A kitchen fire in your restaurant is something you would obviously like to avoid at all costs, so it’s vital to understand that any fire that may involve common kitchen components – such as cooking oil and grease – has a potential to spread very quickly. For this reason, it’s highly beneficial to install a fire suppression system.
The modern commercial kitchen contains many appliances that increase the risk of fire, for example:
- Charcoal and wood-fired grills
- Broilers
- Advanced fryers
The efficient burners in these modern appliances heat up rapidly, which increases the potential fire risk. Flash fires are a constant threat with more and more dishes being prepared using various kinds of vegetable oils.
The fire suppression systems used in commercial kitchens are designed to deploy once temperatures that are too hot are detected. Located above the cooking area, the nozzles of the system release a chemical compound similar to that found in a typical fire extinguisher.
Another welcoming safety factor is that many of the kitchen’s various cooking systems – connected electrically to the suppression system – will shut down, cutting off the supply of fuel that could feed the fire.
According to the Fire Suppression Systems Association (FSSA), many of the sprinkler systems and fire alarms they see each day may not be appropriate on their own to handle a catastrophic fire. Employment of a special system to protect people, assets and revenue is therefore recommended.
While the installation of a fire suppression system in a commercial kitchen may seem obvious, there are other places that are not quite as obvious. With our increasing use of data centers, archives and record storage facilities, the need for a fire suppression system in these places is also necessary. In addition, even museums have taken to installing fire suppression systems.
Commercial kitchens aren’t the only places where fire suppression systems are being installed. As the Information Age continues to advance, data centers, record storage facilities and archives are also in need of a system that can protect against loss by fire. Even museums have taken to installing fire suppression systems.
In a nutshell – as per FSSA guidelines – wherever revenue is produced, or the function is of greater value than the equipment, benefits from the installation of a fire suppression system.
Your business, employees, customers, and assets deserve this level of protection.