Cooking Area section added to Commercial Standards of Practice.

[Nick Gromicko]

http://www.nachi.org/comsop.htm

[Erol Kartal]

Only commercial HVAC technicians and exhaust cleaning companies are allowed anywhere near restaurant vent systems.

[Nick Gromicko]

Erol writes:

Only commercial HVAC technicians and exhaust cleaning companies are allowed anywhere near restaurant vent systems.

Wrong. No such law.

[Erol Kartal]

No problem. I was only the warranty manager for a commercial cooking equipment service company for 7 years..

[Erol Kartal]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Wrong. No such law.

Never said it was a law. The exhaust ventilation of a kitchen is their life blood. Only trained, qualified personnel are allowed on a cook's line.

[Nick Gromicko]

Allowed by whom? What does that have to do with inspections?

[Erol Kartal]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Allowed by whom? What does that have to do with inspections?

You tell me. You started the thread.

[Nick Gromicko]

It is part of our Commercial Standards of Practice 6.5.12.

And no... no one can prohibit a buyer of commercial property from hiring an inspector, and certainly the cook can't.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Hey Nick,

The science of commercial kitchen ventilation includes both exhausting air as well as providing replacement air within the cooking area. Whether a restaurant is a small free-standing site or a large institutional kitchen, managing and balancing airflow is a complex issue. It is a challenge to properly ventilate commercial kitchens, as they require moving large volumes of air through ductwork and equipment placement in very restricted spaces.

Overall design, construction, installation coordination, and maintenance are required to get optimum performance and an energy-efficient air balance from the system.

SMACNA, through its technical manuals, provides the information and drawings to illustrate the elements of construction and installation of commercial kitchen exhaust hoods. The information is intended to encourage standardization in installations and to call attention to the appropriate segregation of responsibilities of those involved with food service design and installation.

Ducts accumulate combustible grease and should be constructed from 16- steel or 18-gage stainless steel as per code requirements.
In order for the exhaust system to work properly, make-up air is required to replace air equal to the amount removed. Make-up air can be provided via an independent system or in combination with the building's HVAC system.

Inspection of Exhaust Systems
In accordance with Section 11.3 of the Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations (NFPA Standard 96):

When to Inspect? Who to Inspect?
"The entire exhaust system shall be inspected by a properly trained, qualified, and certified company or person(s) acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction in accordance with Table 11.3."

Table 11.3
Exhaust System Inspection Schedule

Type or Volume of Cooking Frequency
FrequencySystems serving solid fuel cooking operationsMonthly Systems serving high-volume cooking operations
- such as 24-hour cooking, charbroiling, or wok cookingQuarterly Systems serving moderate-volume cooking operationsSemiannuallySystems serving low-volume cooking operations
- such as churches, day camps, seasonal businesses, or senior centersAnnually

J. Inspect to determine that a portable fire extinguisher exists within a 30 foot travel distance of commercial-type cooking equipment that uses cooking oil or animal fat.

Did we forget the Ansul system instead of portable?




And here is a link to a typical checklist that might be useful.

http://www.bozeman.net/bozeman/Kitchen_Hood_Systems.pdf

Hope this helps some.

Marcel

[Nick Gromicko]

There is no way our average client is willing to pay us to perform a full NFPA 96 hood inspection. Besides, most of that would require operating and testing the hood and exhaust, something we can't do during a visual commercial property inspection.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Nick, I am not saying that one has to do a full NFPA 96 inspection, I have just provided the information that can be added to supplement a visual that only consist of " appears grease is coming out of duct, fire extinguisher on wall, filters look or appear dirty, etc.

Was the hood mounted at standard height?
Is the exhaust duct made of steel or stainless?
How does one verify the gauge?
Was there a damper installed, that would be eligle?
Fire suppression systems are mandated in a lot of Jurisdictions.
Was one installed, and what was the date of the last inspection?

See, these are mostly all visuals also.

I would hate to report that the kitchen exhaust system is OK, and find out that the system failed in the following week.

That is a lot of responsibility to take.
If your type of visual is done, I would report it as such, that it was indeed a visual and in no way construes a fully inspected system.

JMO

Marcel

[Nick Gromicko]

Was the hood mounted at standard height? Code and 6.5.13.II.B and 3.1.
Is the exhaust duct made of steel or stainless? 6.5.13.I.D., so yes we check that.
How does one verify the gauge? 6.5.13.II.F.
Was there a damper installed, that would be eligle? Not required always.
Fire suppression systems are mandated in a lot of Jurisdictions. Not all jursdictions and not all appliances, hence 6.5.12.II.G. A fire extinguisher is in nearly all jurisdictions though, hence 6.5.13.I.K., so yes we check that.
Was one installed, and what was the date of the last inspection? 6.5.12.II.E., although you could request this from the owner in 5.3.1 as part of your request for documents.

[Marc D. Shunk]

I work on hood systems. Some of the inspectors (not NFPA 96 hood inspectors) take Schlieren photographs as an easy visual way determine if the exhaust and makeup air are working as intended. I put this in the same "value added" category as those who use IR cams for their home inspections.

[Nick Gromicko]

I would hate to report that the kitchen exhaust system is OK, and find out that the system failed in the following week.

That is a lot of responsibility to take.
If your type of visual is done, I would report it as such, that it was indeed a visual and in no way construes a fully inspected system.

http://www.nachi.org/comsop.htm
2.12
3.1... a good one.
3.3
4.1... another good one.
4.3... another really good one.
4.4
4.7
6.5.11.II.R
8.1.I
8.2.I.H

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Was the hood mounted at standard height? Code and 6.5.12.II.B and 3.1.That defines hood size and position, and not required to be inspected. What a shame for the owner that finds out his hood is smoking up the place after you told him nothing was wrong. ha. ha.
Is the exhaust duct made of steel or stainless? 6.5.12.I.D., so yes we check that. Bing, ten points. ha. ha.
How does one verify the gauge? 6.5.12.II.F.
Was there a damper installed, that would be eligle? Not required always. How would a new inspector know this?
Fire suppression systems are mandated in a lot of Jurisdictions. Not all jursdictions and not all appliances, hence 6.5.11.II.G.A visual of this is possible and therefore should be noted. A fire extinguisher is in nearly all jurisdictions though, hence 6.5.12.I.K., so yes we check that.I would hate to have and run 30 ft. when a fire starts in the hood system. Wow. Commercial is not a little mom and pop store with cooking a couple dozen eggs in the morning.
Was one installed, and what was the date of the last inspection? 6.5.11.II.E., although you could request this from the owner in 5.3.1 as part of your request for documents. True, ansul systems are usually tagged when inspected.

Nick, I am not trying to burst your bubble here, but trying to help new inspectors that venture into this and not realize that they need to jump for one section of the SOP to the next to make sure they have done what they are suppose to.
Applying other different sections of the SOP to 6.5.12 is confusing for some and leads to ommissions and errors.
Whatever pertains to Cooking Areas including safety should be in this division of the SOP.

In my opinion, Commercial Kitchens Inspections would fall under an ancillary part of the inspection. There are to many variables due it relates to and falls under the Health Departments of the State and that applies everywhere.

Did the inspector forget to mention that this is a public restaurant and the kitchen is not equiped with a hand sink, or is ther only a three tub sink?

If the kitchen is used for preparing foods a prep sink is needed besides the three tub sink, and what is the purpose of the three tub sink?

These are all aspects of Commercial Inspections also.

I am only trying to help as many as I can that is all.

Marcel