The most common cause of fire claims in the frying community stems from the range.
Policy holders who have invested in up-to-date equipment and fire restricting features should be rewarded, as they obviously present a better risk to the insurers.
Modern ranges and extraction systems incorporate many safety features, such as air flow monitors to automatically shut off the power supply if the air stops moving and digital cut outs, which the older equipment does not.
Ultimately you could even have an Ansul type fire suppression system fitted, which practically removes the possibility of a range fire spreading. These enhanced features reduce the risk of a major fire and surely this should be reflected in the cost of your premium.
Enhanced features reduce the risk of a major fire and surely this should be reflected in the cost of your premium
Good housekeeping is an area insurers will focus on in the future, as it makes good sense for policy holders who have invested time and money in ensuring they have good housekeeping policies and servicing contracts in place should be seen as a more attractive risk.
In the future we may see fryers that fail to put good housekeeping practices in place find the insurers restrict the level of cover available.
Good housekeeping
- Most frying ranges are required to have a thermostat, which ensures that the equipment is shut down if a certain temperature is exceeded.
- All frying equipment should be fitted by suitably qualified engineers and subject to a planned service and maintenance programme. The period of time between servicing varies between insurers but is commonly between six months and a year.
- All sump boxes, filters, traps and grease removal devices should be thoroughly cleaned on a weekly basis (some insurers require this to be done by independent specialist contractors).
- All extraction systems including flues, hoods, canopies, extraction motors, fans and the entire length of any ducting should be cleaned at least annually by a specialist contractor.
- All oily and greasy waste and cloths should be kept in metal bins and removed from the premises at the end of every day.
- The frying area should have adequate fire extinguishing facilities in the near vicinity. These can include foam, dry powder and carbon dioxide extinguishers and fire blankets. Remember that these should always be maintained in effective working order.
- All frying equipment should be attended at all times when it is in use.
Checking the small print
Many policies have warranties covering the cleaning and servicing of the ducting and extraction systems. It is vital that you read and understand these warranties fully as failure to comply with these can result in a claim being repudiated.
For example, a warranty from a policy could read, ‘all the internal surfaces of the ducting and extraction system must be cleaned and serviced on an annual basis,’ another may read ‘the entire length of the ducting and extraction system must be cleaned every 12 months.’ Obviously it is far harder to comply with the first warranty, as on most ducting it is virtually impossible to ensure all internal surfaces are cleaned.
The key here is that the qualified engineer providing the cleaning service must be able to put in writing the type of cleaning carried out. It is fairly simple for him to clean the entire system but far more difficult to confirm he has cleaned all internal surfaces.
If your policy contained the first warranty and the service engineer cannot confirm he has cleaned all internal surfaces, any subsequent claim could result in repudiation.
By ensuring good housekeeping and following these tips, fryers may be able to reduce their risk and in turn decrease their premiums, and most importantly, improve their safety.
