Commercial kitchens can get hot, and we are not talking about all the heat from the 8-burner stoves.
There are others like sizzling fryers and open flames to a crowded service, commercial kitchens are among the most likely places for a fire to start. Without an appropriate fire suppression system, a minute flare-up can turn into a costly, hazardous situation.
Where You’ll Find Commercial Kitchens
Busy restaurants probably come to mind when you think of a commercial kitchen, though these high-risk cooking environments are far more widespread than most realize.
Hotels, event centers, senior living communities and even corporate campuses frequently have full-scale kitchens for feeding groups.
In any setting, though, these kitchens present the same fire hazards: hot surfaces, flammable cooking oils, open flames and high-intensity activity.
Just as a commercial kitchen in a church fellowship hall serves smaller numbers of people than do large-volume kitchens at schools, healthcare facilities and chain restaurants and requires the right fire suppression and protection system to match.
The good news? The proper restaurant kitchen fire suppression system can protect your people, property and reputation all while ensuring you are in compliance with local regulations – and sometimes even lowering your insurance rates.
The correct fire protection equipment doesn’t just protect staff, visitors and property but it also keeps you in compliance with the law as well as your insurance company.
Doesn’t matter if you’re responsible for a restaurant that serves hundreds of meals each day or a school kitchen, where lunch needs to be prepared for students at midday, you’ll need an effective fire suppression system in place and appropriate fire extinguishers to keep every area safe – and provide peace of mind!
Make Sure Your Restaurant Has a Fire Suppression System
Grease fires are among the top causes of commercial kitchen fires, and you can’t put them out with water. In a busy atmosphere of interacting flames, oils and high temperatures it is important that you have a suppression system specifically designed for the commercial kitchen.
A kitchen fire suppression system is designed to detect fires and automatically release suppression agents by swiftly smothering the flames, blocking fuel sources, and preventing further damage. These systems:
- Comply with fire codes and local laws: In many municipalities, including the city of New York, restaurants and other commercial kitchens are required by fire marshals and insurance underwriters to have an approved suppression system. Compliance – not just for business security but also to keep the doors open.
- Lower insurance costs: Insurance companies may reduce premiums for businesses with up-to-date fire suppression systems. It’s a wise investment that saves both in protection and savings.
- Peace of mind: Having the right system in your kitchen gives you the opportunity to truly operate your business with an ease of knowing there is plan for what happens if a fire breaks out.
Don’t Forget Fire Extinguishers
Commercial kitchen fire suppression systems may be automatically activated but, it’s always in your best interest to have a ready-to-use fire extinguisher at the scene and tackle that flame up close personal. Commercial kitchen staff should have access to appropriate extinguisher types, so they will know exactly what type of fire is brewing.
The most critical fire extinguisher to have in any commercial kitchen is the Class K fire extinguisher. Class K fire extinguishers are expressly for fires with cooking oils and fats, and they employ a special (wet chemical) agent that:
- Smooths out and penetrates through grease.IOException[IC] [EM1]\l 5\fs13 Cools the area of application to hinder re-ignition.
- Forms a vapor-suppressing film on the surface of burning oil
- Suggested Fire Extinguishers in a Commercial Kitchen
- Class K extinguishers: Found in cooking locations where hot oils and grease is a concern (such as near deep fryers, grills and ovens).
- ABC fire extinguishers: These are applicable to many different types of fires, including those involving paper, wood, plastic, flammable liquids and electrical equipment. These are usually used in non-cooking spaces, such as dining rooms or storage facilities.
When you combine high quality, highly rated kitchen suppression systems with the right fire extinguishers your kitchen is covered from every angle: automatic suppression when you need it and manual control when you can’t wait for a call.
Why pick Brazas Fure for Kitchen Protection?
Brazas Fire knows that every commercial kitchen is unique. Their staff walks with you through the process of evaluating your requirements, selecting the right product and professionally installing and servicing it.
The members offer decades of experience in fire protection and life safety applications for commercial, industrial and other special applications.
Peace of Mind Starts Here
The first truth about catering cooking is, there are no guarantees of what can happen if you own and operate a commercial kitchen, since trying to maintain one isn’t exactly easy.
A professionally installed suppression system protects your employees and customers, ensures legal compliance, and can even qualify you for insurance discounts.