Restaurant Fire Suppression Codes in Houston
On average, 22 restaurant fires are reported per day around the country, and three out of five of these are started by cooking equipment. That’s why you should take restaurant fire protection and suppression codes in Houston very seriously. Brush up on these codes now to make sure you’re in compliance. If you discover your restaurant falls short, count on Kauffman Co. to bring you up to code.
General Requirements
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 96 chapter 4 covers these general requirements for restaurants:
- All cooking equipment that produces smoke or greasy vapors must have an exhaust system.
- All cooking equipment, fire suppression systems, ducts, hoods, fans and energy control equipment must be maintained as needed and kept in good working condition.
- Air flow through exhaust equipment must be maintained.
Fire Extinguishing Equipment Rules
NFPA 96 chapter 10 covers these requirements for fire extinguishing systems in commercial kitchens:
- Fire extinguishing equipment must include both an automatic fire suppression system (as the primary means of suppression) and portable Class K fire extinguishers (as a secondary backup).
- Automatic fire suppression systems must comply with standard UL300 or equivalent. Compliance can be found on product labels under the “Codes” section.
- A placard must be placed conspicuously near each portable fire extinguisher, explaining its intended use as a secondary fire extinguishing device.
- When the fire extinguishing system activates, all power used to heat cooking equipment must automatically shut off and require manual reset to turn back on.
- When the fire extinguishing system activates, an audible alarm or visual indicator must come on to show the system is in use. The fire alarm system should also activate.
- When electrical power is required to operate the automatic fire extinguishing system, it must be provided with a standby power supply in case of power failure.
- Fire extinguishing equipment installation must be performed by a trained, qualified installer. The job must be completed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and NFPA standards.
Special Fire Suppression Systems
In addition to national regulations, Houston has some of its own rules, found in section 2.9 of the Houston Fire Department Life Safety Bureau Standards:
- Vent hood systems must be inspected at least every six months and again after each time the system activates in a fire.
- Portable fire extinguishers must be inspected, tested and serviced annually.
Contact Kauffman Co. if you need help complying with Houston fire protection and suppression codes.
