As a restaurant owner or manager, you need to ensure that everyone stays safe and understands what to do in the case of a fire. This means you need to implement a safety training program for your employees. Here are a few tips to help create a program that is effective and covers situations that may arise in your establishment.
Identify All Potential Hazards
Properly training everyone on how to avoid fires and how to respond if there is one requires you to identify all the potential hazards. The first place to start is in the kitchen. Take a good look around and determine the many ways a fire could start. Remember that fires do not always start in the stove, oven, deep fryer, or other cooking appliance. Pay attention to any areas with grease. You also need to inspect the waiting areas, seating areas, and bathrooms. Look for areas where patrons may be smoking, look around electrical outlets and lights, and check places where heating or cooking appliances are used.
Use Fire Suppression and Control Equipment
All employees need to know what type of fire suppression and control equipment is in the building. They also need to know how to operate it all. In addition to having the operating instructions near the equipment, make sure that every employee has a chance to handle it all and to go through the motions of using it.
When training on fire extinguishers, be sure to explain the different types and when each type should be used. You want everyone to know where the fire extinguishers are kept and how to check that they are current and not expired. It is also important everyone knows how to shut off the sprinkler system and fire suppression system in the kitchen if they go off when there isn’t a fire.
Perform Fire Drills
Everyone needs to know how to safely exit the building if there is a fire. In addition to having a posted escape route, have routine fire drills. You need to practice exiting dependent on where the fire is, such as if the fire is in the kitchen versus if it starts in the dining room. You will need to have multiple escape routes and practice them all. In addition to getting the employees out, you need to train people to help get the customers out as well. Decide which type of employees will do this, or train everyone with instructions that anyone in the dining room is to help get the patrons out of the building safely.
Clean and Eliminate Hazards
In addition to teaching everyone what to do in case of a fire, you should also teach them how to avoid fires. Take them through the building, pointing out the different potential hazards you previously identified. Explain why these things are potential hazards and different ways to keep fires from starting. Explain the importance of immediately cleaning up any grease or oil. Show your staff how to do it correctly to ensure there is no residue that could easily catch fire or cause a fire to spread. Explain how to properly dispose of articles that may easily catch fire too. Trying to plan and execute a fire safety program can be a lot of work. If you need help, contact Secure Fire & Safety LLC. We can help you design a program or come and conduct the training for you. Make sure that each employee attends training and that you have refresher courses a couple of times a year. Fires can be catastrophic. When everyone is aware of how to avoid a fire and how to respond if there is one, the less damage your business will incur. It will also ensure that everyone gets out alive.
Comments