Commercial kitchen operators in Oklahoma City need to comply with NFPA-96 Standard to keep their business operating. Due to its strategic location, you can see a lot of food chains and restaurants everywhere. People usually go to restaurants for meetings, celebrations, family gatherings, or just simply for the dining experience. If you are an owner of a food business here, you are required to maintain the highest form of cleanliness in your restaurant. It is for the benefit of your employees, your patrons and for you, the employer. You should see to it that your customers will have the best experience when they dine in your restaurant. Once in a while, your commercial kitchen will have to undergo exhaust cleaning which is an important part of your kitchen sanitation.
The process of vent hood cleaning
Over time, grease will accumulate over your kitchen hoods. Greasy kitchen hoods likely increase the risk of fire. Recent studies show that one of three fires in the United States is caused by restaurant fire.
For a fire to start, it needs three elements: oxygen or air, heat, and fuel. If you remove one of these, chances of restaurant fires are low.
Your kitchen hoods are cleaned based on the frequency of your usage and the size of your overall exhaust system. According to NFPA-96 Standard, cleaning can be done monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually based on different conditions.
The scope of work performed
The governing standard provides also the qualification of the people who will perform the job. It states that the entire exhaust system shall be inspected for grease build up by a properly trained, qualified and certified person(s) acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction. Kitchen exhaust cleaning is not just done by anybody. While restaurant employees are expected to clean the exterior surfaces of exhaust hoods as part of the normal hood cleaning procedures, thorough cleaning of the system is to be carried out by certified kitchen exhaust cleaning professionals.
The scope of the work should include:
- Disassembly, cleaning and degreasing hoods, including hood filter tracts, grease troughs, and removable grease cups
- Removal of the roof and/or wall mounted fans from ductwork to degrease the base, shroud, and blades
- Inspecting exhaust fans for loose or worn out fan belts
- Cleaning and degreasing all hood filters, hood parts and accessories, and replacing if necessary
- Cleaning all accessible parts of ductwork from exhaust fans to each individual hood
- Applying food-safe polish to stainless steel ductwork
- Thoroughly cleaning all affected areas (remove plastic, mop, remove any debris, etc.)
- Providing a complete, detailed written report of all work performed, and deficiencies in the exhaust system, and recommendations for addressing any problems
- Attaching a certificate showing company name, the person performing the work and date of cleaning to each hood cleaned
Certified professional hood cleaning is necessary for any commercial kitchen operation, both to reduce fire hazard and to avoid noncompliance. Most of the reputable hood cleaning services will be happy to walk you through their procedures, provide “before and after photos” and work with restaurant management to ensure safety and compliance.
