New Kitchen ‘MOT’ Certificates To Validate Fire Protection Equipment

A new initiative is being launched that will allow professional fire safety providers to issue clients with NSI and BAFE Certificates of Compliance to demonstrate their commercial kitchen fire protection systems are fit for purpose.

Data from the fire and insurance industries found that food and drink-related fires are the third most likely cause of large fires. Restaurant and café fires account for 42% of fires in this sector.

The Kitchen Fire Protection Scheme will act like an ‘MOT’ for kitchen fire protection systems and will give much-needed assurance for foodservice operators that their fire protection systems will offer sufficient protection against fires. A large fire can be devastating for businesses both in terms of the risk to life and the subsequent losses and costs associated with the aftermath of a fire.

To issue these compliance certificates, installers will be required to demonstrate competency in the design, installation, commissioning, recharging and maintenance of their fire protection systems in regular audits.

This ground-breaking new initiative has been developed by BAFE (the independent registration body for third-party certified fire protection companies across the UK) over the past two years and is hoped to be available to installers in the first quarter of 2019. The scheme will provide end-users who are responsible for kitchen fire safety with a high level of guarantee in the ongoing effectiveness of their fire protection systems. The compliance certificates will be issued at the initial installation by installers approved by NSI (the National Security Inspectorate) and subsequently at the time of system maintenance.

Ian Bartle, Managing Director at Nobel Fire Systems, said; “This is a fantastic initiative and will ensure those responsible for fire safety in commercial kitchens have the reassurance they need that the systems are certified and regularly audited on an ongoing basis. I am very proud to have been part of the steering committee of industry experts that helped to develop this scheme with BAFE. We hope the Kitchen Fire Protection Scheme will significantly reduce fire risks and raise the standard of fire safety in commercial catering. Being two years in the making shows the thoroughness of the scheme and we are looking forward to offering this to our clients in 2019.”