguisher and how to use them.
- Make sure that the entire staff knows what to do in the event of a fire including calling the fire department, sounding the fire alarm, and activating any overhead suppression system.
- Regularly clean grill surfaces and grease traps. If you do have a grease fire DO NOT throw water on it.
- Keep aisles uncluttered and make sure to never block any exits. Also, make sure all exit signs work correctly.
- Never use defective equipment or any equipment with a frayed cord. It only takes a small spark to ignite a fire somewhere.
It is also important to note that there are several OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards that do apply.
Resources:
http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/education/product-safety-public-health/restaurant-fire-hazards-/c28185.aspx
https://www.firstcomp.com/firstcomp/assets/Loss%20Control%20Policyholder%20Training%20Series/Restaurant%20Fire%20Hazards.pdf