Commercial kitchens are high-traffic areas where fire hazards could go unchecked without the right training. Commercial kitchens are prone to fire risks due to cooking conditions. A fire could shut down your business for weeks or months, so it is important to be aware of these risks. Keep reading to discover the five most common fire hazards in commercial kitchens.
1. Kitchen Grease
Commercial kitchens work with a variety of foods and cooking processes that produce grease. Kitchen grease is highly flammable, so you should regularly inspect your kitchen’s grease traps. Commercial kitchens that produce massive amounts of greasy foods should replace their grease filters at least once per quarter, while other kitchens can make replacements yearly. Other grease-related fire hazards to watch for are buildup on appliances and greasy towels, which can spontaneously combust.
2. Faulty Electrical Wiring
Faulty wiring can pose a fire hazard anywhere, but it is especially dangerous in a commercial kitchen, where many flammable elements are present. Be sure to conduct regular inspections of appliance cables and other wiring around your kitchen. Even small damage, such as fraying wires, can be enough to cause a fire. Additionally, never run wires under kitchen rugs or mats.
3. Open Flames
With many cooks working in a fast-paced environment come many sources of open flames burning simultaneously. Open flames are a fire risk, especially when your staff is careless or does not have the proper training. Loose clothing or flammable materials that encounter an open flame will quickly catch fire, causing injuries or accidents. Always ensure your chefs have proper training and that your kitchen has a fire suppression system.
4. Kitchen Clutter
If your commercial kitchen is messy, it can cause a variety of hazards, including a fire. Cluttered walkways make it easier to trip and fall. Messy stations can create fire hazards, especially when chefs work near an open flame or heat source. You should have a cleaning staff that inspects and organizes your kitchen at the end of every day to ensure your kitchen is up to code.
5. Too Many Cooks
Every commercial kitchen should have a maximum capacity limit. Too many chefs working at one time can pose safety hazards. For example, the chaos of an overcrowded kitchen can lead to less awareness. A cook could bump into a burner or knock objects into an open flame. Additionally, exceeding kitchen capacity makes evacuations more difficult.
You and your team can avoid these five common fire hazards in your commercial kitchen with the right training and safety measures. Consider investing in fire-retardant paint to protect your business from fire damage. FireFree Inc. provides intumescent paints for commercial kitchen protection.
