Key takeaways
- Write one short plan per scenario: power cut, internet or payment outage, kitchen fire, gas leak, flooding, medical emergency and security incident. Each needs a first action, a person responsible and a number to call.
- Emergency numbers: 995 for fire and ambulance (SMS 70995), 999 for police (SMS 70999). SP Group’s 24-hour electricity line is 1800 778 8888 and its gas emergency line is 1800 752 1800.
- In a power cut, keep chiller and freezer doors shut, log temperatures and use SFA’s four-hour limit between 5°C and 60°C to decide what to discard.
- Never put water on an oil fire. Know where the extinguishers and gas shut-off are, and practise. Our restaurant fire safety guide explains the SCDF requirements.
- Print a contact card, run short drills each quarter and keep your insurance and data backups current.
Most restaurant emergencies are not dramatic. A breaker trips during Friday dinner. The internet drops just as a table of twelve asks for the bill. A wok flares up, a staff member cuts a hand badly, or a flash flood backs water up to the door. For day-to-day prevention, see our guide to kitchen safety in Singapore restaurants. What turns a bad fifteen minutes into a lost night, spoiled stock or an injury is usually hesitation: nobody is sure who calls whom, where the gas valve is, or whether the chicken in the chiller is still safe.
A restaurant emergency plan removes that hesitation. It does not need to be long. It needs a clear first action for each likely scenario, a named person for each role, the right phone numbers on the wall and a few minutes of practice every quarter. This guide walks through the scenarios Singapore F&B operators actually face, with the official numbers and guidance from SP Group, SCDF, PUB, SFA and the Singapore Police Force. For everyday procedures, see our restaurant SOP template and opening and closing checklist.
What a restaurant emergency plan should contain
Keep the plan to a few pages that a new part-timer can read in ten minutes. For each scenario, write down:
- Trigger. What tells staff this plan is now active (lights out, smell of gas, alarm, water at the door).
- First three actions. Short, numbered and physical: switch off, call, move people.
- Who leads. The duty manager by default, with a named backup for shifts without one.
- Who to call. Emergency services first, then landlord or building management, then suppliers and the owner.
- How to reopen. What must be checked before service restarts, and who signs it off.
Store one printed copy at the pass or cashier and one in the office, and keep a digital copy where the owner and managers can reach it from their phones.
Power outage
Start by working out whether the problem is yours or the grid’s. SCDF’s Civil Defence Emergency Handbook advises checking whether the outage affects only you or nearby buildings as well. If the unit next door still has lights, check your main switchboard for a tripped breaker before calling anyone. If you are in a mall or shopping centre, call building management, who will know whether the whole block is affected.
If the supply itself has failed, SP Group lists its Electricity Service Centre 24-hour hotline, 1800 778 8888. SCDF’s handbook also suggests checking SP Group’s and the Energy Market Authority’s official channels for restoration updates.
Response steps:
- Stop cooking safely. Turn off gas burners that rely on electric ignition or exhaust fans, because cooking without extraction is a fire and smoke risk.
- Switch off major electrical equipment. SCDF advises switching off appliances to prevent damage from power surges when power returns.
- Keep chiller and freezer doors closed. SCDF’s handbook notes this helps perishables last longer.
- Note the time the power went off and the chiller temperatures, then log them every 30 minutes.
- Guide guests out with torches if the dining room is dark. Keep a torch at the cashier, the pass and the kitchen.
When to discard chilled food
SFA’s advisory on food safety practices for food establishments says food should not stay between 5°C and 60°C for more than four hours. Use that as your ceiling. If your log shows a chiller has been above 5°C for longer than four hours, or you cannot tell how long, discard high-risk items such as cooked rice, meat, seafood, dairy, sauces and cut fruit. Frozen food that is still hard-frozen can usually stay in the freezer; anything fully thawed should be treated as chilled food on the same four-hour clock. Record what you threw away and why, which helps with any insurance claim. When in doubt, throw it out.
Internet and payment outage
An internet failure should not stop service. ChaChaCha’s restaurant POS is a web-based hybrid POS that keeps taking orders if the internet drops and syncs later, so staff can keep ringing up orders and the records catch up when the connection returns. If you use a different system, ask your vendor exactly what works offline, including kitchen tickets and printing, and get it in writing.
