Kitchen Exhaust - Hoods
Kitchen Exhaust System Fire Hazards
If you are the owner or manager of a restaurant or a business that uses a commercial kitchen, it is critical to the safety of your facility that you are ever vigilant about the condition and cleanliness of your kitchen exhaust system. There are kitchen exhaust cleaning companies that simply clean the areas that are immediately visible, but disregard the areas which are hidden from view. These unseen areas can become coated with grease and oily residues, posing a real threat of ignition should you experience a kitchen fire within your exhaust system.
Certifications do not always guarantee that a hood cleaning company is fully cleaning your kitchen exhaust system. Your restaurant, and the safety of your employees and customers are at stake. The information below is the standard that The Grease Police have set for the industry. Whether your kitchen exhaust cleaning company is a member or not, you should expect no less than the services outlined.
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GPA Minimum Standards of Cleaning, Grease Police Association
The GPA expects it's members to always clean to NFPA #96 standards. Specifically, it expects it's members to clean each part of the exhaust system to bare metal. Remember, it is your company on the line stating the kitchen exhaust system has been cleaned and maintained according to the NFPA #96 standards. Your method of cleaning and documentation should be done in such a manner that it could hold up in a court of law.In addition to the NFPA Fire Code #96, the GPA expects its members to follow the below guidelines:
1. All plenums areas are to be scraped (thick excess grease removed), degreased, then washed with high-pressure/low-pressure water.
2. All vertical ducts are to be scraped (thick excess grease removed), degreased, and finally washed with high-pressure / low-pressure water.
3. All lateral ducts are to be scraped (thick excess grease removed), degreased, and finally washed with high-pressure / low-pressure water.
4. All hood interior cleaning should be standard as part of the routine service. Filter cleaning is not included as part of the routine service.
5. All fans, fan blades, fan housings will be thoroughly cleaned (thick excess grease removed), degreased, and finally washed with high-pressure / low-pressure water.
6. Notify restaurant management if access panels are required to clean to NFPA #96 standards. Written documentation should be kept in KEC files.
7. Any inaccessible areas or any additional work needed ( i.e. hinges, grease containment, mechanical work, etc.) will be documented with a deficiency report filled out by the KEC. A full report will be made and estimates or referrals will be provided to the restaurant management and kept in KEC files.
8. All kitchen equipment should covered appropriately and protected during KEC. Clean up our own mess and leave the kitchen and roof in good or better condition upon completion of KEC.
9. Your regular service frequency (which is determined by NFPA #96 Guidelines for Fire Safety) should be strictly adhered to. Initial inspection and estimate for service with recommended service frequencies. Following the initial few cleanings you may need to adjust service frequency to fit the needs.
10. Digital photos will be taken of all work done as part of the KEC internal quality control. These photos should be stored by the KEC and available upon request.
The Grease Police
www.thegreasepolice.org