Which Firefighting Equipment is Needed for a Restaurant Business?
Posted on: 11 August 2017
In any business, it's important to be prepared for the event of a fire – both for your legal compliance and, of course, the protection of staff and customers. Of all the service industry businesses, restaurants have one of the highest risks of fire, particularly in large, hectic kitchens.
It can be a difficult task to make sure you're ready to tackle various kinds of fires, particularly with so many different extinguishers available. Using the wrong fire extinguisher for the situation can fail to do anything or, worse, make the fire more serious.
To help you out, this is the firefighting equipment you should have in your restaurant so you're ready for anything.
Water
Plain water fire extinguishers are only suitable for fires that are the result of material like wood or fabric catching fire, and should never be used for other kinds. It should go without saying that using a water-based extinguisher on an electrical fire is extremely dangerous. Their benefit is that they're easy to use and much safer to operate than some of the other types.
Because of this, they're good to place in dining areas, where fires are less likely to be electrical or caused by oil.
Dry chemical powder
This type of extinguisher is used very commonly, and that's thanks to its versatility. It can be used in place of a water-based extinguisher on ordinary fires, but can also safely tackle liquid and electrical blazes. That makes it a great choice for use in the kitchen, but make sure your chef and crew know that it can't be used on flaming cooking oils. It's also useful in dining areas.
Wet chemical
A more unusual type of extinguisher, but the only one that can be safely used on cooking oil. With that ability, it's pretty much essential for placing in kitchens, especially those where deep fat fryers are used. Ensure your kitchen staff have training in the different types of fires and how to safely put them out, as oil fires, in particular, can quickly become worse if they're mishandled.
Fire blankets
A fire blanket can be used to put out a small oil fire, but that's not their only use. It's also one of the safest and most effective ways to help someone whose clothing is on fire. It's important to include a wall-mounted fire blanket in your kitchen, even if you have a wet chemical extinguisher as well.
Find more information by talking to someone who provides appliances like fire extinguishers.
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