One of the most important parts of running a business is following and meeting all codes, regulations, and laws associated with your type of business. Owning a restaurant or other type of facility housing a commercial kitchen in California, one of the things you must do by law is have fire extinguishers available inside your kitchen in case a fire ever erupts.
People often ask us, “How many fire extinguishers do I need to have installed in my California commercial kitchen?” Good news: we’ve got the answer!
Apart from having a fire suppression system, commercial kitchens in California are required to have Class K extinguishers installed, but how many? While you probably want a definite answer, the number of fire extinguishers one commercial kitchen is required to have might vary from the number required for another commercial kitchen.
By California law, extinguishers in commercial kitchens must be placed so that an employee within your kitchen only has to travel 30 feet to obtain an extinguisher. Depending on how large your kitchen is, you may need to have several extinguishers installed whereas a smaller kitchen may only need a couple.
Everyone knows why fire extinguishers are important: they help put out fires. However, what some people fail to realize is how important fire extinguishers are for commercial kitchens in particular.
Compared to many other types of builds, or even home kitchens, commercial kitchens are especially at risk for flash fires. Unsupervised food-heating appliances, flammable objects near a heated appliance or open flame, overheating of fryer oils, clutter of paper goods within your kitchen, and dirty grease traps and exhaust hoods that aren’t properly maintained are all potential commercial kitchen fire hazards.
Due to the potentials for a flash fire to strike at any time, it isn’t enough to make sure you eliminate hazards from your commercial kitchen and make sure to maintain your grease traps, exhaust hoods, and ductwork. The addition of fire extinguishers in case a fire does happen to emerge is critical.
It’s a law: you must have fire extinguishers installed in your California commercial kitchen. Since their installation is inevitable, you might as well get your supply from the right place.
At Flue Steam, Inc., we carry a wide selection of different types of portable fire extinguishers to ensure your business is up to code. Call us at 800-700-FLUE to get in touch with one of our technicians who can help you select the best extinguishers for your needs!