Another Restaurant Fire Reminds Us of The Importance of Health and Safety In Commercial Kitchens

Deep and Ductwork Cleaning from Ingot Services

As yet another local kitchen fire causes disruption to a local business, it reminds us to take a look at health and safety within commercial kitchens, ensuring deep cleans, as well as ductwork cleaning, are scheduled regularly.

While the fire at Bella Italia in Norwich was relatively small, and caused little disruption with all customers safely evacuated, it does bring sharply into focus the risks that a fire within a public place can pose.

Health and Safety Obligations

Health and safety within all commercial kitchens is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), ensuring that risks of accidents are kept to a minimum.  Such accidents may include slips, trips and falls, injuries caused by the manual handling of heavy equipment, and exposure to hot and harmful substances.

Environmental Health

But as well as the HSE, commercial kitchen hygiene is rigorously overseen by Local Authority Environmental Health Officers, who work to enforce the Food Safety Act 1990 as the main item of legislation.

As well as this, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires that food outlets demonstrate not just that their premises are adequately clean at the time that the officer visits, but that they also have cleaning procedures in place showing a planned schedule that is being followed by staff.

Including routine deep cleans in your schedule strengthens your protocol helping to convince an Environmental Health Officer that cleanliness is taken seriously.

Ductwork Cleaning for Clean, Fresh Air

Workplace health and safety regulations also require a good, clean air supply into your business premises, and specify that ductwork cleaning for your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is carried out regularly by a professional ductwork cleaning company. It is here that a good number of kitchen fires may start - as grease and grime accumulate within the system, causing blockages of dust which can easily combust with the help of a small spark.

Deep and Ductwork Cleaning from Ingot Services

At Ingot Services, we take commercial kitchen and ductwork cleaning seriously. We are fully HVAC registered and we are a member of the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme, as well as a Safe Contractor Registered firm.

With over 25 years’ experience in deep cleaning and ductwork cleaning in commercial kitchens, we have worked with clients ranging from cafes, pubs and bistros through to Michelin Star restaurants, as well as commercial kitchens within hospitals, care homes, schools and more.

To find out more about how Ingot Services can help your commercial kitchen meet health and safety requirements, including your kitchen deep cleaning and ductwork cleaning, call today on 0800 731 7892.