Keeping your commercial kitchen safe from burning down is probably one of your main priorities. You need to protect your employees as well as your investment, and as much as we hate them, fires are extremely common. According to the NFPA website, between the years of 2010-2014 there were 166,100 fires in the United States. Don’t worry though! We have put together a short list of four easy things you can do to prevent fires in your kitchen!

Related Title: NFPA on Cooking

1) NEVER leave food unattended!

If there was a Golden Rule of kitchen fire prevention, this one would be it! Whether you are at home in your own kitchen, or you are in your commercial restaurant kitchen, make sure to always keep cooking food attended. Whether it is in the oven, in a fryer, on the stove, or even in a microwave, make sure you or someone else is around to ensure that the cooking food stays safe and fire free! Keeping a timer in your kitchen could be helpful by keeping track of how long food is left on the burner, in the fryer, or in the oven. Make sure you never leave food cooking for longer than it needs to be!

2) Keep your equipment clean

This one should be a no-brainer, but keeping all of your equipment clean is a MUST for having proper kitchen safety. Start by ensuring your equipment, such as deep fryers and ovens, are cleaned regularly. Daily cleaning is recommended and you should schedule inspections to help ensure the safety and cleanliness of your equipment!

Related Title: Cleaning Your Commercial/Restaurant Kitchen Equipment

3) Rags

Many kitchen staff members use rags to wipe and clean up flammable grease and oil. If these rags are put into a pile together, they can become a very significant fire hazard. Not only could these rags catch fire, but grease accumulation is one of the largest causes of kitchen fires in the United States. A good way to reduce this risk is to have a designated spot where your rags can be kept and disposed of. It is a good idea to have this area outside of the actual kitchen!

4) Get regular hood cleanings!

Hopefully if you have a commercial kitchen you are already receiving regular hood cleanings! As you may know, your exhaust hoods are designed to manage fat, oil, and grease, or FOG. We have just informed you that grease accumulation is one of the largest causes of kitchen fires, therefore, keeping your hood clean should be a top priority! Your exhaust hood is going to be the most effective at preventing kitchen fires when it is cleaned regularly! Staying on top of getting regular hood cleanings not only helps prevent grease fires, but it also keeps you NFPA standard compliant!

Here are some more steps you can follow to prevent kitchen fires:

Ten Ways to Avoid a Kitchen Fire

Prevention is always the best medicine! Don’t make fire safety the place where you cut corners. Always do your best to keep your establishment and employees safe. If you want to learn more about fire prevention in your establishment, give us a call at (626) 915-2807!