3 Things You Need To Know About Fire Extinguishers In A Commercial Kitchen
In a home, one of the biggest areas at risk for a fire is the kitchen. In a restaurant or other business with a commercial kitchen, the same is true. Commercial kitchens are set up to have multiple levels of fire defense in place, from hood fire suppression systems to fire sprinklers to fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers are just one part of a fire safety plan for a commercial kitchen.
1. All Commercial Kitchens Need a Fire Extinguisher
If you follow the advice of the National Fire Protection Agency or NFPA, you will keep at least one fire extinguisher in your commercial kitchen. A fire extinguisher should be kept in the prep area so that it can be easily accessed in the event of a fire.
If you have a really large kitchen space, it makes sense to have more than one fire extinguisher in place. Multiple fire extinguishers ensure that it is easy for someone in your kitchen to grab a fire extinguisher and take care of the fire in a timely manner.
2. Commercial Kitchens Need the Right Fire Extinguisher
When it comes to purchasing a fire extinguisher, you want to make sure you have the right one. There are different classes of fire extinguishers you can stock your kitchen with. For a commercial kitchen, you will want to purchase Class K extinguishers. Class K extinguishers are designed to help slow and stop kitchen fires. They are specifically designed to help contain and deal with the fuel that is helping the fire as well as stop the heat from the flames.
There are various types of Class K extinguishers. Extinguishers with both dry and wet chemicals are equally useful at stopping kitchen fires. There are also different sized extinguishers. If you choose to use smaller extinguishers, make sure you have a few around.
3. Using Fire Extinguishers in a Commercial Kitchen
When it comes to using a fire extinguisher in a commercial kitchen, you need to know when to use it. If the fire starts on an appliance that has a built-in fire suppression system, allow the built-in system to kick in first and give it a chance to either contain or stop the fire.
While the built-in fire suppressions system is getting to work, grab a fire extinguisher. If the built-in system doesn't stop the fire, then use the fire extinguisher to stop the fire. First responders should be called in case your fire extinguisher can't stop the fire either.
When it comes to commercial kitchens, fire extinguishers are an important part of the fire suppression system. Make sure you have fire extinguishers nearby to keep things safe and be sure to keep your extinguishers up-to-date. For more information, contact a company like Fire Foe Corp.