Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 there is a requirement placed on the “Responsible Person” to carry out a fire risk assessment – to identify any possible risks, to reduce or remove those risks and to implement any precautions necessary to ensure that persons on the premises could be alerted and would be able to escape safely in the event of a fire occurring.
In doing this users will drastically reduce the chance of their restaurant being affected.
Fire risk assessment
When carrying out a fire risk assessment, users should follow these five steps:
- Identify fire safety hazards
- Determine who may be harmed and how
- Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
- Implement procedures and record findings
- Review and update the assessment
Restaurant-specific considerations
Kitchen processes and cooking equipment
Ovens, open flames, gas hobs – a busy restaurant kitchen is arguably one big fire hazard. With a hectic commercial kitchen full of people hustling and bustling, it’s important to make sure any potential fire hazards have been highlighted and assessed.
Extraction ducts and fans
Users should ensure that any and all extraction ducts are cleaned or adequately maintained to repair any breaks/gaps in the ducts. This is because the build-up of flammable fats, dust, and grease may prevent ventilation systems from working properly and contribute to the rapid spread of fire.
Members of the general public
A successful restaurant will be filled with members of the public, and this can pose unique challenges
Commercial spaces such as offices often only have the same employees within their premises day-to-day, who should have received up-to-date fire training and be familiar with fire safety procedures.
However, a successful restaurant will be filled with members of the public, and this can pose unique challenges.
Every day the restaurant is filled with brand new people, often who have never been to the premises before and aren’t aware of the layout of the premises, the location of the fire exits, and may have their own unique vulnerabilities, such as a physical disability. Restaurant owners should keep this in mind when thinking about their fire risk assessments.
BAFE-approved
Total Fire Group can carry out BAFE-approved fire risk assessments on the owners’ behalf to give them the peace of mind that it has been done correctly, and give users the time to focus on the day-to-day running of the business.
They have even developed their very own fire risk assessment software that is like nothing within the industry.
However, fire risk assessments are only the beginning of the fire risk management cycle. They can also offer an ongoing fire consultancy service, which includes the initial fire risk assessment(s), as well as more in-depth support. They have worked with many brands, conducting fire risk assessments for the hospitality industry