Another Fire at Burger King restaurant
A major fire in the Liverpool Street Station Burger King restaurant brought trains, underground and roads to a standstill. The BBC reported that the fire involved the ventilation ducting, almost certainly the grease extract system from the kitchen. The extent of the damage was considerable with 40 firefighters being needed to get the fire under control. This is yet another instance of a fire in a restaurant starting in the kitchen and quickly spreading because flammable grease deposits extracted from the cooking operation had not been removed from the internal surfaces of the extract ducting. Luckily, once again, there were no fatalities or injuries.
When will the HSE take responsibility for checking out these systems as they do for all other types of local exhaust ventilation systems under the powers mandated to them by the Government?
A kitchen canopy and the extract system linked to it constitute a local exhaust ventilation system (LEV) designed to safeguard the health of workpeople from the dangers of noxious fumes and substances in the workplace. If the HSE were to be responsible for ensuring efficient performance, as they are for all LEVs, they would inevitably need to check the extract beyond the canopy as this has a direct bearing on the system’s performance. As a result they would be in an excellent position to identify the presence of flammable grease deposits in the ducting.
Until there is HSE inspection these systems will continue to pose a threat to people and property. The Fire Authorities no longer have responsibility for issuing fire certificates and because of the workload put upon them for checking all types of fire control systems and equipment under the Fire Safety Order, do not have the manpower to undertake proper inspection of grease extract systems. The result – they are not being inspected and in too many cases not cleaned.
Will it need a fatality to occur before the Health and Safety Executive exercise their powers, define these systems as LEV’s and put them under the same statutory controls?
Cleaning Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Systems Since 1971
5734 Bankfield Avenue
Culver City, California 90230
310-636-8361 x 203
Grant Mogford
A major fire in the Liverpool Street Station Burger King restaurant brought trains, underground and roads to a standstill. The BBC reported that the fire involved the ventilation ducting, almost certainly the grease extract system from the kitchen. The extent of the damage was considerable with 40 firefighters being needed to get the fire under control. This is yet another instance of a fire in a restaurant starting in the kitchen and quickly spreading because flammable grease deposits extracted from the cooking operation had not been removed from the internal surfaces of the extract ducting. Luckily, once again, there were no fatalities or injuries.
When will the HSE take responsibility for checking out these systems as they do for all other types of local exhaust ventilation systems under the powers mandated to them by the Government?
A kitchen canopy and the extract system linked to it constitute a local exhaust ventilation system (LEV) designed to safeguard the health of workpeople from the dangers of noxious fumes and substances in the workplace. If the HSE were to be responsible for ensuring efficient performance, as they are for all LEVs, they would inevitably need to check the extract beyond the canopy as this has a direct bearing on the system’s performance. As a result they would be in an excellent position to identify the presence of flammable grease deposits in the ducting.
Until there is HSE inspection these systems will continue to pose a threat to people and property. The Fire Authorities no longer have responsibility for issuing fire certificates and because of the workload put upon them for checking all types of fire control systems and equipment under the Fire Safety Order, do not have the manpower to undertake proper inspection of grease extract systems. The result – they are not being inspected and in too many cases not cleaned.
Will it need a fatality to occur before the Health and Safety Executive exercise their powers, define these systems as LEV’s and put them under the same statutory controls?
Cleaning Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Systems Since 1971
5734 Bankfield Avenue
Culver City, California 90230
310-636-8361 x 203
Grant Mogford
