By:     M.D. “Doc” Reisman

“What do you do again?”  When the question is asked, I respond back with, “We perform restaurant kitchen exhaust cleaning. We remove all that combustible stuff in restaurant hoods, ducts and fans to prevent fires. You might call it grease?” 

“Ohh! That sounds interesting.”  Which usually means,“I have no idea what you’re talking about?”

Most people I talk with are surprised to find there is an industry dedicated to cleaning kitchen exhaust systems unless, of course, they work with restaurants. 

What is kitchen exhaust cleaning anyway?  Services such as kitchen exhaust cleaning are normally provided at night, which means the public rarely sees us.  We refer to our work as KEC or Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning. The KEC acronym is also applied to kitchen equipment contractors or dealers, so the dual usage could be a little confusing.  We are fire safety specialists responsible for removing the combustible substance or grease from the fire triangle. 

The fire triangle consists of heat, fuel and oxygen.  Removing any one element of the fire triangle will extinguish or prevent a fire.

Grease is the fuel part of the fire triangle. This greasy deposit or fuel is the naturally occurring result of cooking processes that build up in exhaust systems and must be eliminated for fire safety reasons.

If fire safety is central to our business then what is the next most important aspect to being a KEC? We believe it is education.  Professionalism, thorough service, and having the best equipment are all very important.  Yet the most important aspect of performing and operating as a KEC company is having trained, knowledgeable, and productive employees.  This is accomplished through systematic and incremental education. Advancing of employees, through a program of checks and balances confirms and reinforces their skills.

It is no longer enough to hold a scraper in one hand and a five gallon bucket in the other hand as many newcomers of KEC did twenty or more years ago. Unfortunately, it is still a practice that continues in some areas to this day.

The kitchen exhaust cleaning industry has suffered with a poor reputation coming from start up companies or individuals lacking good business practice. 

I have witnessed numerous companies on site display unprofessional attitudes and attire, who often lacked the essential equipment and knowledge to contribute to the safety of the facility. In short, the restaurant owner was not getting his money’s worth or being protected from potential fire conditions.

As always it only takes a few unprincipled operators to give the perception all contractors in that particular industry are providing customers with poor service.  The real truth is that there are KEC contractors / companies dedicated to doing things right and who hold themselves and their employees to a higher standard. These companies follow strict business ethics bringing this service to the next level.

But why should anyone really care about the kitchen exhaust cleaning industry and driving it to the next level? 

And what does that mean?  Before we can begin to explore the “next level” concept we must first look at the obstacles.

“Ignorance is bliss” is one phrase a KEC company cannot afford. Poorly educated and operated kitchen exhaust service companies will find ignorance costing more then the value of their business when a restaurant catches on fire.

If we are waiting for the restaurant industry to be the driving force for hiring the most qualified contractors, we will be disappointed.  Most restaurant owners or managers do not know where to begin when it comes to selecting a qualified KEC contractor. Some are interested in only the cheapest price. They do not understand the criterion that is useful to select a qualified KEC contractor.  Who can or will help restaurant owners through the decision making process? 

Contractors of other trades are normally required to hold an industry related license before work may be performed.  Yet, in many cases, the kitchen exhaust contractor is able to service a location without meeting any prequalification other then price. 

Are there industry changes occurring to force certification?  Several AHJ’s (Authorities Having Jurisdiction) are raising the bar by demanding KEC contractors follow specific protocol such as obtaining permits, sending in reports to the local AHJ and certification. Exception Reports are vital when the KEC is unable to reach and clean certain sections of the ductwork.

NFPA 96 remains the industry standard. This standard from the National Fire Protection Association titled “Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operation” is the standard used by fire safety inspectors. Insurance companies live by it.

NFPA 96 states clearly:

“Section 11.4.1 - Upon inspection, if found to be contaminated with deposits from grease-laden vapors, the contaminated portions of the exhaust system shall be cleaned by a properly trained, qualified, and certified company or person(s) acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.”  http://www.nfpa.org

With nationwide experience, we can state that a portion of municipalities empowered to enforce compliance of KEC contractors in North America are inert due to minimal or a complete lack of KEC training.

