If you own or operate a restaurant, fire safety is essential, and fire sprinkler maintenance is key to proper fire safety. There are an estimated 5,600 restaurant fires reported each year, resulting in more than $116 million in property damage. Between hot cooking surfaces, greasy messes and lots of people in a small space, fire risks can be rampant.
For this reason, having fire sprinklers to protect your guests and a proper kitchen suppression system to protect your staff are essential. In this blog, we’ll share tips and tricks to manage your fire sprinkler maintenance, as well as some other fire prevention measures you should be sure to take in your restaurant.
Make Routine Inspections a Priority
In order for any fire and life safety system to be effective, it has to work during a fire emergency. This is why routine inspections are essential. During routine inspections, fire and life safety technicians can flag any defects or potential issues, repairing or replacing parts before there’s an emergency.
How often fire sprinkler systems need to be inspected depends on where you are located and what kind of business you have, as there are different requirements based on various factors. Generally, fire sprinkler systems need inspections on the following basis:
- Weekly and monthly inspections - Check for normal pressure levels on the dry, pre-action, and deluge systems gauges weekly; monthly, inspect wet pipe system gauges, check water pressure levels, and inspect alarm valves for issues or signs of damage. These tests can be done by a trained staff member
- Quarterly, annual and five year inspections - Fire sprinkler maintenance must be done by a certified fire and life safety professional, and check for a wide variety of potential external and internal issues
Electrical Systems
Kitchens pose a unique challenge, because often the type of fires in kitchens are grease fires. Grease fires are only made worse when treated with water. Because of this, sprinkler systems aren’t usually the best course of action for the kitchen itself.
Instead, your kitchen should have a fire suppression system that automatically turns off the gas valve if a fire is detected, as well as a hood suppression system over the stove. The hood system will have a series of nozzles that will automatically go off in case of a fire, helping to stop it from spreading further. Typically, these nozzles disperse a wet chemical fire suppressant.
In a kitchen fire, seconds matter. For this reason, it’s important to have a manual pull station as well as the automatic suppression system. That way, if the system isn’t automatically activated for some reason, you can react quickly to ensure the fire is put out as quickly as possible.
3. Protect your customers along with your kitchen
If your restaurant can serve more than 300 people, you’re required to have fire sprinklers, per the NFPA. This is to protect your staff and customers in the case of a fire that breaks out outside of your kitchen, or if a kitchen fire spreads to the seating area.
Actual regulations around fire sprinklers in restaurants can vary by state, so it’s important to work with fire and life safety professionals to make sure your system is in compliance and keeps your customers and staff as protected as possible.
4. Beyond your sprinkle system
One of the most important things you can do when it comes to fire and life safety in your restaurant? Prepare for a fire before it happens. Make sure to have safety information posted as appropriate, regarding escape routes or emergency exits. Train your staff on how to evacuate guests and other staff members during a fire emergency. Practice drills on a regular basis with your staff, so everyone knows what to do during a fire.
For the ultimate protection, work with a fire and life safety company like CertaSite. We are the best in the business, and we’ll work hard to go above and beyond compliance to keep your people and property safe. Reach out to us today for a consultation on your fire sprinkler system, kitchen suppression system and more.
