While the four property classes that account for the most fires are apartment buildings, hotels, offices, and facilities that care for the sick, that doesn’t exclude restaurants from the necessity of fire protection and prevention.
In a restaurant, and especially in the kitchen, promoting good fire safety habits and a sound education of potential risks and hazards is essential to protecting your staff. A recent survey revealed that only 35% of businesses have any kind of fire prevention plan in place. To join that demographic, here are a few tips to create a sound fire prevention and protection plan.
Engage in Preventative Maintenance
Calling a fire protection company to install an automatic fire suppression system is crucial. Over 57% of all restaurant fires are a direct result of cooking equipment, so your kitchen is most likely the highest risk area in the building. These systems automatically dispense chemicals to suppress the flames and also have a manual switch. Activating the system automatically shuts down the fuel or electric supply to nearby cooking equipment.
Perform Regular Inspections
Installation of suppression or fire sprinkler systems is only the first step in fire protection. Almost 45% of dry or wet chemical system failures are due to lack of maintenance. In order to ensure that these systems are fully operational at all times, you should schedule regular inspections and maintenance. It’s as simple as calling the fire protection company that installed the equipment and requesting an appointment.
Educate Employees
There is nothing as important as a sound education of fire safety and prevention for your staff. Whether they work in the kitchen or on the floor, regular educational sessions and drills should be performed so they know what to do in the event of a fire. In addition, your staff should be aware of how to use fire extinguishers and have a complete knowledge of restaurant safety procedures.
Fire safety isn’t just your job as a restaurant owner. It’s everyone’s job to promote a safe and knowledgeable work environment. However, the habits that you engage in and the education you provide could help your staff become more knowledgeable and make your business a safer place.
