Fire Safety And Risk Assessment Specialists
Fire Risk Assessments For Restaurants, Cafes & Bars in Exeter
fire risk assessment service covering Exeter and the South-West
Do I need a fire risk assessment for my facility?
Yes, it is a legal requirement to have a fire risk assessment for your property in England. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, owners and operators of business properties are legally responsible for ensuring the safety of their visitors from the risk of fire. This includes carrying out a fire risk assessment and implementing appropriate fire safety measures, such as installing smoke alarms and providing clear evacuation routes. Failure to comply with fire safety regulations can result in fines, legal action, and even imprisonment in serious cases. Therefore, it is crucial to have a fire risk assessment carried out by a qualified specialist to ensure that your property is fully compliant with all relevant safety regulations.
If you're in the food business, here are the fire safety essentials you need to know.
If you're responsible for a food business like a restaurant, cafe or takeaway, there are specific areas of fire safety you need to really pay attention to.
What causes fires in restaurants and takeaways?
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Kitchen appliances 25%
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Cooker 23%
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Electrical distribution 17%
Common fire risks in food businesses.
Dirty ducting – if you don't clean the ducting in your extraction system regularly, you're at a greater risk of ducting fires.
Poor fire-safe separation between units – this is especially dangerous if you don't keep your ducting clean. Ducting can pass through residential accommodation above and causing secondary fires.
Electrical fires – because businesses haven't tested portable appliances (like kitchen radios or blenders), and because the electrical system itself isn't up to scratch.
Electrical lighting – can be placed too close to flammable material, increasing the risk of fire.
Cooking techniques – overheating of oils used for cooking.
Tumble dryers – food businesses can get through a lot of laundry, and face increased risks, for instance when drying towels overheat in the dryer, or staff members forget to regularly clear lint.
Outdoor areas and shisha bars – patio heaters and their gas supplies need to be handled carefully, and so do shisha coals.
Storage and rubbish – we often see blocked escaped routes, and piles of rubbish increasing the risk of potential arson or accidental fires from stray cigarettes.
General fire precautions include, where necessary:
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Have ducting cleaned regularly in accordance with guidance TR/19.
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Ensure ducting is installed correctly.
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Make sure all electrical items are tested and maintained – check regularly, and don't allow employees to bring their own kitchen appliances to work.
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Ensure your electrical system is regularly tested – at least once every year.
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Educate your staff about the risks of overloading sockets, and make sure no-one is using counterfeit phone chargers.
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Use your tumble dryer safely – have named individuals responsible for cleaning lint and checking it dryer regularly.
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Complete your Fire Risk Assessment, and make an emergency plan that includes disabled people.
Kitchen Fire Extinguishers & equipment.
Wet Chemical Fire Extinguisher
This 2 litre wet chemical extinguisher is ideal for small kitchens, being able to tackle those fires fuelled by waste paper baskets and burning cooking oil. The wet chemical agent forms a blanket on top of burning materials, suffocating it firstly and then cooling it to prevent re-ignition.
The alternative fire extinguisher is the CO2 you could use this on this type of fire again depending on the severity of the level of the fire. This extinguisher is safe to use on both gas and electric fires and doesn’t leave a mess like the dry powder does so depending on the severity of the fire you would be able to use all your kitchen appliance that evening.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Extinguishers
Emergency Plan
As an employer, owner or occupier of commercial premises there is a lawful obligation to make a detailed fire emergency plan.
A simple emergency plan should include the following:
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A suitable fire detection system.
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A process for identifying false alarms.
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A clear understanding of who calls 999.
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All escape routes must be unobstructed, planned out and clearly marked.
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Emergency doors that open easily and emergency lighting if required.
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Employee training so they know escape routes and a safe meeting point.
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Always consider people who can’t escape quickly in a fire like wheelchair users.
Find guidance for people with disabilities here: Fire Safety Risk Assessment: Means of Escape for Disabled People.
What are your Legal Obligations?
The main fire safety law, restaurants must comply with, is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO). Under the FSO, your premises must reach the required standard and all employees are provided with adequate fire safety training.
Adequate fire safety training varies from business to business but generally includes:
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General fire awareness induction.
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Periodic refresher or extra training where the risk level increases as a result of business changes.
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Training to support employees meeting their fire safety duties.
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Skill-building such as, FRAs or using fire extinguishers.
If you are responsible for the commercial premises, carrying out an Fire risk assessment and creating an emergency plan are both legal requirements.
This short guide is intended to assist ‘persons’ with duties under fire safety legislation in England
to comply with the legislation.
Its purpose is to explain the duties in simple, non-legal language.
As such, it is not a guide to completing a fire risk assessment
