Commercial Kitchen Fire Safety – Tips and Regulations

August 10th, 2022

Last updated: June 9th, 2023

Commercial kitchen fire safety is a legal responsibility as well as a moral responsibility. In a kitchen, it is also likely that there are an incredible amount of hazards. This means that you need to take precautions and think about the worst-case scenarios. This means that if something happens in the kitchen there are fallbacks to prevent the spread of the fire and to allow employees or others on site to take quick action.

Fire prevention and protection is a big industry and there are a lot of innovations happening all the time, a fire safety system can be much more sophisticated now and certain aspects of it can even be automated.

Below, we dive into the top tips and regulatory considerations for your commercial kitchen fire safety plan.

Risk Assessment

A fire risk assessment must be carried out. The responsibility is with both the occupiers and the owners of the premises and must consider both the equipment and layout of a commercial kitchen as well as the working practices on site and the construction of the building.

Fire risk assessments cover virtually every aspect of fires and potential fire risks in the kitchen, and the standard of protection including fire doors and shutters, emergency lighting, signage and the equipment used to actually put out a fire.

Government legislation states clearly that the risk assessment must be carried out by a “competent” person. This means that you can’t get a trainee chef to fill in a form or template and assume you’ve done enough.

A lot of people also invite the local fire service to the premises to get familiar with the layout as a precautionary measure, but fire services are undeniably stretched and this isn’t always possible. The risk assessment is your protection both to ensure you have considered all of the vital aspects of fire prevention and protection and also to make sure you fulfil legal obligations.

Ensure You Have Adequate Fire Detection

While some fires are instantly visible and spotted, it is still crucial in a commercial kitchen to have a fire detection method such as smoke alarms. This means that if a fire breaks out and isn’t noticed straight away, or breaks out when nobody is in the kitchen, there will still be a way to take quick action.

Fire alarms are the classic method, and these should be regularly tested to ensure that they are effective. Some can even be linked directly to fire extinguishing methods such as sprinklers, which can kick in upon the detection of a fire.

The More Fire Measures, The Better

Fire safety shouldn’t be an afterthought, and putting as many measures in place to slow and prevent the spread of fire, the better.

A lot of commercial kitchens and restaurants think that a fire alarm or two is enough, but this is not the case in many buildings. Try to add plenty of protection. This may come in the form of fire rated shutters as well as sprinkler systems and of course, commercial kitchen fire extinguishers.

Robinsons Facilities Services can help with every aspect of fire safety and as well as creating a risk assessment, we can advise you on what the most important and viable measures for a building’s fire safety are.

While you don’t have to overboard, we recommend having many fallbacks in the event of a fire.

Keep on Top of Cleaning and Maintenance

Keeping the kitchen in good condition is a hugely important part of kitchen fire safety and even comes under your responsibilities with commercial kitchen fire regulations.

A buildup of grease is an example of a way that poor cleaning practices can add to fire risks, and we offer a thorough kitchen duct cleaning service that also helps to ensure a fire hazard doesn’t build up, and that you have fresh air flowing through your kitchen at all times.

You will also have a lot of appliances within the kitchen, all of which can pose potential risks. This means that it is a good idea to get these regularly checked and inspected as well as carry out any maintenance that is required. These appliances may also get a lot of use, so things like PAT testing for electrical appliances or Fixed Appliance Testing can help you to spot the warning signs.

Training is Key

If you’re trusting your employees to be in charge of fire safety then it is only fair (and sensible) to provide fire safety training. Even online training can help people to understand the basics of what to do in the event of a fire, including how to use fire extinguishers and how to stop the fire spreading and evacuate the building.

Robinsons Facilities Services can also help you to create a full plan for your building and kitchen, and help you to take the necessary fire safety precautions to comply with the law, and will help you to ensure that everyone knows what they need to do if the alarm sounds.

Working across Yorkshire, we cover North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and South Yorkshire and offer a fast, efficient response time to all breakdowns and repairs. Contact us today for all planned, reactive maintenance or emergency call out. Call 01423 226578 or get in touch to see how Robinsons Facilities Services can help.