Fire Blankets for Hotel and HMO Kitchens: What to Buy | KT

A pan of oil catches alight in the middle of a busy breakfast service. In the few seconds that follow, whoever is nearest has to decide what to grab. A fire blanket helps only if it is on the wall, within reach and understood by the people using the kitchen.

What the Guidance Actually Expects

There is no single rulebook for kitchen fire blankets. What you need depends on the type of premises, and two sources cover most of our customers.

• Small B&Bs, guest houses and holiday lets in England. The Home Office guide Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire says guests in self-catering accommodation are not expected to use firefighting equipment, but you may wish to provide a small extinguisher and/or fire blanket in the kitchen area. Each of its example layouts shows both in the kitchen.
• HMOs. Standards are set locally. Luton Borough Council's HMO fire guide says a fire blanket should be provided in each area where there are cooking facilities, mounted at 1.5m high near an exit door and away from cooking appliances. Your own licensing authority may ask for something different, so check its standard first.

The Home Office guide only applies to premises with a simple layout, sleeping no more than 10 guests. Larger hotels work from the fire risk assessment for the whole building, and that assessment decides how many blankets and extinguishers each kitchen needs.

Which Fire Blanket for Which Kitchen

Fire blankets are for small fires: a pan of cooking oil, a waste bin or burning clothing. The size you pick follows the kitchen and the risk.

Both carry a five-year cloth warranty, and you can see the full range in our Extinguishers & Equipment collection. The soft pouch of the economy blanket suits a compact domestic-style kitchen, while the clam shell case of the larger blanket keeps it protected in a busy back-of-house area.

Where to Mount It and How It Gets Used

Position decides whether a blanket gets used. Fit it near the kitchen exit so a person can reach it without crossing the fire, and keep it away from the hob or fryer it is protecting. Mount it at a consistent, easy-to-reach height, and make sure it is not hidden behind a door, a shelf or a stack of stock.

Then brief everyone who works in the kitchen. The method is simple, but nobody wants to learn it during a fire:

• Turn off the heat only if you can do it safely.
• Hold the blanket up as a shield and lay it over the pan or bin from the side nearest you. Do not throw it.
• Leave it in place until the pan has cooled completely. Lifting it early can let the fire restart.
• If the fire spreads, leave the building and call 999. A blanket is for small fires only.
• Replace it after use, and check at each routine inspection that it is still in its holder with the tapes accessible.

Do Not Stop at the Blanket

A kitchen fire plan has more parts than one item on the wall. The Home Office guide also says carbon monoxide detectors should be provided where living accommodation contains a gas or solid fuel burning appliance, so add that check to your kitchen review.

Detection and doors matter just as much. Our LD1, LD2 or LD3 fire alarm guide covers which smoke alarm grade suits an HMO, and our guide on why wedging fire doors open is illegal covers the door side of keeping a kitchen fire contained. Passive protection such as seals and stops sits in the Astroflame fire protection range.