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Restaurant, fast food and takeaway outlets

Fast-food outlets, takeaways, cafés etc. very often have either basements or upper floors being used for sleeping accommodation.

Should a fire happen within the main part of the commercial premises, and access/egress to this sleeping accommodation is unprotected and not separated correctly from the business, there is a risk of someone being injured or even killed.

Having an understanding of the correct fire safety arrangements required is essential to protecting the lives of you, your family, employees and customers. It will also help protect the premises and business if a fire should start.

Common fire risks often found in premises

  • Fire separation – with adequate fire safety separation, fires are less likely to spread through buildings and will contain the incident, allowing people to escape safely. You may need advice from a competent fire risk assessor
  • Ducting maintenance – regular monitoring and cleaning of cooking ducting, reducing fats and debris build-up, which decreases the fire risk
  • Electrical lighting – storage of flammable material too close to electrical lighting and installations can increase the risk of fire
  • Poor electrical maintenance – electrical testing is a way to ensure that electrical appliances remain in good working order and do not cause a fire if they are faulty
  • Cooking techniques – always a risk associated with cooking that must be controlled, to avoid fires occurring
  • Tumble dryers – we find problems with these across a wide range of premises. Lint build up or contaminated clothes soaked in cleaning chemicals increase fire risk
  • Storage and rubbish – A build-up of combustibles inside or outside causes a significant fire risk. Good waste management is essential when keeping a business safe from fire

What must you do

  • You must have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. You are breaking the law if one is not in place.
  • Fire detection and warning will be needed in places where people sleep. Your fire risk assessment will determine system requirements.
  • Maintain good housekeeping and keep exits clear of combustibles and other obstructions.
  • Maintain your premises correctly including, fire safety provisions, fire detection, emergency lighting, extinguishers, fire doors and other commercial assets.
  • Maintain your fire exits and make sure they are available and unlocked.
  • As part of the fire risk assessment ensure staircases and corridors from sleeping areas are adequately separated from the commercial areas.
  • Have a good plan in place if a fire occurs and let everyone know who uses the premises what to do if an incident occurs.

You can find information leaflets on this site, which will help you understand what is required. If you need this information in another language, please use Google Translate. 

Also, please refer to the fire risk assessment section of our website, which has further guidance and will help you make your premises safe and assist your understanding of the requirements under fire safety law.