Your Hood Is Clean. But Is Your Exhaust System Compliant?

Is Your Kitchen Exhaust Vendor Certified — and Is Your System NFPA 96 Compliant?

Most operators assume their kitchen exhaust is “handled” because someone shows up on a schedule. But in most of the surveys we perform, we find the same thing: the previous vendor was only cleaning what's visible — the hood face — while the plenum, ductwork, and exhaust fan were left untouched. That's not a compliant clean. Under NFPA 96, grease has to be removed from the full accessible system, not just the parts a customer can see standing in the kitchen.

Two things determine whether your kitchen is actually compliant:

• The standard — NFPA 96 sets cleaning frequency, cleanliness thresholds, and full-system documentation requirements — hood, plenum, ductwork, and fan, not just the hood face.

• The certification — IKECA CECS (Certified Exhaust Cleaning Specialist) is the only credential built specifically for kitchen exhaust cleaning. It's what a fire marshal or Joint Commission surveyor looks for when they ask “who did this work, and how do we know it was done right?”

If you've never had your system inspected past the visible hood, it's worth finding out what condition the rest of it is actually in — before your next fire marshal visit, not during it.

Don’t wait until your next inspection to find out what’s hiding beyond the hood. Let CleanAir Systems Group ensure your kitchen exhaust system is properly cleaned, documented, and NFPA 96 compliant. → CONTACT US TODAY