Tips on fire suppression
Adam Horvath explains the importance of fire suppression and grease management in commercial kitchens. Often an aspect which is over looked, HCE is here to ensure that your facility not only looks great but has safety at its heart.
Fire suppression systems may be something that you haven’t considered, but it is important that your kitchen is equipped with the best safety equipment possible. There are many pro’s for having a fire suppression system installed , first and foremost it can kill a fire in second!
If you have an open plain kitchen without a fire shutter or fire doors, it is likely that a fire suppression system is required. Likewise, there are times when it is required by the landlord, insurance company or the local fire safety officer. Having a fire suppression system installed may also reduce insurance cost.
Fire suppression system must be designed around the equipment and canopy layout, even though multi-zone systems are also available that allow you to move equipment around without having to reposition nozzles. As part of our design, we also take positioning of the tanks and manual pull station into consideration. Whilst fire suppression should be considered on every new design (specially where the cookline includes a deep fat fryer), the good news is that it can be retro-fitted into most canopies.
Tips on grease management
It is the operators` responsibility to ensure that an efficient grease management solution is in place and that it is maintained. This is important to prevent blockages in the building and help protecting the environment as well as the sewage network.
Where possible, an underground grease interceptor can be fitted outside the kitchen. In terms of localised grease traps, there must be positioned neat the source of FOG`s (fats, oils, greases), e.g. dishwash or potwash area.
Use of grease traps should also be considered with wok units and combi ovens, although some combi ovens are available with a built-in grease collection.
HCE would strongly recommend the use of so called `active` grease traps that separate grease into a container that can be emptied daily for collection and safely recycled. This is more efficient and more reliable than traditional `passive` grease traps that can still get clogged up, overspill, or become a source of bad odours.
Depending the type of operation, menu, layout and site conditions, the use of enzyme dosing units may also be an option.
HCE recommend that grease traps are serviced quarterly to ensure the system are working as they should to ensure continued effectiveness.
HCE always make sure that they work with trusted manufacturers to find the perfect solution for your site.