HOW SAFE ARE YOUR DEPARTMENTAL CANTEENS.
Recently there was an explosion in a Hotel Kitchen in Spain in Venez Malaga which seriously injured 77 people due to fire & explosion of gas cylinder. The fatality & injury toll was reduced as a person inside kitchen alerted the occupants who were having food in the Hotel to leave the premises immediately on spotting fire in the kitchen.
We have similar accident possibilities in India as almost all company workers come to the canteen to have their snacks, lunch & dinner, and their safety could get compromised if such a catastrophe occurs, prevention of such accidents can happen if we revisit safety on a continuous basis in these areas. Usually such things happen if kitchen safety are not taken into consideration and complacency sets within the workers in Kitchens.
Kitchen staff is severely stressed to deliver food within the timelines as delay is not acceptable on their behalf and many times in doing so they inadvertently miss out on safety sops. The kitchen accidents can get further aggravated if there are no gas, fire detection & fire suppression systems immediately available at disposal to eliminate the fire & explosion hazard.
Most canteens in India are run by contractors and the contract is awarded to the lowest bidder who is bound to compromise for cost overruns on safety equipments. We feel the safety equipments and infrastructure shall be provided by company and maintained by the company so that even if contractors change with time the safety infrastructure is available and safety levels are maintained.
The common ignorance we have seen with Canteen safety is:
- Staff are not familiar with Gas Cylinder rules of Factory Act as regards industrial/commercial cylinders, hydro test of cylinders has it been done, are regulators and valves properly fitting on the cylinders or are they leaking.
- Gas Cylinders stored are not having fire walls all around them to contain the explosion
- Gas leak detectors like LPG/CNG are not available, if available are not periodically tested, calibrated and maintained.
- No SOP is prepared for evacuation of occupants in case of fire or gas alarm, and no safety drills are carried out in kitchen premises
- Fire Suppression Systems like Medium Velocity Water Spray Systems not available for exposure protection of gas cylinders if they catch fire
- Gas pipelines not routinely tested with soap solutions or portable gas detectors for leakages
- K type fire extinguishers not available within the kitchen to fight cooking oil fires. Sand buckets, fire extinguishers not within reach of kitchen staff
- Kitchens are too crowded and not having space for free moving
- Assembly areas not marked outside of canteens
- Illuminated Exit Signage’s not available at all exits
- Doors too narrow for fire escape of staff. Alternate exits not available
- Safe distances not maintained within gas cylinder storage and dining halls
- Chimneys, Exhaust ducts not periodically cleaned and not protected by fusible plugs & automatic fire suppression systems
- Absence of Automatic Sprinkler system in kitchen & dining halls
- Safety Systems used shall be safe for use in food & water areas
- Low hygiene safety within canteen & kitchen premises