Hot oil, gas, grease-laden ducts and busy staff make commercial kitchens a frequent source of fires. Most incidents are preventable.
Commercial kitchens in hotels, restaurants, hospitals and schools are one of the most common places for fires to start. The combination of heat, fuel and busy people creates constant risk — but most kitchen fires are preventable.
The main hazards
Cooking oils and fats
Deep-fat fryers and pans of oil can ignite if overheated. Oil fires burn extremely hot, and throwing water on burning oil causes a violent eruption of flaming oil.
Grease in extraction systems
Grease builds up in hoods, filters and ducts. A fire that enters the ductwork can spread through the building, out of sight.
Gas appliances
Leaks, damaged hoses and poorly maintained burners create explosion and fire risks.
Electrical equipment
Overloaded sockets, damaged cables and equipment exposed to moisture and heat can cause fires.
Unattended cooking
Busy service periods make it easy to leave pans unattended.
Combustible storage
Packaging, cloths and paper stored near cooking equipment can catch fire.
Prevention measures
- Never leave cooking unattended
- Keep fryers at the correct temperature, with thermostats and high-limit controls working
- Clean hood filters frequently and have ductwork professionally cleaned at suitable intervals
- Inspect gas hoses and connections, and know where the gas shut-off is
- Keep combustible materials away from heat sources
- Turn off equipment at the end of service
Firefighting provisions
- Wet chemical extinguishers designed for cooking oil fires
- Fire blankets for small pan fires and clothing fires
- Kitchen hood suppression systems where appropriate for the scale of cooking
- Heat detectors rather than smoke detectors in kitchens, to reduce false alarms
Staff training
Make sure kitchen staff know:
- Never to use water on oil fires
- How to shut off gas and power
- How and when to use a fire blanket and wet chemical extinguisher
- How to raise the alarm and evacuate
Omega supplies kitchen fire equipment and detection for hotels and restaurants across Zanzibar. Contact us for advice.
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