Kitchen Fires are typically caused by flare-ups during food preparation or over, burner or electrical and gas connection defects. Kitchen fires are a very serious safety hazard for your entire facility. Most of these workplace accidents can be prevented. After all, the leading cause of kitchen fires is unattended cooking.
During Food Preparation
Wear close-fitting clothing with short or tightly rolled sleeves. Loose-fitting, baggy clothing, especially hanging sleeves, may drape into pans or open flames.
Always tie back long hair, and refrain from using flammable hair products.
Keep hot pads, oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging and towels away from any hear source.
Never leave your cooking station unattended.
Use the lowest heat setting possible that will cook food thoroughly and safely.
Do no place metals or foils in a microwave oven; it will cause sparking and pssible fire.
Appliance Precautions
Unplug portable appliances when they are not in use.
Always keep the vent-hood fan on while cooking on a range.
Clean up spills, grease messes on the range and in the oven immediately
Exercise caution when lighting ovens with gas ranges that do not have a self-lighting feature.
At the End of Your Shift
- Check burners, oven appliances to make sure that are off before leaving.
Clean up all spills.
In the Event of a Fire
If a fire occurs, turn off the gas or electrically fueling the fire if you can do so safely. If the fire is in a pan on the range, turn off the appliance and cover the pan with a lid to smother the flames. Make sure you are wearing an oven mitt. To keep the fire from restarting, do no move the pan, and leave the lid on until the pan is completely cool. Do the following when these methods do no work:
Use a fire extinguisher, baking soda or a fire blanket to put out the fire.
Sprinkle the baking on top of the pan.
Spray the fire extinguisher in a sweeping motion while standing at least three feet away from the flames.