Every restaurant owner and chef fears a grease fire. Grease fires catch quickly, damaging objects and people in its path. And we’ve all heard the horror stories about kitchen newcomers who threw water on a grease fire. Despite these stories, these types of fires are easily preventable. With proper commercial kitchen ventilation cleaning, kitchen fire incident rates can drop drastically.
If you’re a restaurant owner or worker, you probably realize the danger of unclean commercial kitchen ventilation systems. But how often do you hire professionals to clean your ventilation system? And how often should you hire them?
Keep Your Commercial Kitchen Ventilation System Compliant
You should always follow your locality’s fire code standards, insurance policy, health department, and fire inspectors, but that’s the bare minimum. If your restaurant is jam-packed with deep fryers, clean your ventilation system every 30 days or less. If your restaurant cooks with fewer fryers, you can clean your kitchen’s system every 90 days.
If you’re within New York City’s boundaries, the Fire Code requires that all commercial cooking exhaust systems be fully inspected every 3 months. Have a wood, coal, similar “solid fuel” fired oven? Then, according to Fire Code 609.4.1(1), the requirement for cleaning and inspection drops to every 30 days. If you’re outside of New York City, make sure to check with your local Fire Department to ensure that you’re in compliance.
A kitchen ventilation system comprises three essential parts: the fan, exhaust hood, and ductwork. Commercial kitchen ventilation cleaning teams know these parts better than anyone else. And they will make sure each component of your kitchen’s ventilation system is clean and grease-free. While professional cleaning teams cost money, the cost is far cheaper than paying for fire damages.
Regular ventilation system cleaning serves other purposes besides fire prevention and legal compliance. Foremost, cleaning your ventilation system will improve the hygiene levels of your kitchen. With improved hygiene levels, you’ll be ensured your restaurant and its food are clean. Additionally, regular cleaning contributes to kitchen ventilation efficiency. The more efficient your kitchen ventilation system, the more it will absorb harmful particulates.
Proper commercial ventilation cleaning services should be a part of your restaurant’s routine. At a minimum, National Fire Protection Association 96 Standards call for quarterly cleanings. Without these regular cleanings, your restaurant is susceptible to fires and at risk of breaking local codes. When you hire a professional, you’re ensuring a detailed cleaning service. Furthermore, you’re saving your employees time and money. If you’re paying for cleaning services, why not pay for a cleaning professional? That way, you’ll never have to worry about a grease fire or deep cleans ever again.
Learn about kitchen fire suppression systems and services from Total Fire Protection or call (718) 951-7200.
