It is an unfortunate reality – fires are all too common in restaurants. Not only can these accidents cause thousands of dollars in damage, they can also lead to injuries and fatalities. If you would like to avoid such an incident, then here are the strategies that you should be adding to your restaurant:
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Clean the Ventilation Hoods Regularly
Exhaust hoods are one of the main causes of fires in restaurants. This is because they can become coated with grease that then acts as a flammable substance. This grease can also travel up into the ductwork although this does take a longer time to happen.
It is due to this risk that you should make it a habit of cleaning the ventilation hoods and the ductwork on a regular basis. Don’t wait for the grime to accumulate, do this every few weeks or even sooner depending on how often the kitchen is used. It is a good idea to hire professionals to do the job to ensure that it is tackled properly.
Have Appropriate Safety Equipment and Measures
There should be high-quality fire alarms at the front of the restaurant as well as in the kitchen. As an added precaution, think of having a sprinkler system in the front as well. These may not be suitable for the cooking area due to possibility of grease fires.
Make sure that the kitchen is equipped with the necessary safety kitchen, especially a ULC listed class K extinguisher at every workstation. There should be fire extinguishers around the kitchen, all within easy reach. This gives people the opportunity to put out the fires more quickly.
Don’t forget about safety equipment at the front of the restaurant as well. While you can have heavy-duty fire extinguishers, you can include a foam fire extinguisher at various points.
Carry Out Regular Inspections
There is little point in having safety equipment if it doesn’t work properly. Have professionals come in and inspect the equipment on a regular basis. If you have a sprinkler or fire alarm system this should be monitored as well.
When the restaurant is closed, it is a good idea to test out the alarms and systems in place. This is the best way to know that they are working.
Train All Staff
It is important that all of your staff are trained in fire safety and know how to use all the equipment. It doesn’t matter if they are a cook, server, or bartender – everyone should know how to react. Have safety trainings several times a year to make sure that the information is fresh in everyone’s memory.
Have fire drills as well so that people have real-life experience. This reduces the likelihood of them freezing in the event of an emergency. This should be done several times as well as this helps the training to really sink in.
There are numerous fire safety strategies to implement in your restaurant. The more you do, the safer that you make the environment for your employees as well as your patrons. Thus, these strategies will not be in vain.
