Uncleaned Duct

Following hot on the heels of the Burger King fire at Liverpool Street station, a fire at the Roka restaurant in London’s Soho means it will be closed for five weeks.  More than 50 guests were evacuated from the restaurant which required four fire engines and twenty firefighters to get the blaze under control.  The rapid spread of the fire was almost certainly aided by grease in the extract ducting which was destroyed from the ground floor to the roof.

This is yet another instance where a restaurant kitchen fire was made more serious and destructive because it involved the extract ducting.  Yet still restaurant owners and managers fail to make sure the ducting is cleaned (duct cleaning) of highly flammable grease deposits.

They have a legal reason to carry out duct cleaning – the Fire Safety Order which has been on the statute book since 2006.  Failure to comply by taking all possible steps to identify and eliminate risks to building occupants carries big fines and should there be a fatality, criminal prosecution and possible imprisonment.  Property Insurers are playing their part by demanding extract system ducting is cleaned in its entirety i.e. from kitchen canopy to extract to atmosphere.  Ironically perhaps it is the Fire Authorities themselves who are the weak link.  They have a responsibility under the Fire Safety Order to inspect premises to ensure all possible measures have been taken to protect building occupants from the dangers of fire.  Having seen their inspection protocols there is no doubt that rarely are grease extract systems given anything like the inspection importance that their potential to assist in developing the spread of a fire calls for. (more…)