National Fire Prevention Week is October 4-10. This article offers tips to mitigate fire hazards in your facility.
According to The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), cooking continues to be the main contributor to home fires, which is why cooking safety is the focus of the National Fire Prevention Week, which runs from October 4 - 10. NFPA has pointed out that cooking safety has particular importance in 2020, as people continue to avoid restaurants and cook their meals at home, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To assist in fire prevention, Nationwide Loss Control Services has a team of safety professionals who strive to ensure that our customers’ workers and tenants stay safe. We encourage our customers to participate in this year’s National Fire Prevention Week to focus on kitchen/cooking safety and reinforce the importance of fire prevention.
It isn’t just homes that are at risk, though. Many commercial buildings have cooking areas or use cooking appliances that could present a fire hazard:
- Restaurants
- Schools
- Convenience stores
- Cafeterias
- Food courts
- Catering businesses
- Nursing homes and Senior Living facilities
- Churches
Here are just a few things you can do to try to keep cooking areas safe:
- Keep combustibles away from your stovetop.
- Never leave the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling food.
- If you are baking or roasting food, check it regularly and use a timer.
- Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking; loose sleeves can catch fire or snag on a pot handle.
- Keep the kitchen’s stovetop and oven clean; food or grease residues can easily catch fire.
- Keep a Class K fire extinguisher nearby; do not use water on a grease fire; if a fire burns out of control, exit the building and call 911.
Sources of Additional Information: