6 Point Checklist for Restaurant Fire Safety

The restaurant industry has a huge target on their back when it comes to fires occurring in the workplace.  With hot temperatures, even hotter grease, and the use of many heating appliances, restaurateurs must be extra vigilant in the steps they take to reduce the risk of fire in their place of business. While having working restaurant fire sprinklers is important, there are other steps you can take to reduce your risk. And it doesn’t have to be a huge chore to undertake.  In fact, completing just a few simple tasks now can save you from fire heartache in the future.



1.    Utilize Restaurant Fire Sprinklers – Restaurant fire sprinklers are one of the most important pieces of equipment you can install in your workplace.  These systems should be adequate enough for a restaurant setting and serviced every six months.

2.    Comply Industry Standards– The restaurant industry must comply with specific laws designed for their unique work setting.  For example, most newer-style deep fryers require a wet chemical suppression system rather than a dry one and must be UL 300 compliant.

3.    Train the Staff – Make sure to train your staff on how to look for potential dangers in the workplace.  Show them how to take a proactive approach to these dangers such as regular cleaning and removing debris from the ground and cooking areas.  Also offer extensive training on what to do in case of a fire such as an emergency exit plan and who to contact.

4.    Don’t Neglect the Exhaust System–Cleaning the exhaust system regularly is important to removing the buildup of grease that is bound to accumulate.  How often this dirty task needs to be completed will vary depending on how much your kitchen is used.  Those with minimal use may only need to clean annually while larger restaurants may need to clean the exhaust system quarterly.  Those utilizing charcoal or wood fires may need to clean their system even more frequently perhaps on a monthly basis.

5.    Keep It Posted– Display fire safety signs such as safe heating temperatures for deep fryers in public areas or areas which pertain to that particular signage.  Also post maintenance checklists, cleaning schedules, and fire inspection schedules as needed throughout the building so that all employees are aware of the steps they must take to prevent fires in the workplace.

6.    Perform a Fire Safety Check– Whether you hire a professional safety inspector or have one on staff, a fire safety check is a great way to see areas in which you are succeeding and areas in which you have left yourself open for fires to occur.  During the inspection, they will rate you on a number of areas and then brief you on their findings.  In the course of the briefing, they typically offer suggestions for improvements as well as equipment that may help strengthen your safety.

Don’t make a costly mistake by leaving your restaurant’s fire safety in a haphazard condition. Keeping your place of business a safe environment can be simple and easy.  Engaging these six steps can greatly reduce the risk of fire within the workplace ensuring safety for your customers, employees, and property by using restaurant fire sprinklers.

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An Introduction to Fire Sprinkler System Maintenance

If your building is outfitted with a sprinkler system, you’re right to feel a bit safer. You can rest easy knowing that, should a fire break out, your system will immediately react to keep everyone safe by containing the outbreak until the fire department arrives. However, this will only happen if you’ve been practicing sound fire sprinkler system maintenance. Systems that aren’t properly maintained may not work as they’re supposed to and that could end up costing you the ultimate price. So let’s take a look at what goes into fire sprinkler system maintenance and then take action to ensure you’re doing what’s necessary.



 
How Sprinklers Work
First, however, let’s take a quick look at how your fire sprinklers actually work. In the movies, at the first hint of fire, every sprinkler on the building’s floor goes off, covering the entire area in water.
That’s not how it actually works though. Each sprinkler head is designed to only go off when the area around it is hot enough to melt the fusible link blocking the flow of water. So a fire could actually only activate one or two heads, which then work to contain the flames until the authorities make it to the scene.
Why is this important? We’ll elaborate shortly, but the takeaway is that each head needs its own maintenance. It’s not like they all run on a single activation system and if one isn’t working correctly, the others will just pick up the slack.
 

The Control Valve
Any discussion on fire sprinkler system maintenance needs to touch on the control valve. It’s an essential part of any fire sprinkler system, and also an easy one to inspect. Essentially, there’s a valve in your building that must remain open in order for the water supply to flow. If this valve is off, your sprinklers will get no water and be useless in the case of a fire. Unfortunately, closed valves are the leading cause of widespread fire damage.
The good news is that checking the valve is probably the easiest component of fire sprinkler system maintenance. Just take a look once a week to ensure it’s still locked in the open position.
Also, sometimes the valve needs to be shut off to conduct maintenance or handle repairs on your system. When this is the case, be sure water is only shut off to the one area where the work is being done and only for as long as completely necessary. There’s no reason to take unnecessary risks.



