11 Best Restaurant Fire Safety Plan Checklist

“Fire safety plan’’ is a crucial term. Fire safety is highly necessary at any hotel, restaurant, manufacturing industry, shopping mall, home, etc. Due to unexpected fire hazards, we count massive damages in many ways, such as death, property damage, business loss, etc. There are many flammable and inflammable materials in a restaurant. That may cause a massive fire explosion. In that case, fire safety and fire precautions are crucial things. To avoid that thing we must know an extensive restaurant fire safety plan. We should also know how to implement that plan? What materials should we use to get rid of such an unexpected fire hazard? And many more. 

What Is a Fire Safety Plan?

The plan is a detailed sketch and document that refers to some steps to avoid and rescue from unexpected situations. This fire protection plan includes some crucial and common steps to rescue from the fire: restaurant fire evacuation plan, fire extinguishers, maintaining proper electrical safety, fire alarm, and other plans.

A question may arise in our mind that a fire is not a natural disaster. So, why fire safety plan for restaurants important? Or why fire safety is important everywhere? According to the US local fire department, an average of 1.5 million fire hazards occur in the current year in the USA. This fire hazard caused 13,250 people to be injured, 3790 civilian people to die and $18 billion property was damaged. Now think how important fire safety is.  

Restaurant Fire Safety Plan

What should be included in a fire safety plan? Indeed, restaurant fire safety system combinations of some essential steps. These steps can be applied to others where fire safety is required. However, before starting a restaurant business or opening a business in any building, focus on fire safety issues. So, let’s figure out which restaurant fire safety plan you should adopt for your restaurant business.    

1. Cooking Exhaust System

The cooking exhaust system is a way to remove heat, smoke, and smell from the kitchen. The kitchen exhaust system consists of some exhaust fans that put out the heat, and smoke of the kitchen. This exhaust system should have all the commercial kitchens. 

By using this exhaust system the kitchen's inner environment or temperature maintains a balance with the outside temperature. If gas leakage and other flammable materials leakage occurs then this exhaust system can easily suck out them from the kitchen. So, it is an essential part of all commercial kitchens.    

2. Commercial Cooking Fire Extinguishing Systems

A fire extinguisher is a metallic device. It contains chemical substances. This device is filled with dry or wet chemicals to extinguish the fire and smoke. Indeed, carbon dioxide (CO₂) is filled in that steel container. Whenever a fire occurs then this carbon dioxide is spreaded to the affected area and it reduces and limits the flow of Oxygen (O₂) and controls the fire.

In commercial kitchens, an automatic fire extinguishing system is used to control the fire. This automatic system consists of a sensor for fire detection or a temperature detector. If the temperature crosses this statutory limit then this extinguisher starts working automatically in the affected area thus limiting the fire.  

3. Fire Extinguisher Ball

Extinguisher ball is a type of fire extinguisher. It has been created depending on modern technology. Its efficiency is more than 90% and explosion rate is much higher. Whenever this ball comes into the fire then it blasts automatically. 

It takes a very short time to explode approximately 3 to 5 seconds and bring the situation fully controlled. After blasting, it creates short-time smoke that does not cause human breathing problems. This ball also controls the fire smoke perfectly.

However, this explosion never impacts the human body. It also has no impact on the environment. There is a special gas “Monoammonium phosphate (MAP)’’ used in the fire extinguisher ball. It is noted that a restaurant manager or restaurant owner should be responsible for that. So, find the potential place where a fire strike may happen and can be easily thrown in a hazardous area.    

4. Standpipe Systems

Standpipe system is the water piping system. It is mainly used for firefighting purposes. This water pipe is surrounded all over the building. It has several output lines to get the water. If there is a fire then people can use it, collect water, and through the water on the fire strike. 

Most of the hotels or industrial buildings have that facility to limit the fire. This standpipe process can be attached to the wall in two ways: attached to a wall of the building and concealed within the building. Make sure there is a continuous flow of water.

5. Water Sprinkler Systems

Water sprinkler system is an active process to extinguish fire. How does a water sprinkler system work to extinguish the fire? Indeed, heavy-pressure water supply is provided through the pipe and a sprinkler device is connected to the different points of the pipe (where there is a chance of fire). If there is a fire then a high-speed water supply is given and water comes through the sparker and spreads away thus extinguishing the fire.