Payments are the harder part, because card terminals and QR payments depend on their own connections. Plan for three things:
- Backup connection. A mobile hotspot or a second line can bring terminals back quickly. Test it before you need it.
- Cash float. Keep enough small notes and coins to handle a busy hour of cash-only trade.
- Clear guest message. Staff should tell guests before they order if payment options are limited.
Be careful with “manual” card fallbacks. Do not write down customers’ card numbers on paper or take photos of cards; that creates a data protection problem and a fraud risk. If your payment provider offers an approved offline or deferred mode, learn how it works and what liability you carry. Otherwise, ask guests to pay by cash or another method that is still working, and keep a written IOU only for regulars you trust. Our POS payments page covers the methods ChaChaCha supports, and cash control covers handling a busier cash drawer.
Kitchen fire and gas leak
Kitchen fires usually start with oil, grease in the hood or ducting, or an electrical fault. SCDF’s handbook is blunt: use water on burning paper, wood and fabric, but never on flammable liquids such as oil, “as this will cause the fire to spread”.
Response steps:
- Shout “Fire” and alert the duty manager.
- If it is small and you can do it safely, cut off the heat or gas and smother or extinguish the fire with the right equipment. SCDF’s handbook sets out the P.A.S.S. method: pull the pin, aim at the base of the fire, squeeze the lever, sweep.
- If the fire is not out in seconds, or smoke is spreading, evacuate guests and staff and dial 995. SCDF’s emergency SMS is 70995.
- Use the stairs, not the lift, and do not go back in until the authorities say it is safe.
- Meet at a named assembly point outside and do a headcount against the shift roster.
Prevention and equipment
SCDF’s Fire Code 2023 requires portable fire extinguishers, where provided, to be charged, tested, maintained and tagged in line with SS 578, with the class chosen to suit the processes and contents of the premises. SCDF’s portable fire extinguisher page says the owner or occupant is responsible for inspection and maintenance, and servicing must be done by a certified servicing company. Ask your servicing company which extinguisher class suits cooking-oil fires in your kitchen.
The Fire Code also says the entire kitchen exhaust duct and hood must be degreased and cleaned at least once every 12 months by a specialist, with records kept. Many kitchens also have a wet chemical suppression system on the hood; our commercial kitchen equipment list covers these requirements.
Gas leak
If staff smell gas, the rule is: no flames, no switches, get out. SCDF’s handbook lists these steps:
- Put out all flames and turn off the gas stove, gas valves and regulators.
- Open all windows and doors to ventilate the area.
- Keep a safe distance, do not use a naked flame, do not turn any switches or appliances on or off, and do not use a mobile phone nearby.
- Call your authorised gas dealer from a safe distance. For piped gas, call 1800 752 1800, which SP Group also lists as its gas emergency hotline.
If the smell is strong, someone feels unwell or a fire starts, evacuate and dial 995. For LPG kitchens, SCDF’s Fire Code clause 10.1 requires a gas-leak detection system linked to shut off the LPG supply and sound a local alarm. Make sure every closing manager knows where the manual shut-off valve is and what the alarm sounds like.
Flooding and severe weather
PUB’s “Get flood-ready” guide says flash floods may occur when the drainage system is momentarily overwhelmed during heavy rain, and advises establishments in low-lying and coastal areas to stay updated during the monsoon season. For alerts, PUB points to its Flood Alerts Telegram channel (@pubfloodalerts) and the myENV app with the “Heavy Rain”, “Drain Water Level” and “Flash Flood Alerts” notifications turned on. Have at least one manager subscribed.
PUB’s advice for businesses and building owners includes keeping drains within your compound choke-free, installing flood barriers when there is a flood risk, moving essential items to higher ground, and turning off main switches and disconnecting appliances if you need to evacuate. Do not touch electrical switches or appliances if you are wet or standing in water. PUB also lists inflatable flood bags and portable flood barriers that premises can request, with enquiries to 1800-CALL-PUB (1800-2255-782).
For a restaurant, practical flood steps are: lift dry stock, paper goods and electronics off the floor; move the POS terminal, printers and router away from the door; switch off equipment at the mains if water is coming in; and dial 995 or 999 if anyone is at risk. After the water drops, clean and sanitise all food-contact surfaces before reopening, and discard any food or packaging that floodwater touched.
