About one-third of all restaurant fires originate within the kitchen area and are typically flash fires involving kitchen products. Prevention of these incidents requires two essential steps: control of flammable sources and control of combustible materials. The most typical source of kitchen fire is fat, a natural by-product of many cooking processes.
When fats are heated, they change from a solid to a liquid. They are then drained off as oil, or become atomized particles in the air, propelled upwards by the thermal currents of the cooking process. Low temperature cooking generates more liquid fat; high temperature cooking produces much more fat-laden steam.
Steam is sucked into the exhaust hood where, as it cools, it settles on surfaces and becomes a fire hazard within the exhaust program. If staff in the kitchen area have had the proper training and the correct safety products are available, a stove fire can be extinguished in moments. Otherwise, it can expand rapidly in the ductwork, reaching 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, as it comes into contact with extremely flammable grease and lint particles.
Consequently, an automatic fire safety program is a must. In fact, most state insurance departments require a fire safety inspection by a range hood expert before insurance coverage companies can issue a commercial fire insurance coverage policy. As we’ve mentioned, the site generally needs to be reinspected every six months to keep insurance coverage in place.
Even if the six-month rule doesn’t apply in your area, it’s still a good idea to have your program cleaned and checked twice a year by a professional. The National Fire Safety Association (NFPA) is the authority on this subject and sets the strict standards for commercial kitchen area installations. Most canopy manufacturers provide fire safety methods as part of their package, including installation, but you can also hire an independent installer.
An automatic fire safety system consists of spray nozzles located over each piece of outside (non-oven) cookware around the hot line. You will find very particular rules about the number of nozzles and their locations: Kitchen tops require 1 nozzle for every 48 linear inches. Planks require 1 nozzle for every six feet of linear space. Open grills (gas, electric, or charcoal) require one nozzle for every 48 inches of grill area.
Tilting pans need a nozzle for a 48-inch wide area. Deep fryers require 1 nozzle each or 1 nozzle for every 20 inches of fryer surface area. The nozzles are placed between 24 and 42 inches above the top of the equipment. (This varies depending on the type of appliance.) The nozzles instantly activate to shoot water or perhaps a liquid fire retardant into the cooking area when the temperature reaches 280 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
The heat detector may be located in the ductwork or inside the hood. Within the ductwork, there is also an internal fire protection system: a fusible link or perhaps a separate thermostat is wired to instantly close a fire damper at the ends of each section of the ductwork. The exhaust fan turns off, along with a spray of water or liquid fire retardant being released inside. Other similar systems can be operated by hand instead of instantly.
Some keep the exhaust fan running to help remove smoke during a fire. In addition to fire protection from the exhaust system, several portable fire extinguishers should be mounted on the kitchen walls and employees should know how to use them. The automated program, when activated, is so thorough that you have to shut down the kitchen and start a major cleanup, so a hand-held fire extinguisher is often enough for minor outbreaks, plus a lot less mess.
These days, most insurance coverage requires Type K fire extinguishers in commercial kitchens. The NFPA classifies fires by the type of material that burns; “K” (for “kitchen”) was added to the list in 1998. These fire extinguishers work on the principle of saponification, the term for applying an alkaline mixture (for example, potassium acetate, potassium carbonate, or potassium citrate ) to cook on fire. oil or fat.
The combination creates a soapy foam that puts out the fire. Finally, as with any other public works, ceiling-mounted sprinkler methods are also worth investigating, simply because their installation could significantly reduce the costs of your insurance coverage. There is a common misperception that if it detects even one stray flame, the entire sprinkler program will shut down the entire process, but this is generally not the case.
In reality, most restaurant sprinkler systems have heads that activate only when a fire is detected directly below them. Ask your local fire department for tips and advice on fire safety training for employees. And by all means, keep up with those fire inspections. In recent years, insurance companies have challenged kitchen area fire claims, with the courts finding that the restaurateur is at fault, and unable to collect fire damage insurance money, when no claim has been made. performed routine maintenance and cleaning.