The fire sprinkler or water sprinkler system is installed in industries like garments, chemical industries, hotels, and other commercial buildings. Restaurants may have a sprinkler system to control the fire. It is noted that this sprinkler system can completely control the fire. But it cannot control smoke that is created after extinguishing the fire.    

6. Fire Alarm Systems

Fire alarm systems are crucial safety mechanisms and offer precautions for restaurant evacuation plans. Fire alarm is designed to detect and warn people about fire emergencies in buildings or other spaces. A fire alarm consists of several components that work together to detect smoke, heat, or other signs. Indeed, an alarm is used to alert the people so that they can evacuate safely. It has several parts, such as

• A detector or fire sensor that detects fire, smoke, and heat.
• A control panel is attached to the wall where the fire alarm is placed.
• It has a notification mechanism that notifies whenever the sensor gets a sense of fire, extreme heat, or smoke.
• Some fire alarms have communication options that can alert emergency services automatically when a fire is detected.

7. Automatic Fire Suppression System

Automatic fire suppression system is another system that can extinguish the fire without human interference. It is another crucial restaurant fire safety plan. It can work automatically when there is a fire. This automatic fire suppression system has some reliable devices, such as a fire sparkler, sensor, fire notification sensor, smoke or heat detector, etc. 

Whenever heat or smoke goes higher than its limited value. In that case, the sensor gets sense and opens the sparkler and the extinguishing mechanism spreads away through its pipeline. A restaurant should have that system in the kitchen to become safe from unexpected fire hazards.

8. Bulk Carbon Dioxide Beverage System

A Bulk Carbon Dioxide Beverage System is used for fire control. This beverage system is designed to use carbon dioxide (CO2) as firefighting to regulate the fire. This fire controlling system pressurized CO2 stored in bulk containers. It is released to extinguish fires by the prohibition of oxygen, thus removing fire from burning something.

These carbon dioxide beverage systems are used where water-based firefighting methods are not suitable, such as in areas with electrical equipment or where water damage needs to be minimized. They are often found in industry, shopping malls, hotels, high-rise buildings, restaurants, server rooms, and other sensitive environments.

9. Keep Fire Escape Routes Free

There is an emergency route through which people can run away in a dangerous situation which is called the escape route, or evacuation route. A building may have a different escape route to face an unexpected evacuation situation. All the restaurants, highly structured buildings, shopping malls, and industries, must have such a plan.

If there is a fire then people can evacuate as soon as possible through this way. Those are busy restaurants. Such restaurants should have such a way during fire or smoke. It is noted that the escape route must be clear at all and remove any flammable substance from there.

10. Flammable Materials Precautions

Those are medium or big shape restaurants, such restaurants have different materials: flammable and nonflammable. Use stickers or banners with fire or danger signs of flammable substances (oil, gas, electric distribution board, etc.). So that people become confirmed for no smoking, no use of fire in that area, and other things that are the cause of the fire. 

A restaurant kitchen has stoves, electric heaters, gas cylinders, and others. So, you may use that safety caution in that area. In this way, people will be aware of those things and try to avoid them. It is noted that the design of a restaurant kitchen should be different and not to keep aside the flammable and nonflammable materials.

11. Keep Away Flammable Materials

Flammable materials are always risky substances. In that case, a restaurant manager or restaurant owner must have a plan to manage flammable materials and keep them away. Flammable substances can be fired easily and create an uncontrolled situation.

Indeed, there are some common flammable materials that are available in the kitchen, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), paints, alcohol, and others. Indeed, a restaurant manager knows well which is flammable and which is non-flammable. So, try to keep them away in a safe zone to avoid fire hazards.

Fire Inspection Checklist for Restaurants

Before opening a restaurant, special planning is required for fire safety or protection. If you installed some fire safety equipment then that requires an inspection after a certain time. So, let’s have a look at some restaurant fire inspection checklists or fire safety checklists.

