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Fire Extinguishers and its importance

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We believe Kitchens, especially the commercial ones, always suffer from fire hazards, be it big or small. As the chefs handle high-energy appliances, vegetable oils with high ignition temperature, and open fire, the chances of a fire incident in the kitchen are all too high. Still, most of the people do not have any Kitchen Fire Extinguishers stocked in their store.

The managers of the commercial kitchens more often than not think that the pre-engineered fire suppression system is enough for handling all the fire woes. It is one of the wrong assumptions that kitchen managers make. The commercial kitchens, and even the home ones, should have a fire extinguisher nearby. Not only that, the kitchen managers should make sure that the extinguishers they are choosing are of the right type as well.

Key Management to Prevent Consequential Damage Due to Fire in Kitchen:

  • Have regular fire drills and post written emergency procedures at Kitchen’s wall.
  • Make sure all health and safety risk assessments, including one for fire, are completed and that affected employees are made aware of the hazards identified, the control measures decided upon, and the procedures they need to follow.
     
  • Check that all workers have received the periodic Fire Safety training to act appropriate at any emergency.
     
  • Record the training that you provide and support it by providing safe system of work (SSOW) documents that set out procedures to be followed for potentially hazardous tasks.
     
  • Don’t allow cooking equipment to be left unattended while it’s in use especially Deep Fat Fryers which contains oil within it.
  • Unless the kitchen already has an emergency shut-off button (to turn off gas and/or electrical supplies), ensure all employees know where these can be safely turned off in the event of a fire. Display a sign in the kitchen that gives this information.
     
  • Locate kitchens in rooms with fire-resisting construction, wherever possible. Ideally, passive fire protection measures should provide at least 60 minutes’ fire-resistance (or longer, if required under Building Regulations for your circumstances).
     
  • Install fire-resistant ductwork that is either LPCB or FIRAS certified, if possible. Make sure there is at least 50mm between combustible materials and extraction ducting.
     
  • Make sure kitchen equipment has enough space around it to be properly maintained and cleaned.
     
  • Consider installing grease filtration systems that meet the requirements of LPS 1263 and/or replacing mesh-type grease-trap filters with flame barrier baffle type filters.
  • Make sure grease and fume-extraction hoods, canopies, traps and grease-filters are being cleaned at least weekly. Also, the fume-extraction system needs servicing at least every 12 months and deep-cleaned at least once every six months by a specialist contractor (or more frequently, if recommended by the contractor). Keep records of this work.
     
  • Make sure to have your kitchen and cooking equipment regularly inspected and maintained by a competent person.
     
  • Ensure these periodic checks include vital items like thermostats and temperature controls.
     
  • Change the cooking oil in deep-fat fryers regularly. Use guidance from your suppliers (including any discolouration charts) to help you with this.
  • Put a documented system in place for periodic inspections, testing and maintenance of your electrical appliances. Check that the fixed electrical installation has been inspected and tested by a competent electrical contractor.
  • Ask the contractors involved in installing, maintaining or inspecting your kitchen equipment and ventilation systems to confirm they operate at current industry standards. These standards, along with details of specialists, are on the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA; formerly the HVCA) website.
  • Protect cooking and extraction equipment (including any associated extraction duct work and hoods inside the building) by having an extinguishing system installed, in line with (or the equivalent of) LPS 1223. The system should include a local alarm, automatic activation by a detection system and manual activation – located a safe distance away from the cooking equipment, preferably by a fire escape route door.
  • Provide a BS EN 1869:2019 compliant fire blanket, and an adequate number of fire extinguishers that comply with BS EN 3 (parts 1-6) and carry a BAFE or LPCB approval mark. At least one must be appropriate for use on electrical fires, and one for deep-fat fryers (Class F).
Modern Restaurant Kitchen

Businesses where cooking is part of their trade are at greater risk of fire than other types of retailers and service providers.

Important to learn:

1.     Why Do You Need Fire Extinguishers in Your Kitchen?

The basic answer to this question is that there is a fire safety law that commands you to have at least one fire extinguisher handy in your kitchen. Along with the mandate, there are other reasons you should keep an extinguisher in your kitchen area.

Most of the time, the kitchen fires are of the class K fire that involves the fire equipment and the oils with high auto-ignition temperatures. When these elements catch fire, the temperature of that becomes very hot already. The presence of the grease and the oil makes the situation even more volatile than the other kinds of fires. So, the more defense you build against this fire, the better. 

There is no doubt that the fire suppression systems are extremely efficient. But they may not be sufficient to douse the fire completely when it involves a kitchen. It is only the Kitchen Fire Extinguisher that can stop the fire from spreading using spilled grease or oil.

2.    What Is a K-class Type Fire Extinguisher?

K Class Type Fire Extinguishers are a type of Firefighting equipment specially designed to handle the intense heat of the kitchen fuel fire. There are different types of class K fire extinguishers available in the market. You can check out and pick the one that suits your requirement.

3.    When to Use a Class K Extinguisher?

Do not use the K Class Type Fire Extinguishers until the fire suppression system is activated. When combined, these two fire suppression systems can effectively put out any fire and keep the workers of your kitchen safe. You should be aware of the specific suppression agents available in the Class K extinguishers of your choice. Some of the extinguishers conduct electricity, and so, you may need to shut the power off of the kitchen appliances before using the extinguishers.
 

Now that you know the importance of kitchen fire extinguishers, you should get one for your kitchen right away. The number of extinguishers you should buy depends on the size of your space. If you face multiple fire hazards, it is better to invest in more than one fire extinguisher to protect your kitchen. If you are not confident about buying the fire extinguishers for kitchen, do not hesitate to get in touch with the fire experts.

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