Fire blankets are inexpensive, simple pieces of emergency equipment, but they are sometimes overlooked in workplaces that do not consider themselves to have a significant fire risk.
This is particularly common in offices, staff kitchens, lunchrooms and meal rooms.
A business may have fire extinguishers throughout the building and assume this is sufficient. However, where workers can cook or heat food – particularly where cooking oils and fats may be involved – the fire risks change.
The question for a business should therefore not simply be:
“Are fire blankets legally required in every workplace?”
A better question is:
“What fire risks exist in our workplace, and have we provided suitable emergency equipment for those risks?”
What is a fire blanket designed to do?
A fire blanket is made from fire-resistant material and is designed to smother a small fire by restricting the oxygen available to it.
Fire blankets can be particularly useful for small cooking oil and fat fires (Class F fires). They may also be used for some small fires or where a person’s clothing has caught fire.
Fire and Rescue NSW identifies fire blankets as an appropriate option for Class F fires involving substances such as cooking oil, butter and other fats. (Fire and Rescue NSW)
This makes the humble workplace kitchen or meal room an important area to consider.
What does Australian WHS legislation require?
Australian WHS requirements generally take a risk-based approach rather than simply providing a rule that every office must have a fire blanket.
Under the model WHS Regulations, businesses must prepare and maintain an emergency plan for the workplace. Safe Work Australia’s Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice also asks businesses to consider whether:
- emergency equipment is available for the types of emergencies that may arise
- fire protection equipment is suitable for the risks within the workplace
- emergency equipment is readily accessible
- workers who may need to use emergency equipment have been trained. (Safe Work Australia)
Therefore, the fire equipment provided should reflect the actual hazards present in the workplace.
What about the National Construction Code?
There is another important consideration.
The National Construction Code contains requirements for portable fire extinguishers in Class 2–9 buildings, including equipment to cover Class F fire risks involving cooking oils and fats in kitchens. (National Construction Code)
Fire and Rescue NSW also points businesses to AS 2444 – Portable fire extinguishers and fire blankets – Selection and location when determining appropriate portable firefighting equipment. (Fire and Rescue NSW)
Importantly, building fire-safety requirements, Australian Standards, WHS obligations and the building’s existing fire safety schedule or essential fire safety measures may all need to be considered. A business should therefore not remove or relocate existing fire equipment simply because it believes the risk is low.
The overlooked risk: the office meal room
This is where many businesses should take a closer look.
Consider a typical office kitchen containing:
- microwave
- sandwich press
- toaster
- air fryer
- electric frypan
- portable induction cooktop
- kettle
- coffee machine
- refrigerator
- occasionally, workers bringing in other electrical cooking appliances.
The risk presented by a room containing only a kettle, refrigerator and microwave is quite different from a meal room where employees regularly use an air fryer, sandwich press, portable hotplate or frypan.
That distinction is important.
Does every office kitchen automatically require a fire blanket?
Not necessarily.
There is not a simple Australia-wide WHS rule saying that every staff kitchen or meal room must have a fire blanket merely because it contains a microwave and kettle.
Instead, businesses should consider the equipment being used and the types of fires that could reasonably occur.
For example, an office kitchenette containing:
Refrigerator + kettle + microwave
may primarily present an electrical and ordinary combustible fire risk. The business should ensure its existing firefighting equipment is appropriate, accessible and compliant.
Compare that with:
Refrigerator + microwave + toaster + sandwich press + air fryer + electric frypan
There is now a much stronger case for providing a fire blanket, particularly where cooking oils or fats may be heated.
Once cooking oils and fats are involved, the potential for a Class F fire should specifically be considered.
Air fryers deserve particular attention
Air fryers have become increasingly common in Australian workplace meal rooms.
Although they may appear relatively low risk, they operate at high temperatures and can contain oils, fats and food residues. Poor cleaning, damaged equipment, incorrect use or food being overheated can contribute to a fire.
If a business permits air fryers or similar cooking appliances in a meal room, it would be sensible to specifically address this within the workplace fire risk assessment.
The same applies to portable hotplates, electric frypans and other appliances that allow workers to cook rather than simply reheat food.
Never use water on an oil or fat fire
This is one of the most important messages for workers.
Water should never be thrown onto a cooking oil or fat fire.
