The Cost of Not Checking Exhaust Ducts

Source: Boston Globe

On August 29, 2007, a fire broke out at the Tai Ho Mandarin and Chinese Restaurant in Boston. Tragically, 2 firemen were killed. The fire was fueled by grease buildup in the exhaust duct. The families of the firemen killed settled in 2009 for $2.2 million from lawsuits brought "against the restaurant, its landlord, and a grease-cleaning company, according to a source involved in the agreement," according to an article in the Boston Globe. The paper goes on to say,

According to court documents, Gibson and the families of Cahill and Payne filed wrongful death suits beginning last year against Continental Realty, the Tai Ho Corp., and J & B Cleaning, saying that all of them "knew or should have known that dangerous and defective conditions existed at 1727 Centre Street created by the carelessness, negligence, and/or gross negligence of the defendants."

A Fire Department investigation found explosive conditions in the restaurant's kitchen, with grease built up to dangerous levels. Restaurant employees had placed a container on the stove to catch drippings from the exhaust hood overhead.

State fire codes mandate that restaurants have their exhaust ducts cleaned quarterly and cleared of grease buildup. Tai Ho had hired J & B Cleaning just months before the fire, but a cleaning receipt indicated the company cleaned the stove and the hood, but did not clean the duct.

I can't emphasize enough, the importance of a properly cleaned exhaust system that includes the duct and fan!

What is the difference between a "Hood Cleaner" and a "Kitchen Exhaust Cleaner"

Almost daily we are confronted with restaurants who tell us they already have a hood cleaner. After an initial inspection we find that in truth they do have a "hood cleaner" rather than a Kitchen Exhaust Cleaner.

A Hood Cleaner will clean the hoods, and filters and back splash. Some will clean the hoods behind the filters, others won't.

A Kitchen Exhaust Cleaner will clean EVERYTHING from the back splash through the filter, exhaust duct to and including the fan. This is what is required by NFPA 96, the standard that your fire marshal and insurance company follow.

Merely cleaning the visible, easy to get to areas is not enough and will put you at risk of fire in your exhaust system. In addition, neglecting the fan and duct work will cause your fan to work much harder, drastically decreasing its life. Without a properly working fan your kitchen will become smoky and can smell like old grease.

Hood cleaners give restaurant owners a false sense of security. Since most owners/managers will not go on the roof and inspect the fan and ductwork, they think their system is clean and to code. If a company says they clean the ductwork and fans, make them prove it!

How Often Should Kitchen Exhaust Systems be Cleaned?

In North America, kitchen exhaust systems must be in compliance with NFPA 96 (National Fire Protection Association Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations). According to NFPA 96, the following schedule shall be followed:

NFPA 96-11.4 Exhaust System Inspection Schedule

Solid fuel cooking operations--Monthly

High-volume cooking operations--Quarterly
24-Hour Cooking, Charbroiling, Wok Cooking

Moderate-volume cooking operations--Semi-Annually

Low-volume cooking operations--Annually
churches, day-camps, seasonal businesses, senior centers

Keep in mind that NFPA 96 requires the COMPLETE system to be cleaned, not just the visible areas. More often than not when we clean a restaurant for the first time, we find that the areas that are not visible or hard to reach have been neglected for years! Maritime Hydro Shine ALWAYS takes before and after pictures of the ENTIRE exhaust system they clean. Our customers can rest assured that we do the entire job.