V. Cafeterias, Lunchrooms, Home Economics

Laboratories

THE NATURE OF THE ACTIVITIES carried on and the equipment used in school cafeterias, lunchrooms, and homemaking departments create some fire hazards. Some of these hazards result from poor maintenance practices, and some are created by the type of work done. Better planning, changes in operating practices, and more attention to fire prevention will aid in eliminating or reducing the effect of these hazards.

Power equipment

Numerous power-equipped units are used in cafeteria or lunchroom kitchens, and some are used in homemaking laboratories. Most of these units have small motors, but even these small motors may create some fire hazards.

1. Motors should be of the closed type and should be kept clean.

2. Where it is feasible, rigid connections should be used. Motors and connections should be properly insulated.

3. Such units as deep freezers, cold cases, and refrigerators that must remain in use at night or over the week end when the room is unoccupied should be protected.

Stoves and other heat units

In many cafeterias most of the cooking is done on large central stoves or ranges. These are usually easily shielded and vented. In small lunchrooms and in home economic kitchens, cooking is often done on small stoves or hot plates lacking proper protection and distributed over the room.

1. Ranges and laundry stoves.

(a) Stoves fired with coal or wood should have a clearance of at least 36 inches at the top and 48 inches at the front from combustible materials.

(b) Side and rear clearance needs will depend on other protection such as baffles, but clearance should be equivalent to at least 36 inches of air-space distance.

(c) Clearance for gas- or oil-fired or electric ranges may be slightly less. (d) These units should be on fire-resistive bases. If they are on com

bustible floors, metal protection should extend under the stoves, and for coal or wood-fired units to some distance in front of the stove.

2. Heavy-duty ovens should be protected at the sides, rear, and front as outlined above for ranges and stoves. Top protection may be partially cared for if the top of the oven is covered with heat-retarding materials.

3. Gas and electric hot plates should have ample protection.

(a) When hot plates are located on combustible tables or desks, there should be metal protection and at least 4 inches of air space between the burner and the table top.

(b) Gas hot plates should have rigid gas connections.

(c) Gas ovens should be lighted by the use of a pilot light. (d) Electric hot plates should have red pilot-light indicators. 4. Kerosene stove burners should be located over drip pans. between this pan and a combustible base provides added insulation. 5. Miscellaneous

An air space

(a) Gas turn-off cocks should be clearly marked to show "on" and "off" positions. However, the turn handle should be so shaped that it is not likely to be turned on by catching on the clothing of the workers.

(b) Accumulations of oil or greases around stoves are hazardous and should be removed.

(c) Open fire-box doors may create fire hazards to floors or to the clothing of the workers and should be prohibited.

(d) Cafeteria steam-table pressures and temperatures should be controlled to safe limits.

(e) Percolators or pans over gas burners may boil over and extinguish the gas fire. Relighting the gas before the room has been aired may be dangerous.

Hot water heaters

High water temperatures are required for sterilization in dish washing. In many cases the hot water heater is in or near the kitchens or food laboratories. Some of these hot-water tanks are heated by open or partially enclosed flames.

1. Combustible materials should not be near the heating unit.

2. Open flame-gas or oil-fired heaters, other than those properly controlled and designed for continuous operation, should be turned off at the end of the work day.

3. Thermostatic and relief-valve controls should be provided for all such heaters.

Kitchen exhaust ventilation

Steam and oil-laden vapors are thrown into the air in the cooking process. If not removed from the room, the oils and dust from the air gather on walls and other surfaces where they may create serious fire hazards. Hence, exhaust ventilation is essential where much cooking is done.

1. A large canopy hood with a vent is desirable over stoves or ranges used extensively for cooking.

2. Since accumulated greases in the exhaust ventilation ducts may burn, the ducts should be well constructed.

(a) They should be of 18-gage iron and have riveted joints.

(b) Duct walls should be at least 9 inches from any combustible materials.

(c) Ducts should lead directly to the outside and should be separate from any other ventilating system.

(d) There should be no dampers in the ducts.

(e) Hand holes for cleaning may be desirable.

3. Rapid exhaust ventilation and frequent cleaning will reduce the hazards. (a) Exhaust air speeds of from 1,200 to 1,500 feet per minute seem to remove most of the oils in the air before they settle.

(b) Automatic stopping of the exhaust fan in case of fire is desirable.

(c) Frequent duct cleaning to remove grease accumulations will reduce the fire risk.

Dining room areas

The fire hazards in dining room areas arise principally from their locations, use, equipment, and congestion.

1. It is preferable that cafeterias be at or near ground level.

2. Adequate travel exits should be available for all dining rooms. Steep, narrow basement stairs do not provide safe exists.

3. Exit doors should open out, should be fitted with exit panic hardware, and should operate freely.

4. Overcrowding of dining rooms should be prohibited. Dining room seats and tables, particularly those tables with bench seats attached, may impede rapid exit. Aisle passageways should be kept open.

5. The kitchen and storage-room areas should be segregated by a partition from the dining room.

Electric heating units

Many of the fire hazards listed eslewhere under electric service apply here. Some of those often found in school homemaking departments are also discussed here for the sake of emphasis.

