At the Jay L Harmon Fire Equipment company, safety remains our number one priority. Our focus is to help keep restaurants and other commercial kitchens safe from grease fires through installation of proper fire suppression systems, vigilant maintenance and effective cleaning programs. When it comes to fire safety, there are a variety of things business owners can do to keep their  kitchen safe. Adhering to the following checklist of items can go a long way toward ensuring your commercial kitchen is held to the highest standard of safety.

Manage your commercial kitchen equipment

• Equip cooking appliances with non-combustible grease filters.
• Place only non-combustible easily cleaned racks, trays, and containers inside ovens.
• Vent all cooking appliances to the exterior of the building.
• Make sure appliances are placed at an adequate distance away from other surfaces.
• Equip deep-fat fryers with automatic fuel cutoff valves.
• Trash containers should be made from non-combustible materials and be equipped with self-closing lids if capacity exceeds 20 gallons.
• Install grease traps under filters and pitch them to drain into a metal container.
• All control valves for gas service should be readily accessible and in working condition.
• Have operating instructions for all cooking equipment readily available for your employees’ reference.

Train your commercial kitchen staff

• Train your staff adequately on fire safety standards and common hazards such as fuel-air combustion, explosive materials and ignition sources.
• Make sure they know how to operate cooking equipment properly.
• Go over finding and using a fire extinguisher appropriately.
• Train at least one employee on every shift how to shut off the gas and electrical power in case there is an emergency.
• Have an evacuation plan and make sure your complete staff knows what to do in case of fire.

Properly maintain your commercial kitchen

• Empty all grease containers at least once a day.
• Regularly tidying up and wiping down grease from surfaces will minimize the risk of fire by removing flammable materials from the vicinity.
• Schedule regular maintenance for electrical equipment and always check for electrical hazards such as frayed wires, cracked or broken switch plates and loose power cords.
• Inspect solid fuel cooking appliances on a monthly basis, high-volume cooking appliances quarterly, moderate-volume appliances semi-annually and low-volume appliances annually.

The checklist above is a great start for keeping your commercial kitchen safe, but is not an exhaustive list of all possible safety precautions. Refer to your state’s local fire code as well as any building codes specific to your facility.

The Jay L Harman Fire Equipment team understands your firefighting needs and is ready to help

Jay L Harman’s DOT Hydrostatic Testing and Ultrasonic Examination facility and equipment meet all NFPA requirements for the hydrostatic testing and Ultrasonic Evaluation of self-contained breathing apparatus compressed gas cylinders in addition to testing ABC portable fire extinguisher cylinders.

Jay L Harman Fire Equipment Company is your local AMEREX dealer offering the full range of AMEREX Fire Extinguishers, Kitchen Protection systems, Vehicle Systems, Automatic Gas Detection and Industrial Systems.

Jay L Harman is the best and one of the biggest firefighting equipment suppliers and service providers in the region, specializing in fire suppression systems, fire extinguishers, emergency lighting, fire hoses, hydrostatic testing and more. Serving El Paso TX, Las Cruces NM and the surrounding areas, we pride ourselves on buying local and hiring local whenever possible.

Jay L Harman Fire Equipment is your go-to distributor for OVAL low-profile fire extinguishers in West Texas and New Mexico.

Contact Jay L. Harman Fire Equipment in El Paso TX at 915-533-7021 or Las Cruces NM at 575-523-8880.

Since 1925, we have protected businesses throughout the area from the harms and hazards of fires. Every Jay L Harman technician is licensed and regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance State Fire Marshal’s Office.  Each of these technicians continually receives the most up-to-date factory training and certifications by our manufacturers. Contact Jay L Harman Fire Equipment today. Let our friendly and knowledgeable staff tell you more about our fire suppression systems and help you find the ideal fire suppression system for your needs. Learn more about our full offering of fire extinguisher training, firefighting services, firefighting products, request a quote, ask a question or request additional information.