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Fires are one of the biggest concerns for restaurant owners and managers. However, with the right knowledge, the right practices, and the right services, you can have a business that is free of fires.

While nothing can guarantee complete security from fires, these simple tips will make your restaurant safer for years…

Tips for Preventing Restaurant Fires

Install an Automatic Fire-Suppression System

The first thing you can do to prevent fires in your restaurant is to install an automatic fire-suppression system.  These is a crucial step because the majority of restaurant fires  involve cooking equipment, but a fire-suppression system in a restaurant is designed to automatically dispense the right chemicals to deal with fires involving cooking oils and other materials found in kitchens.

Regular Service for Fire Suppression System

Just installing the automatic fire suppression system isn’t enough. You also need regular maintenance. How often you need to have your fire suppression system serviced will depend on a few factors, so always talk with a professional who understands the needs of your system and can make sure it is ready to put out any fire that comes around.

Throughly Clean the Exhaust Ducts on a Regular Basis

Your exhaust system is designed to remove hot air from your kitchen and release it outside through a duct system. However, it also serves the function of removing vaporized grease in the air. This grease can build up in the duct system, and if it gets too hot, a dangerous and destructive fire can ignite. With regular cleaning, however, the chances of a grease fire in your ducts are significantly reduced.

Train Employees on Fire Prevention and Suppression

All of your employees, from top-level managers to newly-hired servers should understand the steps for fire prevention and suppression. Train them on the right practices to prevent a fire from breaking out, and make sure they understand what to do if a fire does occur. This training should include the use of fire extinguishers and when to evacuate the building.

Keep a Clean and Uncluttered Kitchen and Storage Area

A clean area is one of the most proactive things you can do to prevent fires. Not only will it make your restaurant look more appealing to your customers, it will also reduce the chances of a fire from spreading. Make sure all combustible items are properly stored, and dispose of rags and other flammable trash in a container that is far from the kitchen. Clean up all grease spills thoroughly, and store flammable liquids in a puncture-resistant container that has been tightly sealed.

Have Fire Extinguishers Serviced Regularly

Like the automatic fire-suppression system, your fire extinguishers will need to be serviced regularly as well. Working with a team that not only supplies fire extinguishers but services them as well will help you get everything you need for a safe, fire-free restaurant.

Get Complete Air Control and Fire Prevention Service

Contact Flue Steam today to learn more about our reliable services. We can help you have a restaurant that is free of dangerous fires and air problems, so call now!

While having fire prevention measures in your restaurant is essential, nothing can guarantee a fire won’t start. For this reason, every business, especially kitchens, should have the right fire extinguisher ready at all times.

So what do you need to know about fire extinguishers? Keep reading to find out…

Important Fire Extinguisher Information for Restaurants

There is a Large Variety of Extinguishers to Fight Different Fires

Fires are classified differently depending on what is being burned, and different fire extinguishers are built to combat specific types. For example, a Class A fire is fueled by solid materials like wood, cloth, paper, and plastic. Technically, a camp fire is a Class A fire. Restaurants with wood-burning stoves are at risk for these types of fires. Class B fires involve flammable liquids like gasoline, tar, petroleum grease, and lacquers. Fires involving electrical circuits are considered Class C fires, while Class D fires are fueled by combustible metals like magnesium or potassium. Knowing which fires present a risk to your restaurant, and having the right extinguisher, is very important.

Must Have a Class K Fire Extinguisher

A Class K fire involved cooking oils or fats, and it is one of the most common types of fires in restaurants and kitchens. Therefore, having a Class K fire extinguisher, which contains a blend of potassium acetate and potassium citrate, is essential for any restaurant. One of the biggest dangers in a kitchen fire is splashing hot oil, but a Class K fire extinguisher sprays a mist to gently suffocate the fire. The chemicals from the extinguisher also create a barrier between the heated oil and oxygen so a fire can’t reignite.