1. All electric heat units such as irons, percolators, stoves, toasters, and dryers should have an indicating red pilot light in the circuit.

2. Electric irons should have a temperature control. When heated, they should be placed on iron stands whem temporarily idle.

3. Electric dryers and heaters should be adequately protected. Portable heaters are not recommended.

Storage

Cafeteria and homemaking department supply and equipment storage may create some fire hazards.

1. Matches should be stored in fire- and rodent-proof containers.

2. Self-closing metal cans should be provided for paper and other easily ignited waste.

3. Cool room or semipermanent storage facilities should be arranged to permit easy inspection. It is often desirable for the administrative office to require periodic inspection reports and to maintain a record of them.

4. The storage of volatile liquids should be limited in quantity and to safe containers approved for such use.

5. Cleaning and polishing cloths should be stored in lidded metal containers. 6. A safe storage closet should be provided and used for the storage of dust mops, buffers, and wax applicators.

7. Well-managed storage, a part of good housekeeping practices, should be a must in these departments.

8. Floor sweepings should not be stored.

Cleaning

General house cleaning is discussed elsewhere, and this section is limited to the cleaning with volatile cleaning preparations.

1. Dry cleaning of clothing with flammable liquids should not be permitted in the home economics laboratories. Nonflammable cleaning liquids are available. Adequate ventilation is desirable.

2. The cleaning of floors or other room surfaces with flammable liquids should be prohibited.

VI. Science Laboratories

THERE MAY BE many fire hazards in science laboratories. Various heating units such as blowtorches, lamps, dryers, or ovens may have open flames and some of them produce intense heat. Many of the chemicals and some of the materials used are flammable. Some of the chemical compounds and compressed gasses are explosive. In addition many of the activities are carried on by pupils, and even with close supervision the use of certain equipment and chemicals by inexperienced youth may create fire hazards.

Laboratory equipment

1. Laboratory desks should have acid- and heat-resisting tops.

2. Laboratories in which there may be flammable vapor or gasses should be equipped with vapor-proof lamps and protected switches. Adequate ventilation reduces the hazard of dangerous gas concentrations in laboratories.

3. Fume hoods and ducts should be fire-resistive, with the exhaust fan motor outside the duct.

4. Laboratory floors should have a fire-resistive base or covering.

Heat units

1. Bunsen burners, torches, alcohol lamps, and other heat units having open flame burners may create fire hazards if not properly used.

2. Cut-offs for gas burners should be attached to rigid connections.

3. The fuel gas used should contain a malodorant.

4. Laboratory furnaces or other units of intense heat should be insulated. Fire-resistive baffles and air space will aid in protecting combustibles near them.

5. Sterilizers, evaporators, and dryers that may be continued in use when the students are out of the room should be properly installed and insulated. Where it is possible, they should be thermostatically controlled.

Chemical hazards

Various chemicals and chemical combinations may create fire and explosion hazards. It is not feasible to list here the various chemicals which might be hazardous.

1. Some acids fume and corrode metals near them and may create heat. 2. Some plastics and other substances are easily ignited.

3. Some chemicals become explosive when contaminated with dust.

4. Some gasses may ignite with explosive suddenness.

5. Some chemicals generate heat on exposure to air and water.

Miscellaneous

1. Earthen jars should be provided for certain types of waste in chemical laboratories.

2. Acid carboys should be stored in tilting racks or be equipped with noncorrosive pumps to permit draining without spilling.

3. Safe segregated storage in steel cases fitted with locks should be provided for the more hazardous chemicals. The amount of such storage in laboratories should be limited.

4. Smothering blankets and/or flood showers should be provided in organic chemistry laboratories.

5. Ample gas and electric outlets should be provided to permit local application without long connections. Appropriate conductors and fuse protection for electrical appliances should be provided.

6. Teacher control and supervision

(a) Should aid in reducing the physical hazards in the laboratory.

(b) Should assist pupils in understanding the hazards involved and when necessary prevent acts that might create fire hazards.

VII. Classrooms

GENERAL CLASSROOMS usually have fewer places where fires might originate than do some of the laboratories. However, several

recent trends in classroom management have increased the fire hazards to pupils. The movable seating may at times be so grouped that rapid exit might be impeded. With the activity-type programs pupils move equipment in the rooms, have more appliances, and use more supplies, some of which are combustible. With increased enrollments many rooms are overcrowded. In many secondary classrooms chair seating is so arranged that safe rapid room evacuation is impossible. School administrators and teachers should give specific attention to the elimination of conditions that might create fire hazards and to the improvement of exit facilities and procedures.

Classroom arrangement

1. Room exits.

(a) Two doors are desirable and are a necessity for large rooms.

(b) Classroom doors should swing with the line of traffic and should be equipped with hardware that cannot be locked against egress.

Any locks attached should be operable by the usual exit device knob or latch.

2. Room seating.

(a) If loose seating is used, it should be so arranged that free and fairly direct traffic lanes to the door are maintained.