There’s a huge reason why restaurant owners invest in the products offered by fire suppression system companies. When you work in an area where all the ingredients for a fire emergency co-exist — i.e., open flames, high-temperature cooking oils, and cleaning chemicals among others — it is only logical to equip your building with fire alarm and protection systems.
However, no matter how well-prepared you are, your restaurant can still be damaged when a fire breaks out. In this blog, we’re listing down eight tips you should bear in mind when dealing with a fire accident aftermath in your restaurant.
Assess and document the damages. This is a crucial task you need to tick off of your checklist before contacting your insurance company. By getting pieces of evidence of the properties and valuable assets that were damaged, you’ll get the chance to have your insurance provider cover most, if not all the restoration costs.
Get in touch with your insurance provider. After getting proof of the fire damages, it’s time to contact your insurance provider. They will be the ones to inspect the damage personally and file a claim to supply you with the financial aid you need for the restoration and cleaning processes.
Seek help from restoration experts. Cleaning the mess caused by fire damage is a daunting task. If you want to finish things more efficiently, it’s best to hire restoration experts. From getting rid of the water that came out of your fire protection equipment (which you’ve bought from one of the fire suppression system companies near you) to actually restore what can still be salvaged, they have the right set of tools and skillset to accomplish such a delicate role.
Wear protective gear. Even when fire bureau officials have declared it’s safe to re-enter your restaurant, you need to be careful still. Do your part and wear protective gear like masks and gloves.
Watch out for hazards. You also need to be careful when roaming around a restaurant or a commercial kitchen after a fire. Use a flashlight to look for hazards, which include unstable structures, slippery surfaces, soot, ash, sharp objects, and chemical-laden products or items (e.g. Pesticides, fuel containers).
Get rid of unsafe food products. Speaking of protection, you also have to discard any food products that are deemed unsafe and damaged — especially those that have been exposed to heat, ash, soot, water, and smoke.
Investigate the source of the fire. With the aid of official investigators, it’s important to identify the cause of the fire accident. It’s necessary if you want to effectively prevent another fire emergency from happening. You might also want to check if there’s arson involved, or if it’s caused by mere faulty wiring or cooking equipment left unattended.
Brief and orient your employees. Relay to them how important it is to observe safety and utmost care when re-entering a commercial kitchen after a fire. They must also be aware of any health hazards. Though fire suppression system companies are there to provide protective measures, it’s important to discipline your employees for them to act accordingly in cases of fire emergencies.
Westminster Fire is among the most trusted fire suppression system companies today. If you need fire and life safety products, contact us today!