 
Inspecting Sprinklers
When you want to inspect the actual sprinklers, you need to turn off the valve, as we just mentioned. It’s a good idea to put a brightly colored tag or ribbon on the valve when you do this as a visual reminder to you or anyone else who passes by that the valve needs to be turned back on later.
Also, alert the local authorities that you’re conducting fire sprinkler system maintenance. Your alarm company should know too in case you need to set yours off for a drill or as part of repairs. It’s also not a bad idea to tell your insurance company. Sometimes this is mandatory if it means keeping yourself covered by conducting regular fire sprinkler system maintenance.
Like we already said, keep your inspection to only as many sprinklers as necessary and allow the rest to operate as normal. You also want to make sure that you keep any ignition sources out of the area for the duration of the inspection.
In terms of how often you should conduct maintenance on your sprinklers, check NFPA 25: Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems. Depending on your municipality, you may need a certified contractor to handle your inspections and testing for you.
 

General Understanding
When it comes to your fire sprinkler system maintenance, no matter what rules you’re bound to by local powers and your insurance company, make sure your staff has a general understanding of the system. This should include:
•    Where the valve is and what it looks like when it’s open and closed
•    What a sprinkler looks like if anything’s wrong
•    Ensuring sprinklers are never blocked


Maintaining your fire sprinklers doesn’t need to be demanding, but it does need to get done. The simple steps above could be enough to save lives someday.

Having specialized in the fire sprinkler system maintenance signs trade for over 25 years, USAFP now works tirelessly to promote affordable fire safety for home and for business.

 

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Protecting Your Warehouse: Fire Safety

Warehouses pose a unique challenge when protecting commercial buildings from fire.  They often are overstuffed with machinery, paper, and other materials that can catch ablaze easily.  While protecting your warehouse with a fire sprinkler system is common practice, there are many other things to consider when discussing the subject.  If you are a warehouse manager or run a small business, take note of the ways listed below to protect your place of business by using warehouse fire sprinkler system. The list is a mix of traditional approaches like a quality fire sprinkler system along with a few tips you may not have thought of. 

Below are some ways to integrate fire safety practices into the warehouse:

Don’t Be Fooled – Just because you own a warehouse fire sprinkler system or passed an OSHA inspection; do not be fooled into thinking your business is protected from fires starting in the building.  There are many other potential dangers that could be hidden within your structure along with poor practices by your employees or contractors.

Protect Against Arson – While the majority of fires are set accidentally, some warehouse fires are caused by arson at the hands of other people.  To protect the warehouse from arson and break-ins, protect it with a quality alarm system.  These systems can offer motion detection or perimeter protection depending on the physical structure of the building and personal preference.

Store Pallets the Right Way – Wooden pallets are a huge help to carry loads and cargo in and out of the building.  They speed up processes and keep the plant moving.  These wooden carriers also pose a fire danger because of the material they are constructed of and the large amount of units that can be stored together.  Wooden pallets should be kept at least 3 inches apart when stored side-by-side.   When storing back to back, leave a 6 inch gap between the pallets. Vertically, your warehouse workers should also leave a 1 ½ to 2 foot gap between your pallet stacks and the fire sprinkler system.



Smoking Rules–Lit ambers from cigarettes are a huge threat to combustible materials and those items prone to catching fire such as paper and wood.  Employ reasonable smoking policies for your employees keeping their cigarettes away from these threats.  Regardless of your personal choices, no employees should smoke within the warehouse building.  One can also develop guidelines on how far employees must be away from the building to light a cigarette.  Another suggestion is to establish a designated smoking area away from potential fire hazards. 

You could take the initiative one step further and make your business a non-smoking campus. With this rule, employees would not be able to smoke anywhere on business property and would have to leave during breaks to keep up their habit.

Taking your warehouse’s fire safety practices from the minimal warehouse fire sprinkler system to an all-encompassing protective program will keep your workers, products, and equipment safe from deadly fires.  By employing these tips, you are taking a pro-active approach sure to set your company apart from the rest.  If you are unsure of where to begin or don’t have the time to implement these tips, you may want to consider contacting a local professional for help.  They will have the resources and expertise to take your business to the next level in fire safety.