As the owner or manager of a restaurant, you have quite a list of duties to complete each day. There is really no down time in your profession. No matter how busy you are, you need to take the time to practice responsible fire safety. According to 2008-2010 statistics, approximately 8,000 eating establishments report a fire annually. These blazes cause an average of 246 million dollars of damage each year. You can construct a plan to keep this destruction from happening to your restaurant. 

Grease Cleanup

Predictably, fifty-nine percent of all restaurant fires begin in the kitchen, many due to grease build-up. Keeping grease traps cleaned out and all surfaces clear of grease is essential to preventing fires. Regularly hiring someone like Missouri Kitchen Pro's & Pressure Washing to clean your range hoods and exhaust systems is an excellent way to cut down on your kitchen's flammability. Anything covered with grease can go up in flames in a matter of seconds if ignited. In many areas, this maintenance is required to meet state law. 

Open Flames

At a restaurant, you work around open flames all the time. As a result, it is easy to become too casual about leaving items close to the stove tops. Placing  aerosol cans and clothing items near the stoves can result in fast, destructive fires. In fact, if you are not part of the cooking team, stay out of the area entirely. Servers do not need to be in the stove area. 

Fire Suppression

Your restaurant does need traditional fire extinguishers, but in addition, you need at least one Type K model near your cooking area. Type K models fight the grease fires that are so often the cause of major restaurant damage. You also need to be certain that your fire suppression system, including sprinklers, is inspected twice a year according to the National Fire Protection Association's requirements. Your smoke detectors also need to be routinely maintained. Simple inspections can prevent a tragedy at your workplace. 

Restaurant fires are all too common. If you own or manage an eating establishment, chances are you have had experience with at least one a small blaze. Hiring someone to regularly clean your range hoods and exhaust systems of grease is one simple but effective way to reduce your chance of having a fire. Keeping everyone except the cooks out of the kitchen is another. Finally, be certain to follow through with required routine inspections of your fire suppression systems. Restaurants are constantly busy, but you cannot afford to overlook these basic safety measures. 

Share