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An ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, providing for distribution of fire safety information by the Allegheny County Health Department to restaurant owners in the course of regular restaurant inspections.
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Whereas, the process of preparing food inherently entails risk, perhaps most notably including fires, as even the cleanest, most well-ordered kitchens have equipment like deep fryers, stoves with open flames, charcoal ovens, electrical panels, greasy rags, and exhaust ducts, all of which can start a kitchen fire if proper precautions are not taken.; and
Whereas, a significant number of restaurant fires involve cooking equipment, and no amount of cooking experience can completely rule out kitchen fires in a situation where oils can come into contact with open flames at high temperatures; and
Whereas, grease vapors also are created in the process of cooking, and these vapors can accumulate on duct hoods and filters; while grease cannot be avoided in commercial kitchens, addressing grease build-up at regular intervals can decrease the risk of this build-up catching fire; and
Whereas, the risks of cooking with solid fuel like wood are perhaps less obvious, but still pose significant hazards; solid fuels require special attention and maintenance to make sure restaurant kitchens are safe, because cooking with wood releases a chemical called creosote in its vapor form, and this vapor also condenses as a liquid when it cools and can build up an extremely flammable layer when it combines with grease inside exhaust hoods or in other areas; and
Whereas, spontaneous combustion is much more common than many individuals may realize, and poses a significant risk in commercial kitchens; if oily towels, greasy rags, or paper products saturated in grease reach high enough temperatures they can ignite and burn rapidly. If grease saturated items accumulate in laundry or trash awaiting pickup, the grease or oil oxidizes which causes ...
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