Common Mistakes That Result In Restaurant Fire Suppression System Failure

The kitchen is the heart of a commercial restaurant, where all the magic happens. But since it has all the cooking equipment, flammable liquids such as cooking oil, electrical equipment, and cooking stations, it is also the most hazard-prone area for fire-related accidents. As per NFPA, commercial kitchen fires result in over $240 million worth of damages every year. Therefore, it is crucial to understand your fire suppression needs and implement an efficient kitchen fire suppression system. Having a fire suppression system in place is not enough to prevent kitchen fires. The vast majority of business establishments make mistakes that cause fire suppression system failure. If you want to prevent burning down your establishment, here are some things you need to keep in check.

Poor Maintenance

Your restaurant’s fire suppression hood can accumulate grease, oil, and flammable materials, posing a serious fire threat to your restaurant. Despite having a high-quality fire suppression system installed, neglect toward regular maintenance and inspection will result in suppression system failure during fire emergencies. Therefore, your restaurant’s fire suppression system, hoods, and ducts need to be regularly cleaned, inspected, and well-maintained to minimize fire threats.

Poor/wrong Placement of the Ducts

Although kitchen fires are usually caused due to kitchen accidents, the placement of exhaust hoods and ductwork can influence fire behavior. Ducts and exhaust hoods can accumulate grease residue over time which plays a key role in quickly spreading the fire. Also, they control the airflow, which can turn a minor fire into a major disaster. If it is poorly placed, it allows the fire to spread quickly throughout the ducts.

Lack of training in Fire Prevention Measures

Your staff needs to be well-trained in preventing fires and how to react during a fire emergency. They should also know how to manually activate the fire suppression system in case automatic response fails. Lack of understanding of fire hazards and operating a fire suppression system can put your staff and restaurant’s safety at serious risk. The restaurant owner’s responsibility is to ensure the staff is well-versed in recognizing the potential fire threats, safety procedures, and operating the fire suppression system.

Poorly designed and installed suppression system

A well-designed suppression system is critical to keeping everyone safe in case a fire breaks out. A poorly designed or placed fire suppression system with inadequate ventilation presents severe safety risks to your staff and your expensive kitchen equipment. Restaurant owners must ensure the kitchen fire suppression system is appropriately designed and installed according to the kitchen size, placement of heat sources, ventilation, and cooking equipment, in addition to regular inspections and maintenance to ensure its reliability.

Poor layout expansion

If you have extended your business operations and, as a result, want to expand your existing restaurant layout, considerable attention needs to be given to your fire suppression system and the placement of its related elements. Without considering fire suppression system needs, a poor layout expansion can end up in fire suppression failure during a fire emergency. Therefore, it is highly recommended to consult with a fire safety professional when expanding your restaurant.

FireServ has helped many commercial restaurants avoid kitchen fire threats for over 20 years. We specialize in providing fire protection and life safety services, including fire extinguishers, fire alarms, fire suppression systems, sprinkler systems, emergency & exit lighting, panic bars & exit door alarms, in full compliance with national fire protection codes.

Whether you are looking for a technician to maintain your kitchen fire suppression system or need help choosing and installing fire protection devices in your restaurant, our expertly trained team at FireServ will be happy to help you out. We also provide inspections and maintenance services for your fire safety devices to ensure your restaurant is equipped and ready to deal with fire accidents efficiently. Contact our experts for immediate assistance.