Water introduced into very hot or burning oil can cause the fire to flare violently and spread burning oil.
Fire and Rescue NSW recommends an extinguisher or fire blanket for a kitchen fire and specifically warns against throwing water onto an oil-based kitchen fire. (Fire and Rescue NSW)
This is one reason why having the correct equipment – and ensuring workers understand its purpose – is so important.
Where should a fire blanket be located?
A fire blanket needs to be accessible without requiring somebody to move towards or reach across the fire.
Fire and Rescue NSW recommends keeping fire blankets accessible in the kitchen but away from the stove and advises locating firefighting equipment near an exit. (Fire and Rescue NSW)
This principle is particularly important in small meal rooms.
For example, installing the blanket directly above the cooktop or air fryer may appear logical because that is where a fire is most likely to occur. However, if the appliance catches fire, the worker may have to reach towards the flames to retrieve the blanket.
A better approach is generally to locate it on or near the normal path out of the room, where it remains readily accessible.
The location should also be clearly identified.
A fire blanket doesn’t replace a fire extinguisher
Providing a fire blanket does not mean other fire equipment is unnecessary.
Different extinguishing methods are suitable for different fires.
For example, Fire and Rescue NSW identifies appropriate extinguishing media for fires involving energised electrical equipment, cooking oils and fats, combustible materials and flammable liquids. (Fire and Rescue NSW)
An office could potentially have:
Electrical equipment fire: computer, power board or appliance.
Class A fire: paper, cardboard, furniture or rubbish.
Class F fire: cooking oils and fats.
The workplace’s firefighting equipment therefore needs to reflect the range of credible fire risks.
Workers also need to know when NOT to fight a fire
Providing fire equipment does not mean workers should be expected to become firefighters.
Fire blankets and portable extinguishers are intended for small, early-stage fires where it is safe to intervene.
Fire and Rescue NSW advises that a fire blanket or extinguisher should only be used in the first few seconds of ignition where the person feels confident to do so. (Fire and Rescue NSW)
Workers should understand that their priorities are to:
- raise the alarm
- warn others
- evacuate if necessary
- call Triple Zero (000)
- only attempt to extinguish a small fire if it is safe and they are confident to do so
- always maintain a safe escape route.
If there is doubt, get out and call 000.
A simple approach for SMEs
For most small and medium businesses, this does not need to become complicated.
As part of your workplace inspection, walk into each kitchen, lunchroom and meal area and ask:
Questions
What cooking and heating appliances are provided or permitted?
Are workers using cooking oils or fats?
Are air fryers, frypans, hotplates or similar appliances being used?
Could a Class F fire reasonably occur?
Is the existing fire extinguisher suitable for the identified risks?
Has the need for a fire blanket been assessed?
If provided, is the fire blanket readily accessible?
Can it be reached without approaching the likely fire source?
Is its location clearly identified?
Is the blanket included in the workplace’s fire equipment inspection/maintenance arrangements?
Do workers know what to do if a fire occurs?
Is the meal room covered by the workplace emergency plan?
The practical takeaway
For an office with only basic food reheating facilities, a fire blanket should not automatically be described as a universal WHS requirement.
However, businesses should assess the fire risks associated with their meal rooms and provide emergency equipment appropriate to those risks.
Where workers are actually cooking, particularly where oils and fats are involved, providing a suitable and correctly located fire blanket becomes a very sensible control and may form part of the building’s required fire safety measures.
Given the relatively low cost of a compliant fire blanket and the potentially serious consequences of a kitchen fire, it is also a practical control for many workplace kitchens even where the cooking risk is relatively modest.
The key message for SMEs is simple:
Don’t assume the office kitchen is low risk just because it is in an office. Look at what people are actually cooking with and make sure your fire equipment matches the risk.
References
Key Australian references include the Safe Work Australia – Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice, the National Construction Code – Fire Fighting Equipment and Fire and Rescue NSW – Fire Safety Equipment. Businesses should also consider AS 2444 – Portable fire extinguishers and fire blankets – Selection and location, relevant building/fire-safety requirements and any fire safety schedule applying to their premises. (Fire and Rescue NSW)
#CHDPartners #CIRT #RTO #WHS #WorkHealthAndSafety #Training #RiskManagement #SecurityAndSafetyCompliance #SME #SmallBusiness #MichaelHuggett