It goes without saying that restaurants are high risk areas for fires. With fires and grease build up all around, it is very easy for things to get out of control. To ensure that your restaurant is exercising as much caution as possible, here are the top tips to keep in mind:
Stock Up on Special Extinguishers
One of the biggest issues with fires in restaurants is that they tend to be grease fires. This means that water and most traditional extinguishers will not put a dent in them. This is why you will need to equip your kitchens with wet chemical kitchen extinguishers instead. Station one at frequent intervals within easy reach of the staff.
Now you will also require extinguishers for the dining section of the restaurant as well. For this area though a traditional water extinguisher will suffice as the risk of grease fires are much lower. Still, make sure that they at several points around the restaurant so that anyone can get to them quickly.
Maintain the Kitchens Properly
Fires aren’t just because there is food on the stove. Build up of grease in hoods, ashes in wood and charcoal ovens can also contribute to fires. This is why it is important to clean out all of these elements on a regular basis. To ensure that nothing is missed out, create a checklist. Then, check out each of these components every few days.
You should also get your chefs to check their workstations, ovens, stoves, etc. before they start using them for the day. This way, they can report if anything needs to be cleaned out first. Eventually, this will become a habit making easier for everyone to stay on top of things.
Get Safety Checks
Most people forget that all of your fire safety equipment needs to be maintained. Just as importantly, they need to be checked on a regular basis to make sure that they are working properly. After all, the last thing that you want is for a fire to break out and for your equipment to not function as needed.
These checks do need to be conducted by professionals. Therefore, you should make a note of when they need to be tested or have maintenance done. Then, set a reminder for yourself so that a proper schedule is maintained throughout.
Train Your Staff
As there is such a high risk of fire, each and every person in the kitchen needs to be trained on what do in the event of a fire. It isn’t enough to just give people a lecture or have posters. You should give each person hands on training.
This way, they will be less likely to hesitate when the time comes. Instead, they will be able to swing into action and put out the fire before it gets too out of hand. Make sure that the staff in the dining area are similarly trained to handle an emergency situation.
These are the main tips that you should be following to guarantee proper fire safety in your restaurant. Stick to these and you will be able to keep everyone safe.
