Commercial Kitchen Fire Prevention

1/9/2023 (Permalink)

Grease build-up can cause fires and other damages

Commercial Kitchen Fire Prevention

Fire is a very real danger in commercial kitchens. It's important to have a fire suppression system installed to protect your business, but there are also some steps you can take yourself. Here are some tips for preventing kitchen fires and staying safe if one occurs.

Safety Training

Train your employees on the importance of safety. Make sure that they know what to do in case of a fire and are able to use the fire extinguisher properly. It’s also important that they know how to call the fire department because you never know whether you’ll be able to make it out on your own if there’s an emergency situation. 

Ensuring Proper Ventilation

Proper ventilation is essential for preventing fires in commercial kitchens because it allows all sources of ignition—including heat sources like ovens, stoves, and grills—to burn themselves out as quickly as possible. As smoke builds up from small fires, it cuts off the oxygen supply and makes it more difficult for firefighters to access these areas. This can lead to increased damage costs, which means an even higher cost for you!

Removing Grease Buildup

Grease buildup can lead to clogged drains, which can cause water damage. Additionally, grease buildup on the kitchen equipment can cause fires and other damage. In order to prevent this from happening, it's important to clean your kitchen systems regularly.

Installing a fire suppression system

Fire suppression systems can be installed in commercial kitchens. These systems are usually installed by a professional, but they can also be installed by the owner of the business. A fire suppression system is a good investment for your business because it will help protect your property, as well as your employees’ and customers’ lives.

Have the Right Equipment 

Fire prevention is important in any commercial kitchen, but it's especially crucial that you take the right precautions. If you do have a fire, call a professional fire restoration service immediately and keep everyone out of the building until they've cleared it. 

That way, if there are any hidden pockets of heat left when you reopen your building to employees and customers, no one will be harmed.

Equip yourself with proper fire prevention equipment for your commercial kitchen. Fire extinguishers are one of the most important items that should always be accessible at all times. You should have at least one per floor (and preferably more than this) so that everyone can access them easily when needed and everyone is trained on how to use them correctly. Use smoke detectors in your commercial kitchen area, as well as carbon monoxide detectors near gas sources like ovens or stoves where carbon monoxide may leak out into other parts of a building. 

As a business owner, you have an obligation to protect your employees and customers. The last thing you want is for your kitchen to catch fire and injure someone or cause extensive damage to your property. To prevent this from happening, it’s important that you take the necessary precautions by installing smoke detectors, sprinklers and fire extinguishers in areas where they can be easily accessed by everyone on staff.

If you experience a fire in your commercial building, give SERVPRO of Yavapai a call! We will get your Yavapai county property back to normal as quickly as possible. 

Who Pays for Fire Damage in a Rental Property?

10/21/2022 (Permalink)

Make sure your rental property is covered by the appropriate policy.

Who Is Responsible for Fire Damage in a Rental Property?

If you've ever experienced a fire in a rental property in your Prescott, AZ area, you know it can be incredibly stressful. It's not just the potential loss of your belongings that worries you—you also must consider how the landlord will respond and what they're liable for. But what is your legal responsibility as a tenant? And how do insurance laws affect things like who pays for repairs, cleanup, and relocation costs? Here's what you need to know about dealing with fire damage in rental properties:

A landlord is responsible for providing a safe, habitable living space.

This means the landlord must take care of structural damage to the property and make sure it is up to code. For example, if there's faulty wiring or plumbing that causes a fire, then you will not be held responsible for the cost of repairing it.

Tenants are responsible for content damage in their rental unit (such as furniture or clothing). However, if you have renter's insurance and file a claim after an incident like this occurs in your apartment building, then you can get reimbursed by your insurer.

But what happens when a fire destroys your home?

If you're unfortunate enough to experience a fire in your home, you'll need to be aware of how fire damage is categorized. That's because the costs for repair or replacement of your property depend on whether the fire caused structural or content damage, or both.

Structural damage is caused by the fire itself—it's what makes things like walls and floors unsafe to use after a blaze has been extinguished. Content damage includes anything that was inside the building at the time of the fire—like furniture, clothing, appliances, and other belongings. Structural and content damages are often grouped together under one category called "casualty," but each type has its own implications for liability payments and insurance claims.

What are you and your landlord responsible for?

