What to do to keep your kitchen cooking
A fire in your restaurant can injure your employees and guests. It can also cause your business to shut down for repairs and harm your company's reputation. Here are some tips to keep your kitchen cooking:
Maintain your fire suppression system
- Service the system every 6 months
- Make sure the caps are on the discharge nozzles – they protect the opening from being clogged by grease and debris
- Is your system UL 300 compliant? It should be if you have deep fat fryers or your cooking processes produce grease laden vapors
Clean your exhaust duct
- A build-up of grease within your exhaust system can lead to a fire. Use this chart to determine how frequently you should have the system cleaned by a professional service company:
| TYPE / VOLUME OF COOKING | FREQUENCY OF INSPECTION AND CLEANING |
|---|---|
| Equipment using solid fuels such as wood or charcoal | Monthly |
| Kitchens with high-volume operations such as 24-hour cooking, extensive frying, charbroiling or wok cooking | Quarterly |
| Kitchens with moderate volume cooking operations | Semiannually |
| Kitchens with low-volume cooking operations such as churches, seasonal business, or day camps | Annually |
- Clean filters and hood regularly
Clean check your fryers
- Make sure your fryer is equipped with a high temperature shut-off switch — it will prevent your oil from overheating
- Are your fryers located next to a gas stove, char-grill or other open flame appliance? If you answered yes and there is less than 16 inches of separation between the edges of the appliance, then you should have an 8-inch stainless steel baffle between the appliances
Train your employees
- Show all employees how to manually activate the fire suppression system
- Employees should know how to properly use fire extinguishers and where they are located
- Emergency evacuation plans — they should know how to respond to an emergency and the steps to take to ensure the safety of guests and themselves
Know the basics
- Provide Type K extinguishers for use on cooking fires
- Maintain clear and uncluttered walkways and storage areas
- Don't use extension cords or frayed electrical cords
- Keep combustibles away from hot surfaces
- Clean grill surfaces and kitchen equipment frequently
- If you re-arrange equipment located under the hood, you may need to re-arrange the fire suppression system nozzles—contact the fire protection servicing company for an evaluation
References and additional information
- Fire Safety Checklist for Commercial Cooking
- Fire Safety Checklist Using Wood or Charcoal
- NFPA 96, Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations
- Underwriters Laboratory (UL) Standard 300: Fire Testing of Fire extinguishing Systems for protection of Restaurant Cooking Areas
- OSHA Youth Worker Safety in Restaurants
Your Hanover Risk Solutions Consultant is available to assist you if you have questions or need help with fire safety in your kitchen.
To learn more about Hanover Risk Solutions, visit hanoverrisksolutions.com
The recommendation(s), advice and contents of this material are provided for informational purposes only and do not purport to address every possible legal obligation, hazard, code violation, loss potential or exception to good practice. The Hanover Insurance Company and its affiliates and subsidiaries ("The Hanover") specifically disclaim any warranty or representation that acceptance of any recommendations or advice contained herein will make any premises, property or operation safe or in compliance with any law or regulation. Under no circumstances should this material or your acceptance of any recommendations or advice contained herein be construed as establishing the existence or availability of any insurance coverage with The Hanover. By providing this information to you, The Hanover does not assume (and specifically disclaims) any duty, undertaking or responsibility to you. The decision to accept or implement any recommendation(s) or advice contained in this material must be made by you.
LC NOV 2018 LC 12-217
171-0888 (1/14)