Those who are members of social and religious organizations tend to have a special appreciation for the need to properly care for the community’s meeting facilities. This includes proper maintenance and operation of any and all Commercial Kitchen Ventilation equipment. >

One critical consideration: Because large numbers of volunteers use these facilities, not always on a regular basis, it is even more important to ensure that proper safety procedures are followed. While there might be many individuals in an organization who have a wealth of experience working in commercial kitchens, the fact is that “newbies” will always be part of the equation.

As such, it pays to review some basic safety considerations that ought to be required of anyone volunteering to work with commercial kitchen equipment. Here are a few ideas to cover with your “troops” when it comes to commercial kitchen fire safety:

That metal baffle between a deep fryer and the gas range isn’t just a pretty decoration to divide up a large space. It’s there to prevent oil splash from the fryer from coming into contact with an open flame, which could result in a flash fire.

All commercial cooking equipment needs to be properly vented, which is accomplished by installing an appropriate Exhaust Hood system. And while it might be tempting to turn off the system so that everyone can hear that guest speaker give a presentation in an adjacent hall, this should only be done by someone who is thoroughly trained in knowing when the system can safely be shut down.

Know the location of the manual activator for the automatic Fire Suppression System—as well as when to make the decision to deploy the unit. Also thoroughly train all volunteers in knowing the location of all fire extinguishers, as well as in when and how to properly use them.

And consider appointing several Safety Wardens, one of whom must always be present for using your group’s kitchen equipment. These folks could also be responsible for making sure the kitchen is thoroughly cleaned after each use, with all appliances safely shut down.