How To Prevent Fires In Your Commercial Kitchen

11/10/2020 (Permalink)

When they’re not properly cleaned and kept in order, commercial kitchens are hotbeds for fires. Heat sources like ovens, stoves, microwaves, fryers, and more paired with flammable liquids like oils, alcohol, and other cooking materials can spell disaster within a commercial kitchen if preventive steps aren’t taken. Keep your commercial kitchen fire-free with these 5 steps:

1. Keep anything flammable away from the flames and heat sources.

Paper towels, plastic containers, packaging, and just plain towels should be kept far away from any open flames or heat sources as a general rule of thumb. Even when your stove isn’t fired up, it’s still smart to keep all flammable objects far away from the heat source. If someone accidentally bumps a burner or forgets to turn it off, it could be a prime opportunity for a flammable object to catch aflame, and that’s the last thing that you want to be dealing with. 

2. Make sure your cooking equipment is well-maintained.

It’s super easy for your cooking equipment to malfunction, spark, or accidentally turn on if they’re not fitted with modern fire suppression systems. Cooking equipment is a huge cause of commercial kitchen fires, so be sure to have all the fire suppression measures in place that you can to prevent any malfunctions or accidental fires from occurring. Having your cooking equipment regularly inspected and serviced is an integral part of keeping it well-maintained. 

3. Clean up grease.

Perhaps the most highly flammable substance in a kitchen is grease, and this can be everywhere if you don’t clean it up. Cleaning your kitchen on a regular basis is incredibly important from a general health perspective as well as from a fire safety perspective. As you cook things in your kitchen over time, especially in a frier or anything that involves oil or fat or some sort, grease builds up in your kitchen and flies onto objects like your cooking equipment, your cabinetry, your countertops, and your clothes. Maintain a regular, thorough cleaning schedule to remove the grease buildup and prevent grease kitchen fires.

4. Monitor your electrical cords.

Although commercial kitchen fires often are the result of your equipment catching fire, electrical fires do also occur. Make sure you monitor your electrical cords winding throughout the kitchen and that you have them replaced or repaired if you see any fraying or signs of melting. These make the electric supply more vulnerable to starting fires.

5. Train your staff on how to handle a kitchen fire.

Last but certainly not least, ensure that your kitchen staff is properly trained on what to do in the event that a fire occurs. For example, they should know that they should never open an oven if there are flames inside of it, where the fire extinguisher is, what to throw on a grease fire (hint: it’s NOT water...flour is a good alternative).

Although you can never completely prevent fires from occurring, taking preventive measures can significantly reduce the chances that you need to deal with a commercial kitchen fire. Are you dealing with the aftermath of a fire? Contact SERVPRO of Belle Meade/West Nashville at (615) 242-9391 and we can send our expert fire damage restoration professionals to return your commercial kitchen to its former glory. We also are experts in deodorization and water damage, storm damage, and mold remediation, so give us a call if you’re in need of restoration services. We’d be happy to work with you.