A food service establishment shall include any building or a portion thereof used for the preparation and serving of food. This may include occupancies that prepare food infrequently or for special occasions. Grease vapors, steam, fumes, smoke or odors that are produced by heating or cooking food using cooking appliances are required to be removed through a local Type I or Type II exhaust ventilation system. Such appliances include deep fat fryers, upright broilers, griddles, broilers, steam-jacketed kettles, hot-top ranges, under-fired broilers (charbroilers), ovens, barbecues, rotisseries, and similar appliances.
Applicable Codes and Standards
International Fire Code (IFC)
The requirements for inspection, testing, and maintenance of commercial kitchen hoods is found within the 2015 International Fire Code, section 609, Commercial Kitchen Hoods.
The requirements for protection of commercial kitchen hoods is found within the 2015 IFC, section 904.12, Commercial Cooking Systems.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Referenced NFPA standards include NFPA 96 Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations; NFPA 12 Standard on Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Systems; NFPA 13 Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems; NFPA 16 Standard for the Installation of Foam-Water Sprinkler and Foam-Water Spray Systems; NFPA 17 Standard for Dry Chemical Extinguishing Systems; and NFPA 17A Standard for Wet Chemical Extinguishing Systems.
NFPA standards are available to view at no cost by signing up for a free account. Go here for more information.
Fire Extinguishing Systems
Commercial cooking systems must include extinguishing systems as set forth in 2015 IFC section 904.12 and NFPA 96.
Extinguishing systems that were not ANSI/UL 300 compliant but met the allowed exceptions must now become ANSI/UL 300 compliant effective January 1, 2014.
Kitchen Exhaust Inspection and Cleaning Frequency
2015 IFC TABLE 609.3.3.1
COMMERCIAL COOKING SYSTEM INSPECTION FREQUENCY
TYPE OF COOKING OPERATIONS FREQUENCY OF INSPECTION
High-volume cooking operations such as
24-hour cooking, charbroiling or wok cooking 3 months
Low-volume cooking operations such as places
of religious worship, seasonal businesses and
senior centers 12 months
Cooking operations utilizing solid fuel-burning
cooking appliances 1 month
All other cooking operations 6 months
If during the inspection it is found that hoods, grease-removal devices, fans, ducts or other appurtenances have an accumulation of grease, such components shall be cleaned in accordance with ANSI/IKECA C 10.
Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Providers
Code and standards require that exhaust systems be “inspected and cleaned by a properly trained, qualified, and certified person acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction” (NFPA 96 11.7.2).
It is recommended that providers provide inspection, testing, maintenance and cleaning to the NFPA standards and/or the International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association (IKECA).
Area providers include but are not limited to:
- Allen Commercial Cleaning Service (IKECA) – 913.322.2900
- Hoodz of Kansas City (NFPA 96) – 816.623.3131
- Crown Cleaning (IKECA) – 913.422.7949
- 360 Commercial Cleaning (NFPA 96) – 913.498.3264
- Ace Hood Cleaning (NFPA 96) – 417.833.0506
- HydroClean (IKECA) – 417.862.2989