Commercial Deep Fryer Safety Tips

Commercial deep fryers create delicious foods, but they require training in both operation and safety.

It’s important to note that hot oil can cause burns. Use care when operating, cleaning and servicing the fryer. Spilling hot frying oil can cause severe burns.

Without the proper training on fryer safety and operation, you can easily create an unsafe cooking environment. Below you’ll find our Vulcan Equipment’s four tips to help you ensure safe fryer operation. 

Tip #1: Use Fryer Baskets to Add and Remove Food from Oil 

Commercial-grade fryer baskets are designed specifically for use with your fryer. Using the proper accessories is key when operating a deep fryer. Without them, you can not only damage the food but also cause harm to the unit and operator. Metal fryer baskets should be used to hold and drop foods into the hot oil. 

In deep frying, the word “drop” is commonly used when referring to adding foods to hot oil. When using fryer baskets, it is crucial to ensure that they are slowly lowered into the oil, not forcefully dropped in. Dropping foods too quickly or hard can cause hot oil to splash out of the fryer.   

In addition to this tip, please check-out this handy Fryer Oil Management Checklist, which dives into both short-term and long-term fryer oil management.

Tip #2: Keep the Area Around the Fryer Clean

Even when you use the utmost caution around a fryer, there is still a chance of oil escaping and getting onto surrounding areas, including the floors. Non-slip shoes are often required in commercial kitchens, however, it’s not uncommon for even slip-resistant shoes to have a hard time on oily surfaces. 

It’s important that the kitchen staff maintain the area around the fryer throughout the day; including the floors. If your kitchen uses a deep fryer, investing in non-slip mats with holes is a great way to ensure a slip-resistant floor when the kitchen becomes too busy for regular cleaning.  

Tip #3: Never Use Plastic Around the Fryer 

Hot oil can melt plastic quickly; creating a dangerous environment. When changing oil or filtering oil manually, be sure to use steel equipment. Spatulas, buckets, lids and other accessories made from plastic can deteriorate when in contact with hot oil. Additionally, plastic storage containers can potentially contaminate oil due to corrosion.

Tip #4: Always Keep a Class K Fire Extinguisher Nearby

Simply put, hot oil can cause fires and oil fires can’t be extinguished with water. This makes having a class K fire extinguisher nearby and easily accessible critical. Class K extinguishers are used on fires involving cooking grease, oils or fats. It is vital that staff is trained on what to do in the event of a kitchen fire and ensure that everyone knows how to use the fire extinguisher. 

These tips can help mitigate against accidents in the kitchen when operating commercial deep fryers, but always remember to refer to your fryer’s operation manual for full information.