Your landlord is responsible for many aspects of fire damage repair, but there are some things that you should take care of as well.

If you're the tenant, here's what you can do:

• Make sure that all electrical appliances are properly grounded and use a surge protector.
• Keep flammable objects away from heating equipment and open flames.
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month to make sure they're working properly. If the alarm doesn't work when tested, replace it immediately! 

In addition, not all states (or even individual counties) follow the same insurance laws.

If you're a landlord, you'll want to make sure that your rental property is covered by the appropriate policy. In some places, landlords are held liable for damage caused by their tenants; in others, they aren't held responsible at all.

It's important to note that there are no blanket rules regarding property damage cases—they vary from state to state and county to county. Some states have laws that favor landlords; others favor tenants; still, others protect both parties equally. The best way for you to know what kind of laws apply in your area is by contacting an experienced insurance agent or attorney who can inform you about how things work locally.

Conclusion

As you can see, fire damage in a rental property is complicated. If you’re in the middle of your own dispute over who pays for fire damage, it’s important to understand your rights—and those of your landlord. If you believe that he or she isn’t living up to their obligations as spelled out by law, contact an attorney and set up a consultation. They can help ensure that both parties are on equal footing when decisions are made about how best to move forward. 

How To Remove Mold From Your Company's Carpets

8/23/2022 (Permalink)

Water damage in Prescott Valley, AZ

When businesses suffer an infestation of mold, it often gets inside walls and ceilings. It may also appear within carpeted flooring, in which case a carpet cleaning specifically targeted at killing spores is required. What follows is the proper procedure for getting rid of foot-level fungi in Prescott Valley, AZ.

Carpet Mold Removal Safety

Any form of contact with mold contains risk. Protect yourself by using the following equipment:

• Rubber gloves
• Safety goggles
• Respirators
• Hazard suits
• Disposable foot and head covers

Besides the possible effects to one’s health, eliminating carpets of mold spores can be time-consuming and laborious. An alternative to handling the task on your own is hiring a team of mold remediation specialists to tackle the job for you.

Carpet Mold Removal Procedure

To execute a proper office carpet cleaning, start by increasing the room’s ventilation. Open windows and doors near the affected area. Additionally, you want to quarantine the contaminated zone, preventing others from accidentally exposing themselves to mold’s potential health effects. Use plastic sheeting and floor signs to signal that the space is temporarily off-limits.

Take a stiff brush and sweep away as much mold as you can into disposable bags. Vacuums outfitted with HEPA filters can be used for an even deeper clean. Follow this step by scrubbing the area with a non-bleach cleaner and then allowing the carpet to dry. Once your rug has been de-moisturized, run your vacuum over the carpet one more time to rid yourself of any remaining spores.

Anti-fungal coatings can be sprayed to aid in the prevention of mold problems from reappearing. These helpful deterrents can be found at hardware stores or purchased online.

Steam cleaners may likewise be employed to rid carpeting of mold, although the level of success this method achieves varies. If musty odors linger, applying a mixture of vinegar and baking soda is a good strategy for ridding your company of unpleasant smells.

A thorough carpet cleaning is required wherever mold appears. When embarking upon the task, follow these comprehensive steps to thoroughly defeat the problem.

2 Reasons To Choose an IICRC Certified Business

3/9/2022 (Permalink)

Our SERVPRO team of IICRC-certified managers and technicians are here to help business owners when they have any water damage.

2 Reasons To Work With An IICRC-Certified Company

When you're hiring a disaster remediation company in Campo Verde, AZ, you want technicians that are professionally trained. This can seem like a challenging task at times. The best way to know that you are getting a qualified business in this industry is to look for a certification from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC). Here are two reasons to choose a business that this organization endorses.

1. What Are These Certifications?

The IICRC is a nonprofit that works in the restoration industry. It is a leading body that establishes the standards and standardized training for companies and technicians performing restoration work. It offers several certifications, from a carpet cleaning master to a mitigation certificate. Professionals can pursue multiple certifications in the same area and become a master in that specialty. Each year technicians and masters are expected to perform continuing education courses.

A certified firm can have all of their technicians be certified, or only one. You can identify one of these firms because they will likely display this organization's logo and other marketing materials. The best businesses are the ones that make all of their technicians maintain their certifications. Additionally, a firm with at least one master in a specialty will provide higher quality work. These minimum requirements ensure that you get a firm that is properly certified to handle your disaster.

