Industry News

A Chief’s Perspective
Commercial Cooking Areas

With the advent of newer commercial cooking equipment, it was found that dry chemical extinguishing systems were not totally controlling fires because the new equipment was more highly insulated for energy efficient and faster cooking times. In addition, the new cooking media (vegetable oils) for our modern cholesterol-awareness diets had a higher auto-ignition temperature. These two changes made fires in the new units more difficult to control.

In November 1994, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) adopted a newly developed test Standard, UL 300, Fire Test of Fire Extinguishing System for Protection of Commercial Cooking Areas. UL 300 specified the design of new wet-chemical agent extinguishing systems.

These new systems are now accepted and required nationally by the Codes and Standards.

Why am I mentioning what most of you already know? Because almost 11 years after UL 300 was adopted, too many of the older systems are sill in use, and in my opinion, pose an unnecessary fire hazard.  In addition, parts for the older dry-chemical kitchen extinguishing systems may no longer be available.

Some states and local jurisdictions have already mandated that the older systems be replaced by a time- certain date. However, we should all be working with the Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to accelerate the replacement of non-UL300 extinguishing systems as soon as possible. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to require, when an important fire protection system has proven to be ineffective, that it be replaced in a timely manner.