During thunderstorms, bring in outdoor furniture and umbrellas early, and close outdoor seating when lightning is nearby.
Medical emergencies and first aid
Burns, cuts, falls and allergic reactions are the most likely medical incidents in a restaurant. SCDF’s handbook says to dial 995 for an ambulance in an emergency, and that 995 operators are trained to give CPR instructions over the phone. It also reminds the public to use 995 only for emergencies.
- Keep a stocked first-aid box in the kitchen and front of house, and check it monthly.
- Know where the nearest AED is: in your mall, office lobby or HDB block.
- Encourage at least one person per shift to hold a first-aid and CPR-AED certificate.
- For suspected allergic reactions, call 995 straight away. Our allergen management guide covers prevention and response in detail.
- Record every workplace injury, and check your reporting duties and insurance cover. See work injury compensation for F&B employers for reporting duties and claims. Our F&B business insurance guide explains work injury compensation.
Security incidents
For robberies, violent customers or break-ins, call the police on 999, or SMS 70999 if you cannot speak. For non-urgent matters, such as discovering a break-in after the fact, the Singapore Police Force lets you lodge a police report online.
- Staff safety comes before cash or stock. Never resist a robbery.
- Keep the till float low and bank takings regularly.
- Preserve CCTV footage and do not clean up until the police have seen the scene.
- Write down what happened while it is fresh: times, descriptions and what was taken.
Staff permissions on the POS help after an incident, because voids, refunds and cash drawer activity are tied to named users. Our cash control guide has more.
Business continuity: backups, insurance and reopening
An emergency plan also covers what happens after the incident. Three areas matter most:
- Data. Sales, menus, recipes and customer records should live somewhere other than a single computer in the office. A cloud-based POS keeps sales data off the premises; ask your vendor how backups work and how quickly you can be running on a replacement device. ChaChaCha supplies hardware as part of the package, so ask us to confirm replacement arrangements in your quote.
- Insurance. Check whether your policy covers stock spoiled in a power cut, flood damage and business interruption, and what records the insurer will want. See our F&B insurance guide.
- Suppliers and landlord. Keep contact details for your key suppliers, landlord, electrician, plumber, refrigeration technician and exhaust cleaner in the plan.
Before reopening after any serious incident, confirm that power, gas and water are safe, extinguishers have been replaced or recharged, chillers are back below 5°C, and damaged food has been discarded and recorded. Our SFA hygiene inspection guide is a useful checklist for getting the kitchen back to standard.
Staff roles and drills
Assign roles by shift, not by name alone, so the plan works when someone is on leave:
| Role | Usually | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| Incident lead | Duty manager | Decides to evacuate, calls 995 or 999, speaks to responders |
| Kitchen shut-down | Head chef or senior cook | Turns off gas and heat, uses extinguisher if safe |
| Guest marshal | Senior server | Guides guests out, checks toilets, leads to assembly point |
| Headcount and records | Cashier | Takes the roster, counts staff, secures cash drawer only if safe |
Run a ten-minute drill each quarter before service. Walk through one scenario: find the extinguishers and gas shut-off, test the torches, dial through the contact card (without calling emergency numbers), and walk the evacuation route. Include new staff in their first week; our staff training checklist has space for it.
Printable emergency contact card
Print this, fill in the blanks and stick it by the phone, at the pass and inside the office door.
| Who | Number | When to call |
|---|---|---|
| SCDF fire and ambulance | 995 (SMS 70995) | Fire, serious injury, anyone unconscious, severe allergic reaction |
| Police | 999 (SMS 70999) | Robbery, violence, threats |
| SP Group electricity (24-hour) | 1800 778 8888 | Supply failure beyond your own switchboard |
| SP Group gas emergency | 1800 752 1800 | Piped gas leak, from a safe distance |
| PUB | 1800-CALL-PUB (1800-2255-782) | Flood protection device enquiries |
| LPG dealer | ________ | LPG leak or cylinder problem |
| Building management or landlord | ________ | Power, water, lifts, shared areas |
| Owner or area manager | ________ | Any incident that closes service |
| Electrician / refrigeration technician | ________ | Tripped supply, chiller failure |
| POS support | ________ | Terminal or printer problems |
| Insurer (policy number) | ________ | After any loss or injury |
If you want to see how a hybrid POS handles an internet outage, or want help setting up staff permissions and reports, talk to us.