Employees Should Be Trained in Use of Fire Extinguisher

It’s not enough to simply have a Class K fire extinguisher. Everyone on the restaurant’s staff, from the general manager to the newly-hired waitress should be trained on using the extinguisher. Local fire departments will often hold training sessions, and sending your employees, especially your kitchen staff, to these events could some day save your restaurant and could possibly lower your insurance rates.

Fire Extinguishers Don’t Last Forever

Most people, especially restaurant owners and managers, are aware that fire extinguishers have a shelf life and will need to be serviced within a set amount of time. Knowing when your fire extinguisher is set to expire is important, but there are also some situations that require immediate attention.

First and foremost, if it has been used, it should be serviced to ensure that it still has enough pressure and chemicals. If the nozzle or hose look worn, or if the handle is wobbly, you may have a problem. If the locking pin is missing or unsealed, or if the inspection sticker or tag is missing or incorrect, don’t wait for an inspector to find out, get it replaced or serviced immediately.

Complete Fire Extinguisher Service for Southern California

Contact Flue Steam today to learn more about our fire safety services, including replacement and service for fire extinguishers of all types.

You can have the right item for your restaurant, so give is a call today.

IKECA membership is the number one criteria to look for in your commercial kitchen exhaust cleaner.

Are you looking for a contractor you can trust to clean your commercial kitchen exhaust system? Make sure you choose an IKECA member. Companies who have earned membership in the International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association do better work and provide better peace of mind. Here are the top 5 benefits of hiring a certified company like Flue Steam.

We Clean to the Highest Standard

The number one reason to always use an IKECA-certified contractor for your commercial kitchen exhaust system cleaning is that our employees are fully trained in proper cleaning techniques and held to a high standard in their work.

Being able to trust your kitchen exhaust cleaning contractor to do excellent work is extremely important, because it can be difficult for you to visually confirm that the work has been done properly. Some uncertified companies take advantage of this and only clean the easy-to-see areas, but Flue Steam really will clean every inch of your exhaust system to the bare metal every time.

We Keep Up with Industry Advances

Unlike many trade skills organizations, IKECA does not award certifications for life. Instead, member companies and their workers must continue their education to maintain their certification. This means that if a company has an IKECA certification, you know that they are completely up to date on the latest best practices for proper exhaust system cleaning and will be implementing those techniques in your kitchen, not plugging along with some decades-old strategy.

We Won’t Guess at Your Cleaning Needs

Some companies may advise all their clients to get monthly service, regardless of whether their grease accumulation actually merits this. At Flue Steam, we have learned how to use the IKECA comb to measure grease deposits in your ducts, determine the rate of accumulation, and set a cleaning schedule accordingly. This schedule will ensure you get cleanings before grease deposits reach critical levels but also save you from the cost of unnecessary cleanings.

We Can Improve Your Exhaust System

Your average exhaust cleaning contractor is satisfied to just do the best job they can based on the architecture of your ducts. This may leave some areas improperly cleaned. As an IKECA-certified contractor, we understand the requirements for access panels and how this affects cleaning. If your system is missing access panels, we can install new code-compliant ones at the proper intervals for you.

We Keep Code Inspectors Happy

One final reason to always choose a certified kitchen exhaust cleaning company is that our work will always satisfy your local fire code inspectors, saving you from costly code violations and restaurant closures.

Get answers to commonly asked questions about commercial kitchen exhaust system cleaning.

Are you considering opening a new restaurant? While brainstorming ideas for the menu and décor is a lot more fun than considering more mundane things like code compliance, nonetheless you cannot afford to overlook the practical side of things.

One activity that is absolutely vital for the new restaurant owner to understand and implement is commercial kitchen exhaust system cleaning for fire code compliance. The following FAQ will help you understand the requirements and benefits of this activity.

What Does Commercial Kitchen Exhaust System Cleaning Include?

There are two types of commercial kitchen exhaust system cleaning: exhaust hood scraping and steam cleaning. Exhaust hood scraping tackles only the areas accessible by hand but is useful because these same areas have the fastest rate of grease buildup. A steam cleaning includes a complete system cleaning, including not just the exhaust hoods but also all of the interior duct work and the rooftop exhaust fan.

