Fire safety evaluation of restaurant facilities

Since the earliest days of mankind, fire has been both a friend and a foe. Restaurant facilities, characterized by the use of fire in their daily activities, pose unique fire risks as large numbers of people may gather at one time to consume food. The objective of this paper is to present the development of a fire safety evaluation tool whereby existing restaurant facilities can be evaluated for the purpose of identifying and eliminating fire hazards, and meeting the minimum requirements of current legislation.

The evaluation tool has been developed by synthesizing information collected from an extensive literature review, principally of North American and UK based literature. The authors found it necessary to review causes of fire accidents in restaurants, and the materials and equipment involved in ignition. The paper also reviews restaurant requirements for fire detection and notification systems, fire suppression and extinguishing systems, and means of egress and evacuation systems.

The evaluation tool consists of 66 items to assess fire hazards, detection and notification systems, suppression and extinguishing systems, means of escape and management, and maintenance measures.

The paper provides a practical focus for property and/or facility managers responsible for day‐to‐day business operations of restaurant facilities and for surveyors inspecting such properties.