Affinity Insurance Brokers, Ireland

The following are the two areas that most commonly re-occur as areas for improvement: namely fire and slips trips and falls.

The first area, and by far the biggest, that should be considered is that of fire; after all the cooking process is often by direct heat (i.e. gas burners) heating pans and pots containing highly flammable oils and fats. The very common use of candles on dining tables must also be considered.

The kitchen should be separated from the restaurant by fire-resisting construction. It is recommended that the kitchen should have at least one escape route independent of any service door to the restaurant. The fire detection and alarm system provided in the building should be extended into the kitchen by providing suitable heat detectors in this area. Such equipment should be designed to work in a potentially smoky and sometimes hot environment. Ordinary detector heads activate alarms regularly in this environment. The resulting false alarms may result in the detector bring bypassed

or covered thus removing the protection an alarm is supposed to provide.There is a similar consideration with sprinkler systems. The rating of the sprinkler head should be such that accidental activation due to warm/hot temperatures in the kitchen is avoided.

Staff training should include information on recognising fire hazards and staff should be encouraged to inform management on any hazards they may feel are relevant.

The restaurant owner should provide suitable fire-fighting equipment in the kitchen area. This would include a fire blanket and fire extinguishers suitable for electrical fires such as dry powder or carbon dioxide extinguishers. Where cooking oils are used, a new type of extinguisher should be in place, which is called a wet chemical. This is necessary due to the extremely high temperatures encountered in cooking oil fires and their propensity to re-ignite when other extinguishers have been used up. These are stored in a

standard extinguishing bottle and are colour-coded with a bright yellow label. As with all extinguishing media they should be located away from the cooking areas, adjacent to the exit from the kitchen so that they are safely accessible in the event of a fire.

Ideally the owner should also consider installing an automatic fire suppression system over the deep fat frying area. By far the most common of these systems is the ANSUL automatic fire suppression system. They are usually identified by the small nozzles located in the cooker hood above fryers and they usually have a small

plastic cap over the top of the nozzle. The most common problem with these systems is that the cap comes loose and comes off and is left off. Of itself this is not a problem but over time the nozzle can become clogged with grease from the fryers and affect its

operation in the event of a fire.

The management of the premises should ensure good housekeeping practices such as the regular cleaning of cooking extract filters and the maintenance of the fire protection equipment mentioned above. Fire drills should take place regularly, twice a

year would be ideal with (if possible) at least one of them involving some customers. At least one of the staff on each shift should be trained as a fire marshal also a staff member on each shift should be trained in first-aid (this can be the same person). Waste is also a serious consideration, whether waste oil, paper, card or food; where you store it whilst awaiting collection is important. If stored outside, security is a real factor with the risk of malicious fire a very real threat.

Another aspect to consider is when extending or refurbishing a restaurant, the restaurant owner will first have to apply for a fire safety certificate. They should then talk to their architects to make sure that they are adhering to fire safety precautions. There are many factors to be taken into consideration under the Fire Services Act - layout of tables, how many exit doors, travel distances to these doors, etc. Your architect should

go through all this with you. If the restaurant owner has any queries relating to fire safety, they should then contact their local fire authority.

The second area which is much more of a common occurrence, but not trivial to those seriously hurt, is that of slips trips and falls. Many restaurants such as fast food

restaurants have a very high volume of trade turnover and on wet days with typically tiled floors, surfaces can become slippery very quickly. Others have liquor licences that may mean that some of the customers are not as "sure-footed" as they might ordinarily be. With this in mind and any other tripping issues such as loose carpet or vinyl floor coverings, the proprietor should carry out a risk assessment of area and based on this, implement the proper controls. These controls may include, but would not be

limited to:

Mats on tiled floors near entrance doors.

Replacement or repair of damaged/loose floor coverings

Surface treatments for floor areas that reduce the slip factor of a floor, particularly in areas where it may get particularly slippery e.g. the kitchen.

Toilet areas should also be considered as the floors there are often wet and usually tiled. A cleaning schedule should be set up and maintained.

Also as toilets are usually up or downstairs from the eating areas, the stairways or entry-ways to them should be looked at carefully. Ensure that the threads are in good condition and that the handrail is adequate (it may be necessary to havetwo) and secure. Ensure that there are no items blocking the path to the toilets,

such as refuse, or deliveries etc...

Navigation

SAFETY WITHIN THE COMMERCIAL KITCHEN – RESTAURANTS/BARS/CAFES