2. What are the Industry Standards?

The standards are the best and most current technologies and techniques used by industry professionals to remediate a disaster. They include the procedures from handling everything from basic carpet cleaning and installation to extreme water damage restoration. These are based on scientific facts and years of experience and focus on improving the efficiency, safety, and effectiveness of professionals working in the industry.

Businesses should look for firms with IICRC certified technicians. These credentials ensure that a company and its employees meet industry standards. In other words, you can count on a certified company to help remedy your disaster.

Why Do Some Insurers Exclude Mold Damage?

3/4/2022 (Permalink)

Proper mitigation, cleaning and restoration of primary water damage reduces the risk of a major mold problem

Why Do Some Insurance Companies Exclude Mold Damage?

A number of insurers exclude mold from commercial property insurance policies. The costs associated with fungus removal can be considerable, and liability for occupant exposure may also apply. Here are a few reasons about why mold may be cut out of the primary commercial insurance policy for a building located in Prescott Valley, AZ, along with tips for restoring coverage.

Mold Is Secondary Damage

Proper mitigation, cleaning and restoration of primary water damage reduces the risk of a major mold problem. Mold may result from any of the following factors:

• Failure to stop the source of moisture
• Leaving surfaces or materials saturated
• Not lowering high humidity levels

It is imperative to fix a pipe or roof leak, clean and dry the affected area and maintain low relative indoor humidity levels. Restoration professionals recommend these measures to minimize water damage and prevent mold.

Cleaning Up Mold Can Be Costly

If water damage is not restored correctly, the expenses of recovery may be much greater than the cost of a timely response to the initial incident. Mold inspection, testing and fungus removal can tack thousands of dollars on to total restoration costs.

Liability for Mold Is Complicated

Property owners or managers who do not respond to reports of water damage, musty odors or visible mold growth in a timely manner with inspection and mold cleanup may be held liable for their lack of action. In general, commercial lessees have fewer rights than residential tenants protected by state habitability laws or warranties.

Mitigating and restoring water damage quickly is the best way to reduce the costs and risks associated with mold in a commercial building in Prescott Valley, AZ. Fungus removal may be necessary if high moisture and humidity levels are sustained. Owners and managers of buildings prone to mold should seek out policies that cover mold or add a mold endorsement to existing coverage.

Building Envelopes Eliminate Moisture Problems Due to Rain

1/31/2022 (Permalink)

Envelopes are an excellent way to limit inside moisture due to rain. However, remember that they will not solve all moisture problems.

Rain-related Moisture Problems Are No Longer A Problem Thanks To Building Envelopes.

You’ve never heard of a building envelope? Imagine surrounding your entire business space with insulation and a vapor barrier. That’s an envelope. It has several characteristics:

• Insulation surrounds the space and keeps the temperature at the desired level
  
• A vapor barrier surrounds the space and keeps rainwater out
  
• Rain damage cannot occur inside the envelope
  
• Rain cannot cause black mold inside the envelope
  
• Any area of the structure outside the envelope is susceptible to water damage

Building Envelopes Are Most Effective in New Construction

The concept is most effective when the entire structure is inside the envelope. Retrofitting envelopes to existing structures is a challenge. It is difficult for them to achieve a comparable level of protection against rain. External portions of the retrofitted structure may still be susceptible to rain damage.

A Properly Implemented Envelope Keeps Moisture Levels Low During Storms

Control is important if the business processes demand low levels of humidity. It is also important when circumstances require more moderate levels of moisture. Set the humidity to any level and weather won't affect it.

Remember That Rain Is Not the Only Source of Moisture

Envelopes are an excellent way to limit inside moisture due to rain. However, remember that they will not solve all moisture problems. You have restrooms. You may have kitchen areas and laboratories. You have sprinklers as part of your fire suppression system. Any of these can make a rain-caused moisture problem look trivial. There are many good reasons for implementing building envelopes. Just don’t expect it to be a cure-all for moisture problems.

Your building envelope helped you avoid rain damage, but water never gives up. It always finds a way to cause trouble. When you end up with water damage, the best response is to deal with it immediately. Otherwise, you may encounter that black mold that you hoped to avoid. Skilled water remediation professionals are in the Prescott Valley, AZ, area. They are ready to handle your problem and are a phone call away.