• Check the emergency door that can easily close and open and make sure that both customers and restaurant staff can evacuate the restaurant.
• According to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), fire extinguishers should be inspected at least once a month.
• Behind the bar areas or flammable substances areas have CO₂ gas cylinders and these are perfectly filled with CO₂.
• Make sure that the kitchen hood perfectly sucks out the kitchen smoke, heat, and bad odor.
• Make sure electrical breakers and power lines are perfectly insulated. A manager also looks after the breaker box so there is no rust. Because rust can damage sufficient insulation and lack of insulation can cause fire.
• Set a fire alarm and continue to inspect that and make sure about the alarm whenever heat or smoke goes beyond the limit.

Commercial Kitchen Fire Safety Plan

A kitchen fire is a well-known event that may happen most of the time. In that case, essential safety is required to avoid fire hazards. So, take a look at commercial kitchen fire safety plans.

Range Hood Ventilation System

Range hood ventilation system includes the exhaust hood filters, and exhaust fan. It brings out the inner side of the kitchen, heat Greece, smoke, and fumes from the cooking area. It also has filters and works through the ducting method. That’s why this ventilation must be neat and clean at all for sufficient ventilation. So, it should be inspected and cleaned every six months.

Automatic Fire Extinguishing System

The automatic fire extinguishing system works through an automatic process. A heat detector sensor is inserted into that device. Whenever excessive fire and heat go high through exhaust hood filters then the sensor gets sensed and sprayed through the nozzle on the cooking stove or cooking area thus limiting the fire and smoke.

If the automatic fire extinguishing system fails to act then a manual suppression system is used to control the fire. This manual action switch or pool station should be located 10 to 20 feet from the kitchen appliances. The automatic extinguishing system must be inspected every six months.

Portable Fire Extinguisher

In a commercial kitchen, a portable fire extinguisher has been designed to use the cooking appliances that use cooking media, such as oil, and fats. This extinguisher is mounted 30 feet away from the cooking area. If there is a fire then it can be used manually to suppress the fire. 

It is noted that this portable fire extinguisher is not an automatic extinguisher. It needs to be operated by someone in the fire-affected area.  This system extinguisher can also be used after activating the automatic fire extinguishing system.    

General House Keeping

The commercial kitchen is a busy place. The always good practice is to train restaurant staff about good housekeeping and restaurant fire safety. Before closing the kitchen or restaurant, staff must clean all the appliances, grease, clean the floor, and wash with water to remove flammable substances. 

Staff should be conscious about the pool station of automatic fire extinguishing, and portable fire extinguishers. So, keep the ingredients and appliances far away from such things.  

It is noted that personal or individual consciousness is a major thing in avoiding fire. So, kitchen staff always need to be conscious about the flammable materials and above things.  

Why Are Fire Drills Important?

Fire safety drills are public awareness and are attested to the wall or pathway where it becomes easily visible. It instructs the evacuation way, any danger zone of fire, high voltage electrical panel board, and other risky zones. So that people become conscious or restrain themselves from such dangerous areas.

Why Are Fire Extinguishers Important?

Fire extinguishers can perfectly suppress the fire. Extinguishers contain “Carbon dioxide’’ that prohibits oxygen from entering the fire-affected area. We know well Oxygen is responsible for the fire. This high-pressure carbon dioxide makes prohibition for oxygen and extinguishes the fire.

Nowadays fire extinguisher balls also play a crucial role in controlling the fire. This process can be done within a short time, and the extinguisher is easy to carry, never produces toxic smoke, is human friendly, and low cost compared to its fire extinguishing capacity. For this reason, a fire extinguisher is important.

Final Thought

All the restaurants don’t require very high safety requirements. This is because there are different types of restaurants. Some of them are small, medium, and large-scale restaurants. Many restaurants are in high-rise buildings and few of them are in single-story buildings, small coffee shops, home catering businesses, etc. Such a single-storey building does not require a higher fire safety plan. 

Because it may be costly for startup restaurants. But they need to keep some fire suppression materials, fire extinguishers, fire extinguisher balls, evacuation way, exhaust hood filters, etc. Those are medium and big-shape commercial or casual restaurants, they must be required to maintain the above restaurant fire safety plan.