Fire safety by sector / Guide
Fire safety for restaurants & commercial kitchens
Cooking is the single largest cause of business fires in the UK. A working wet-chemical extinguisher, properly sized fixed suppression and a tested gas isolation routine are the three things insurers and fire officers look for first.
What the law says
The Fire Safety Order applies to every restaurant, café, takeaway and pub. Commercial gas installations must meet BS 6173, with an annual gas safety inspection by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Class F fires (cooking oils above 360°C) require an F-class wet chemical extinguisher — water and foam are explicitly unsuitable.
Recommended starter spec
- F-class wet chemical extinguisher in every kitchen, sized to the largest fryer.
- CO2 in food prep areas for electrical risk; foam in dry stores and front-of-house.
- Fixed kitchen suppression system over deep fryers and char-grills (best practice for any operation cooking >5L oil).
- Fire blanket within 1 metre of each cooking station.
- Manual gas isolation valve clearly labelled and accessible.
- Quarterly cleaning of kitchen extract canopies and ducting (LPS 1204).
Common gaps we find on inspection
- Foam or water extinguisher next to the fryer instead of F-class.
- Extract ducting last cleaned more than six months ago.
- Suppression system serviced but not tagged or recorded.
- Rear-of-house fire exit padlocked outside of trading hours.
- Cardboard / packaging stored in fire-protected corridors.
This guide is for general information. A site-specific fire risk assessment by a competent person is required under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.