What Are the Benefits of Cleaning?

The main benefit of commercial kitchen exhaust system cleaning is to reduce the risk of a grease fire in the exhaust system. This can bring many additional side benefits such as improved kitchen air flow, improved exhaust fan performance and service life, and even the potential for better insurance rates. Cleaning is also necessary to keep code inspectors happy and your restaurant open.

How Often Do I Need Service?

The rate at which you will require cleaning depends on the type and amount of foods prepared and how they are cooked. Most restaurants require monthly exhaust hood scraping and semi-annual steam cleaning.

What Does a Clean Duct Look Like?

The industry standard is to clean to bare metal. Grease may be allowed to accumulate to a depth of no more than 0.125 inches between cleanings.

How Do I Find a Contractor?

The best way to find a qualified kitchen exhaust system cleaning company is to visit the IKECA website and search for member companies in your area. IKECA membership signals that a company has expert cleaners that are fully trained to the highest industry standard. You can rely on IKECA member companies like Flue Steam to provide superior cleaning service every time.

What Documentation Do I Need for Code Compliance?

After a cleaning, you should be furnished with a certification sticker showing the date the system was cleaned as well as inspection reports as needed.

Does This Activity Automatically Protect Against Liability for a Fire?

Yes, but only if the cleaning has been done correctly and completely by a certified contractor. Sloppy or incomplete cleaning from a sub-standard contractor will not protect the owner against liability, because it is ultimately the owner’s responsibility to ensure the work gets done right, according to the National Fire Protection Association Standard.

Incident serves as a reminder to stay on top of your exhaust fan maintenance.

Earlier this month hundreds of employees and tourists got a scare as alarms sounded in the US Capitol and an adjacent visitor’s center, triggering an evacuation.

Fortunately, within an hour the employees were back at work and the tourists were back to enjoying their visit to the Capitol. According to a spokesperson for the US Capitol Police, the alarms were triggered by a “known problem with environmental controls with the kitchen exhaust fan” in the visitor center. Officials did not clarify what the problem was exactly, but were careful to state that there was no smoke or fire.

Federal buildings are always going to take safety and security very seriously, but the decision to evacuate may have been helped along by the fact that another odd cooking-equipment-related incident had just occurred near the Capitol two days prior. In this incident a pressure cooker was found in an unattended vehicle parked nearby on the National Mall and had to be destroyed by a bomb squad.

What Commercial Kitchen Operators Can Learn

Now, if you operate a commercial kitchen, chances are you are not going to have the same level of security concerns as a facility in the US Capitol complex. However, you are going to have the exact same kitchen air control needs.

Like the officials at the Capitol, you need to know when your kitchen exhaust fan is malfunctioning.

Why?

Because a malfunctioning exhaust fan can spell big trouble for your commercial kitchen. At a bare minimum, it may cause heat and odors to build up in your kitchen, which will cause your employees discomfort and may even result in accidents and errors in food prep. More importantly, without an exhaust fan sucking hot, greasy air away from your cooking equipment, more grease is going to precipitate out of that hot air onto various surfaces in your kitchen, including the ductwork. The more grease you have accumulating, the faster fire hazards will develop and the more frequently you will need grease removal services.

What Can You Do To Keep Your Fan in Top Shape?

You can of course watch out for common signs of a malfunctioning exhaust fan, such as poor air flow or a hot, smoky kitchen and then get the necessary exhaust fair repairs. However, whenever possible it’s better to prevent problems rather than wait for them to become noticeable in the kitchen.

At Flue Steam, we offer several important services to help reduce your fan’s risk of premature failure. First of all, we always clean the exhaust fan whenever a steam cleaning is ordered. Secondly, we offer a free exhaust fan inspection during this same visit. We will grease the fan bearings and check various vital parts such as the belt. If the belt is worn and you have a spare one on hand, we will be happy to replace it for you at no extra charge.

When Was The Last Time You Checked on Your Fan?

Get your exhaust fan the attention it needs by calling Flue Steam today.