Why Restaurant Employees Shouldn’t Clean the Hoods

Although you may have an internal system already in place to clean your hood and exhaust systems, this is no replacement for professional hood and exhaust cleaning. Having your hood and exhaust system regularly cleaned and maintained by a certified professional will drastically reduce the chances of a fire in your establishment. While it is good to have a internal procedure in place, here are a few reasons why you need your systems cleaned by a professional.

NFPA 96

The National Fire Protection Agency is the governing authority which provides the minimum codes and standards in relation to kitchen cleaning. NFPA 96 is also known as the standard for ventilation control and fire protection of commercial cooking operations. These are the minimum fire safety requirements to be followed to reasonably prevent loss of life and property as a result of fire.

Many states, including Nevada, follow the regulations set forth in NFPA 96 as a way to reduce the potential fire hazards in public and private commercial cooking operations. Among other requirements, NFPA 96 states that grease accumulating equipment is to be inspected and cleaned by trained and certified professionals.

Commercial kitchen requirements

In most states, including Nevada, the authority who has jurisdiction is the fire marshal. The fire marshal decides which codes will be used to regulate commercial kitchen operations. In order for a commercial kitchen to be up to code, it must be tagged with a schedule for regular inspection and cleaning.

These tags are required to be approved by the fire marshal and must contain the name and certificate number of the inspector. The fire marshal is also responsible for issuing licenses to individuals approved to service and clean hood and exhaust systems. These licensed individuals must meet certain certification requirements in order to be approved by the fire marshal.

Ensured thoroughness

Restaurant employees are not certified to service and clean because they cannot ensure thoroughness. There are several areas on type 1 hoods which are not visible or easily accessible. These areas are prone to significant levels of grease buildup which could ultimately lead to a fire. Professionally certified and state licensed technicians will normally have a tried and tested procedure to maintain every aspect of your hood and exhaust system.

These professionals will have access to the right equipment and other materials to ensure your type 1 system is up to code. Restaurant employees are not certified to thoroughly clean and take responsibility for hood and exhaust system maintenance.

These are just a few reasons why employees should not clean the hoods at your restaurant. If you are in need of certified, professional hood cleaners, call the experts at Western Commercial Services at (702) 384-7907 today.