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probably feel reasonably confident; but even so, they will need to record and document according to the law. Many businesses, however, find this area so
complex that they call in experts to help, often at substantial cost. The situation regarding firefighting equipment is, if anything, even more complicated. Caterers are usually told to have several types of fire extinguisher or firefighting equipment in place. A typical piece of advice might suggest: • a fire blanket for pan fires or small fires • a wet chemical extinguisher, frequently identified as the only type of extinguisher to be used on deep fat fryers
•
foam extinguishers for ‘general’ fires (which may then be defined by the person or body giving the advice) and/or powder extinguishers (at this point, various caveats will probably be given around the health and safety of users and situations in which powder extinguishers are suitable)
• carbon dioxide extinguishers for electrical fires
• water extinguishers to be considered for customer facing areas (within certain parameters)
• buckets of sand for barbecues and similar outdoor fire hazards
Of course, in most cases, the advisor will end such counsel by reminding the caterer that
52 APRIL 2020
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all such equipment must be stored and used appropriately and regularly serviced. This is all hideously complicated and what’s more a huge headache for businesses. They must train all staff to know which particular type of fire extinguisher can be used for which type of fire, which must be avoided and when, and so forth. Businesses must also provide refresher
training to make sure that knowledge persists within the organisation. When one considers the many practical challenges that may arise from such complexity, especially in a risk heavy environment such as a kitchen, it is hardly surprising that so many food and drink establishments suffer fires every year. However, the good news is that now, it doesn’t have to be that way.
Simpler solutions
The introduction of a single solution that can fight any fire is a huge step forward for fire protection in general, and for caterers and hospitality providers in particular. The higher than average sector specific risks faced by such businesses have made fire protection complex and challenging for the last five decades, with a plethora of options and training, compliance and regulatory demands. However, such complexities are becoming a thing of the past, with demand now growing for
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