FOCUS
Time to update Technological innovations mean that fire
protection advice is lagging behind the needs of the catering industry, believes Dave Breith
I
N THE UK, the risk of fi re is disproportionately high in the catering sector, and it doesn’t take a genius to work out why. Fire needs
three elements to burn – heat, fuel and oxygen – and kitchens, which are constantly heating, cooking and processing foods, have all of these in plentiful supply. That’s partly why in 2016/17, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), there were 1,860 fires in UK food and drink establishments, of which 1,639 were accidental and 221 deliberate1
. What’s more, these figures don’t include
hotels and boarding houses, which also tend to have busy kitchens. These, along with other communal living premises, accounted for more than 2,000 further fires that year. This sector specific risk of fire is widely acknowledged, and fire experts have identified many of the risks that are particularly common in catering premises2
. Most people working with food and drink
will now be aware of the risks arising from dirty heat sources that are covered in grease or cooking fat, and of the need to keep cooking equipment (particularly equipment
50 APRIL 2020
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using heat) well maintained and inspected. Most kitchen staff know that overheating oils during cooking is a fire risk and adjust their techniques accordingly. But how many also think to keep the ducting in extraction systems clean; to ensure fi re safe separation between units (particularly where there is residential accommodation close to a cooking area); and to regularly check the safety of all electrical equipment in the kitchen, right down to the kitchen radio and charging cables for mobile devices? All of these are fi re hazards too. Tumble driers are another common
source of fire in hospitality sites (especially when they are used continually without the lint having been removed), as are items that are used in hospitality, but not necessarily within the kitchen. Shisha and barbecue coals, patio heaters and their gas supplies can all start fires. In real life, it is easy for details like these
to get lost in the day to day realities and challenges of running a catering business – and, as we have seen, fires happen.
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