A 2008 fire at a Boston restaurant resulting from a neglected exhaust system has led to massive changes affecting kitchen exhaust cleaning (KEC) companies, technicians, restaurant owners and fire inspectors. Effective January 1, 2010 in Boston and New York City, new guidelines were installed to better police commercial cooking locations with a hazard of fire.
Tragedies like the four-alarm fire at Tai Ho restaurant, which led to an explosion and roof collapse that resulted in two deaths, 10 serious injuries and over 100 firefighters called to the scene, can be avoided. According to& The Boston Globe, the property hadn’t been inspected in more than a year, and had twice been cited (2001, 2005) for failing to clean grease-caked ducts and hood vents. Facing public outcry, the city acted quickly in passing legislation demanding more stringent oversight of the entire Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning industry. Click here to see highlights of Boston’s legislation.
The City of New York and its five boroughs followed suit implementing its own procedures. Click here to view.
So what do these changes mean to us at DunnWell and our clients? For one, we are required to report certain deficiencies within the exhaust system to each city’s fire department, including faxing all city specific CASRs to the city. Additionally, deficiencies will be broadly noted on the compliance sticker on the hood, and any areas not cleaned are to also be noted on the sticker. Because of the new legislation, our technicians are to be tested and certified by the city fire department, and fines and penalties can be enforced on KEC-company and commercial kitchen operators.
Programs like these are welcome by DunnWell and long overdue. While some restaurant owners have complained that these are mere methods to penalize, not just protect, the truth is the system was created to help get locations NFPA 96 compliant. With that, there are opportunities to make the necessary corrections they communicate or request well before any fines or penalties. And hopefully avoid another situation like the one in Boston in 2008.
- Any person who cleans and/or inspects commercial exhaust systems shall be certified and registered with the city as a qualified inspector and/or commercial cooking hood and ventilation system cleaner.
- Any deficiencies discovered during a kitchen exhaust cleaning service shall be reported to the City of Boston Fire Department.
- Certificate of Compliance stickers shall note any inaccessible areas not serviced during the cleaning.
- Certificate of Compliance stickers shall be color coded as follows:
- Systems serviced monthly are to be white
- Systems serviced quarterly are to be yellow
- Systems serviced semi-annually are to be blue
- Systems serviced annually are to be green
- Each company and technician performing kitchen exhaust cleaning services shall be tested and licensed by the city of New York Fire Department.
- After service reports shall be made available to the restaurant (kitchen) owner, or their designate, within 72 hours.
- Any items judged by the NYFD to be “high safety importance” (outlined below), shall be reported immediately to the NYFD.
- Baffle filters shall be cleaned monthly by a trained employee of the restaurant/kitchen or a licensed kitchen exhaust cleaning company. That person must hold a valid Certificate of Fitness, issued by the NYFD which means that you can no longer clean your own baffle filters unless your restaurant employees have tested for and obtained a Certificate of Fitness from the NYFD. DunnWell’s Certified Employees can provide this service via filter exchange programs which are becoming the norm in the restaurant industry.
- Every exhaust system shall be cleaned every quarter.
- Fully compliant systems will receive a white sticker with black lettering on the hood.
- Systems that are not fully compliant will receive a yellow sticker with black lettering.
- Cleaning and operating instructions and a schematic drawing or sketch of the cooking exhaust system must be permanently posted in a picture frame or glass at a suitable entrance to the cooking area.
- Exhaust fans shall not operate without all baffle filters in place.
- Vertical risers over 3 stories in height must be cleaned 2 times per year by a person and company holding a Certificate of Fitness.
- Deep-fat fryers shall be equipped with high limit temperature controls. The controls shall be replaced every three years with a new or rebuilt unit that is certified to operate at not more than 475 degrees Fahrenheit.
