changes to a restaurant area

[No.3]

I have a design project that a restaurant wants to change from cooking some of their foods in the kitchen area to cooking them at the tables in the restaurant. how does this affect the fire safety i require in the building and what sort of things need to be in place for this to happen?

thanks Chris

[Chris Houston]

Chris, I have deleted your other post, it is against the forum rules to have two threads on the same topic, it just confuses things when people reply.

I suspect nobody has answered because the question is quite unusual.  Perhaps if you let us know what you think ought to be done, people would find it easier to add comment to that and imporove upon the strategy.

Perhaps also if you explained more about the "project", are you a fire safety consultant looking at a client's kitchen, or are you a high school student looking at a GCSE project.  More information will allow a better answer.

[No.3]

ok cool cheers. here goes. i have a restaurant area that is just a standard restaurant. the changes that want to be made are that they are changing the area to a flambe grill area where the chef can come out and cook your meal at your table. there is no fire protection systems installed in the building. it is a historic building and is a listed. the grill is movable and the chef moves from table to table. i have to come up with solutions to the hazard of cooking at the table with the portable grill. any ideas would be much appreciated.

thanks chris

[No.3]

i am a student with no knowledge of this type of problem i have limited information of flambe outdoors but non of indoors.

[Chris Houston]

What does flame mean? Cooking at a table?

Can you describe the cooking process (frying pan/oven/grill) and the fuel (gas/electric)

What are the main things you are worried about (property protection/legal compliance/life safety)

Is this a real scenario?

My first impressions, based on a lot of assumptions, are that for long as the chef is with the ignition source at all times and a fire blanket is handy, I would not be especially worried about this compared to the same restaurant without the cooking at tables, as long at that first restaurant was OK.  Any fire will be spotted immediatly and likely to be very small and easy to deal with.  However, more information might enable a more comprehensive reply.

[wee brian]

I'd take some precautions about the other things that are on the table. I came across a restaurant in Endiburgh where the paper napkins were rather elegantly presented in wine glasses, next to the candles!

It was as I was leaving that I saw one burst into flames in an unoccupied snug.

Perhaps some house rules about, napkins, flowers, etc would be a good idea.

Also check what the ceiling is made of and how close it is to the table, flambe can be quite spectacular (dangly paper lampshades should be avoided too. Get the chef to do some dry runs when there are no punters.

How far from the cooking should the punters be, this could affect the size of table you use.

[kurnal]

Hi No 3
Your question is so wide ranging that whilst I am sure many of us would be pleased to help you it would take hours to cover all the potential issues.

The flambe method is the first variable and following the principles of prevention the first step you should take is to eliminate the risk of fire- do you need to use flammable liquids such as meths,  or is there a safer way.

Secondly, if you are stuck with the process, identification and control of all combustible materials in the vicinity is the next step.

But even with the best control, things can go wrong so consider what will happen if there is a fire. How will people get out if there is a fire? Can they turn their back on a fire and walk away from it to a place of safety. If they cant, or have to pass the flambe area to reach an exit its a no no. Are all exit routes clear, marked, unobstructed.

How will the alarm be raised and will the flambe cause false alarms

What fire fighting equipment is available and is it suitable for flammable liquids, has the chef been shown how to use it.

No doubt others will come up with other suggestions in addition to these.
Good luck with the project

[jasper]

Also consider at festive times that no flammable decorations are locate above or in close proximity to anywhere where the flambe is used

[No.3]

thanks a lot, for the suggestions i am inexperienced at looking at situations so the process's which come as route to others are more difficult for me as i am only student all help or guidance is gratfully appreciated. i ahve no spec for the flambe appart from that whats it is so i am just going to specify what i want it to me probably a grill using hot coals.

[No.3]

this is why it is design for as i have no knowledge of flambe areas as such but reading is being done on these and also i have limited knowledge of determining fire engineering solutions with my limited experience and knowledge.

[Chris Houston]

this is why it is design for as i have no knowledge of flambe areas as such but reading is being done on these and also i have limited knowledge of determining fire engineering solutions with my limited experience and knowledge.

Chris,

I'd love to help more, but you haven't answered the questions I put to you, so you are not making it very easy for me/us.

[No.3]

it does mean cooking at the table, it will be a grill no a oven or frying, the source either electric or hot coals. i am worried about life safety and property protection not legal compliance i will use fire engineered solutions to prove compliance.
As for the combustible materials there will be linen napkins in the centre of the place setting there are lanterns hanging from the ceiling which could be a problem. I was going to make the detection for smoke but only be turned on at night so as to prevent false alarms. This was going to be justified by the fact that people seeing a fire at an early stage would be the form of detection. I would install break glass sounders if the re was detection of a fire so as the other occupants would be warned that there was a problem. As for the matter of decorations I was unsure. I can say they are not allowed as they are a fire hazard and so can cause problems.

[AnthonyB]

Legal compliance usually = life safety.

What worries me is that historic or not, the premises are already apparently resorted to by the public with NO existing precautions:

Quote: "there is no fire protection systems installed in the building. it is a historic building and is a listed"

As for smoke detectors that you only turn on at night, far too much risk of human error & them not be on when required.

Why aren't there BGU's & sounders now? If you think they are needed just because you are adding a flambe grill then I would think you already need them, you are more likely to have fires by smoking, contractors, arson or electrical fault, yet for these you need zero existing precautions???

The most logical way to approach specifically the flambe issue (as oppose to the whole place that worries me) then approach using the same principles you would mobile hot works for contractors.

If the whole process is supervised a fire extinguisher/fire blanket clipped to the trolley (& training - this is essential) would be one simple starter - snuff it out straight away and you avoid the panic (& resultant injuries) and loss