See the complete letter below that
addresses recent NFPA 96 requirements for commercial hood
and duct systems and the certification required of duct system
cleaners.
Calgary Fire Department
P.O.Box 2100, Stn. M # 48
Calgary, AB, Canada T2P 2M5
2005/02/24
To Whom It May Concern:
The City of Calgary Fire Department is
establishing a program to inform restaurant owners and operators
of fire safety measures for the periodic cleaning of commercial
cooking canopy and exhaust duct systems. Commercial
cooking exhaust systems if not maintained properly poses a significant fire
hazard involving rapidly spreading grease fires.
The Fire Department uses the Alberta Fire Code (AFC)
to regulate the activities and maintenance requirements
of fire and life safety installations in buildings. The
Fire Code requires all commercial cooking exhaust systems
to be inspected and properly cleaned for continuous safe
operation.
In addition to the cleaning requirements in the Code,
a new initiative is taking place that involves the certification
of persons that perform duct system cleaning. The next
edition of the Fire Code will introduce a requirement to
have all persons providing this service to be "qualified."
The purpose of this communication is to inform you, the
owners and operators of commercial cooking establishments,
about these changes and how you can recognize kitchen exhaust
cleaning companies that have properly qualified personnel.
Restaurant owners or operators have the right to ask
the cleaning company to show you their qualification credentials. The
information they should produce is:
1. A current City of Calgary business license, and
2. Certification
from International Kitchen Equipment Cleaners Association
(IKECA), or;
3. Certification from Pressure Washers
of North America (PWNA), or;
4. Certification from Applied Science Technologists & Technicians
of BC (ASTTBC), or;
5. Certification from Phil Ackland Kitchen
Exhaust Training, or;
Companies performing the cleaning of your exhaust system
may also carry an Alberta Fire Safety Association identification
card that specifies they meet the qualifications of the Fire
Code.
Regular cleaning of kitchen exhaust systems reduces the
occurrence of duct fires by removing grease residue resulting
from cooking operations. This maintenance procedure requires
special knowledge in exhaust system installation and
maintenance as prescribed in NFPA 96, “Ventilation Control
and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Equipment”.
It is important for owners and operators to know that the
entire system that includes the fan, all of the ductwork,
plenums and hoods must be cleaned in order to conform to
the standard. Qualified cleaners will know this and are responsible
to provide this level of service. Any company not cleaning
the entire exhaust system is not in conformance with the
standard and is subject to losing their business license.
You as the owner will be required to obtain the services
of a company that does perform the necessary work.
Restaurant owners have always been required to have duct
systems inspected and cleaned by service companies. Unfortunately,
Owners placed too much weight on price and not enough
on quality of work. In many cases, all that was previously
cleaned was the visible parts of the ducts and plenums.
WHAT RESTAURANT OWNERS SHOULD KNOW
Depending on the type and volume of cooking at a restaurant
an inspection by a qualified person needs to be performed
according to the following table:
Cleaning of Exhaust Systems
Exhaust systems are required to be cleaned when an inspection
reveals the exhaust system is contaminated with deposits
from grease-laden vapours.
The cleaning of the system is to be performed by a properly
trained, qualified, and certified company or person(s)
acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.
The primary focus of an inspection for cleanliness is to
establish whether the volume of grease buildup within the
exhaust system warrants cleaning and to determine whether
adequate access is available throughout the exhaust system
to remove the grease buildup.
Hoods, grease removal devices, fans, ducts, and other appurtenances
should be cleaned to remove combustible contaminants to a
minimum of 50 microns (0.002 in.)
NFPA 96 Standard “Ventilation
Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Equipment”:
3.3.37 Qualified . A competent and capable
person or company that has met the requirements and training
for a given field acceptable to the AHJ.
3.3.47* Trained . A person who has become
proficient in performing a skill reliably and safely through
instruction and practice/field experience acceptable to the
AHJ.
*Def. - 3.3.47 Trained . Formal and /or
technical training can be administered by the employer or
a recognized training program.
If there are any questions please contact me.
Stan Sauvé
Fire Inspector 1
City of Calgary Fire Department
Cell 863 – 6875
Fax 974 – 3182
Stan.sauve@calgary.ca