Do you find it surprising that anyone with a scraper, rag and bucket can be a kitchen exhaust service provider……, without accountability?  The realities of the industry are far more complex then most know.  It takes more than rags, a scraper and a bucket. And the idea that anyone can start a kitchen exhaust cleaning business without reporting (in many areas) to the local fire inspector seems a bit odd. 

Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning is not about aesthetics, it is about fire safety. Restaurant managers may easily be duped by a shiny hood while the duct and fan contain enough grease to allow ignition of a fire to begin.

Fire suppression service companies are required by state or local municipalities to hold an industry license to perform work on fire systems within the hood?  And why are kitchen exhaust cleaning companies not mandated to hold a license in most states or municipalities? It’s a good question that goes begging for an answer in many localities.

We all recognize having a license does not make any company or individual a better contractor.  But it does illustrate that the company has worked to meet local requirements. Having a license says the contractor has met those requirements set by the manufacture or authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ) and has the knowledge to perform all activities in accordance with listings, laws or codes.

With little to no programs created by states for Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning licensing, the choices are limited. Some contractors utilize third party certification programs such as Phil Ackland and Associates (an ISO 9001 company). Ackland provides manuals and courses specific to the Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning field. http://www.philackland.com  Some municipalities are beginning to adopt the Phil Ackland certification as a standard to hold KEC organizations to. Other options include selecting national contract cleaning organization members such as Power Washers of North America (PWNA) http://pwna.org

The real cry for help has come from both the AHJ and contractor wanting to elevate the industry through higher professionalism and accountability. 

This certification process requires the education of the employees involved in kitchen exhaust cleaning.  Anyone providing education to employees understands the challenges associated with the process.  Developing education processes takes time and must be continually updated based on industry changes.  The education of employees also requires a commitment of time.  In addition, if checks and balances for the educational processes are not in place it can be easy to push people too quickly and have unreasonable expectations of performance and knowledge.

What will drive the industry to the next level for the KEC contractor?  We believe it is both internal and external education.  Education is not just about giving someone a book and test.  Education is about creating a company culture. Education is learning about industry standards and codes and correlating the written word into practical knowledge though OJT (On the Job Training). Then documenting the results through feedback proving the information has been applied and understood. 
  
The ideal education processes found in the KEC industry involves companies that provide their employees with all of the educational tools such as books, supporting materials, videos, testing, on the job training, and continual education. 

Providing education as a foundation to new employees is paramount. That is how they learn how to deal with the fire triangle.  Just as important is continuing education.  On-going internal education for employees must include the components of auditing, evaluation, education, and implementation.

Our company follows this model of a systematic program of education and advancement.  It has a process in place to develop its employees through a formal internal education system and uses an external third party certification program. 

Third party certification plays an important role in this process.  We have implemented the Phil Ackland Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Certification Program.  Our company looks at the training / certification programs as one more tool to enhance our technician’s knowledge and understanding of code.  It also builds pride and confidence in the employees leading to a higher level of service and identification of fire safety.   Ultimately, we exceed any expectations an authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) might have. This includes fire safety inspectors and environmental health inspectors. It also includes insurance companies that require either certification or licenses involving kitchen exhaust cleaning.

Safety and education are values shared by all employees of Facilitec-USA.  Our company demonstrates their commitment by having both a Director of Risk/ Loss Control and a Director of Training and Education. http://www.facilitec-usa.com     

Who wins? The owner wins by insuring his facility does not burn down, by keeping his clients and by keeping his insurance rates down.

The author, M.D. “Doc” Reisman is the Director of Education and Training for Facilitec-USA, a nationwide firm of professional restaurant and foodservice exhaust cleaners. Doc is the Past-President of PWNA, the Power Washers of North America.