Commercial kitchens are rife with fire hazards. From rampant flammable substances to electrical appliances to usually confined spaces, multiple potential fire risks are always present in a kitchen. Thus, having the right fire protection devices, such as a kitchen fire extinguisher, is crucial.
Do you have a kitchen fire extinguisher? If you have a commercial kitchen, you probably think that you’re all set since you most likely have a kitchen fire suppression system. But do you need a kitchen fire extinguisher as well?
In today’s post, we’ll talk about choosing the right kind for your commercial kitchen. This way, your kitchen will be better equipped to deal with fire emergencies.
If you are wondering whether you need a commercial kitchen fire extinguisher, the short and simple answer is yes. In fact, the National Fire Protection Agency has mandated that all commercial kitchens must be equipped with at least one (and depending on how big the kitchen area is) ready-to-use kitchen fire extinguisher.
In addition to it being a fire protection code regulation, there are several important reasons why it’s crucial to have a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
Class K fires, or kitchen fires, include high-power appliances, combine that with highly flammable cooking oils. When these components ignite a fire, you get a scorching hot fire – not to mention the grease and oil can spread quickly and easily – you’re looking at a perilous fire emergency.
As such, the more fire protection and safety devices you have in your kitchen, the better. While kitchen fire suppression systems are highly effective, they may not be enough to extinguisher fires. This rings true when there is an oil or grease spillage, which can then spread fire faster.
Because of these conditions, the NFPA has required that all commercial kitchens must include Class-K or kitchen fire extinguishers.
This type of fire extinguisher is explicitly made to be an effective fire protection tool against class K fires. There are several subtypes of class K fire extinguishers. Some of these types include both wet chemical and dry chemical varieties. Class K fire extinguishers also come in many different sizes.
According to NFPA guidelines, class K extinguishers should not be activated until the kitchen fire suppression system has already been triggered. This step ensures that both the fire extinguisher and the fire suppression system will work optimally.
When both methods are properly displaced, they are more likely to work effectively in suppressing and extinguishing kitchen fires.
It’s crucial that as a property owner operating a commercial kitchen, you know the specifications in the fire extinguishers for your kitchen. This is because some of these devices conduct electricity. If this applies to you, make sure that your power to kitchen appliances has been shut off before activating the fire extinguisher.
There is no one standard answer to this question. At a minimum, you must have at least one kitchen fire extinguisher.
However, if you have a larger kitchen facility or if you’re dealing with multiple fire hazards, the number of extinguishers – as well as the size – you need will also increase.
A worldwide guideline, as stated by the International Fire Code, orders that you must have at least one 6-liter fire extinguisher for every four kitchen fryers that can hold up to 320 pounds of foods in total. If you have bigger or more fryers in your kitchen, then you also need more fire extinguishers.
To know the right number and size of extinguishers you need, employ the services of an experienced and certified fire protection company. At Texas Fire and Safety, we offer installation, inspection, and maintenance of fire extinguishers.