Cleaning to a Higher Standard

ISSUE 40 | Fall 2015

CLEANING TO A HIGHER STANDARD

IN EACH ISSUE 06 Letter from the IKECA President Kathy Slomer, CECS | Kool Kleen, Inc. 07 From the Desk of the Executive Director Sarah Hagy, CAE | Fernley & Fernley, Inc. 08 Standards Matter: Updates on ANSI/IKECA Standards 09 Association News 12 IKECA Certification Update 37 New Members 39 New Certifications FEATURED ARTICLES 15 Why the Sink Drain Is Not the Proverbial “Rabbit Hole” Peter Rehage | Uncle Oscars, LLC 18 Third Party Reporting Matthew Rice | Brycer, LLC 20 Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Fire Mitigation Stephen K. Melink, P.E. | Member ASHRAE 26 Key Principles for Maximizing the Value of Your KEC Business Billy Marshall, CEO | ServiceTrade DON’T MISS IN THIS ISSUE 29 IKECA Member Benefits Supporting Your Bottom Line Sarah Hagy, CAE | IKECA Executive Director 32 Safety Update Regarding Confined Spaces Eric Scolari, CECS | RHP Mechanical Systems 33 We Want YOU! Jack Grace, CECS, CESI, Immediate Past President | IKECA 34 Retaining Good Employees in a High-Turnover Industry Skip Lewis and Brian Smith | Omni Containment Systems AHJ CORNER 36 Fuel to the Fire - What AHJs Need to Know about Solid-Fuel Cooking Doug Horton | D. J. HORTON and Associates, Inc. The IKECA Journal is an industry publication for cleaners, fire marshals, insurance ISSUE 40 professionals, facility managers, vendors and other interested parties in the commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning and inspection industry FALL 2015

Serving the Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Industry Worldwide The IKECA Journal is an industry publication for cleaners, fire marshals, insurance professionals, facility managers, vendors and other interested parties in the commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning and inspection industry.

IKECA President Kathy Slomer, CECS

IKECA Executive Director Sarah Hagy, CAE

IKECA Journal Editor Gina Marinilli

IKECA Journal Editorial Review Board Christoper Bisbee Grant Mogford, CECS, CESI Kevin Pearson, CECS Donald Pfleiderer, CECS, CESI Randy Russo, CECS, CESI Kathy Slomer, CECS Jason Wellman

100 North 20th Street, Suite 400 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Tel: 215.320.3876 Fax: 215.564.2175 Email: [email protected]

The IKECA Journal is a publication of the International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association © 2015. All Rights Reserved. For more information or to order additional copies, contact the IKECA headquarters office. Unless otherwise noted, all images are copyright IKECA and their respective owners. Unless otherwise noted, all articles are copyright IKECA. Direct requests for reprint to the IKECA headquarters office. The International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association prints the IKECA Journal to provide its member and other interested parties in the commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning industry with a forum for the discussion of topics of interest to the entire industry. The ideas and opinions expressed in the IKECA Journal are solely those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the view, positions or policies of IKECA, its members, its board of directors, officers or staff. IKECA is not responsible for any claims made in any advertisements, and does not endorse any manufacturer, supplier or vendor. IKECA does not warrant the performance of any member or member employee or subcontractor.

Cover art © iStockphoto | Thinkstock Letter from the IKECA President From the Desk of President Slomer: Kathy Slomer, CECS In this day and age of social media, right on our website, and our monthly IKECA Member E-News blogs, and Google searches available keeps you up to date with all of the latest and greatest. at your fingertips, the question that often appears in cyberland is “I’m Here are just a few resources available to our members: thinking about joining IKECA, but it’s a • Our Authority Having Jurisdiction membership has grown lot of money, so what do I get for it?” to more than 200 members in the past year. During our It’s a fair question to ask and one that April Annual Conference, we had the first-ever AHJ panel, I would put out there if I didn’t know and our members were able to go one on one with fire much about IKECA and wanted to inspectors and fire marshals with the goal of partnering know more. Now it’s out there for ev- with AHJs to become better service partners. You can find eryone to see and comment, and I have many video clips on IKECA’s YouTube channel. been pleasantly surprised to see that there are many positive responses. However, there are also a few comments that show • Nancy Combs, AEP, SPHR, of HR Enterprises, presented we need to do a better job letting folks know more about IKECA during our April conference and, as always, gave us valu- and the benefits of belonging. able information to bring back and incorporate into our businesses. She now offers a virtual HR desk that has I often hear the story from my mom that when our company been instrumental to many of our members, and the link joined the association almost 20 years ago it was very hard to is on our website. come up with the annual dues—let alone spend money on one • For members who cannot make it to a conference and are or two conferences a year to keep up their CEUs—but it was a short on their yearly CEU requirements, we now offer on- decision they made, and to this day, it is not one we regret. Even line courses. after all this time, we still learn something that improves our • Mentoring is here! If you join our association, we will con- business at each and every conference. The friendships made, nect you with a member who has been in the industry for the networking, the well-planned agendas supported by the a while to guide you through that first year to make sure best industry vendors, and the knowledge shared among peers you are on the right path to valuing your membership. is not something you can attach a dollar figure to. To know that if I saw something in the field I had not seen before, or if I want- Again, these are just a few of the most recent added resourc- ed to see where I might get a better deal on plastic, I can pick up es for our members that the board of directors, various com- the phone and call another member and ask is so valuable. This mittees, and our management staff at Fernley & Fernley have same sentiment is often heard among our members during our worked hard to plan and implement. Fall Tech Seminar and our Annual Conference. I look forward to seeing everyone in Kansas City, and I would Whether your membership category is KEC, Associate, AHJ, or encourage all of our members to promote the many wins our our newest, Facility Manager, IKECA is such a valuable tool to association is seeing and welcome new members as they em- your business if you utilize it; all of the resources are available brace our association.

Save the Date! 2016 Annual Membership Meeting April 13-16, 2016 Embassy Suites Portland Downtown Portland, OR

PAGE 6 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL From the Desk of the Executive Director Sarah Hagy, CAE IKECA Executive Director Dear IKECA Members and Industry Con- this isn’t the first time I have written about the need for IKECA stituents, members to get involved.

If you are like me, you might be sitting Did you know that only 24% of IKECA members are currently back and wondering, where the heck serving in a volunteer role? And many of them are serving in did 2015 go? As each year passes, the multiple capacities. This 24% of membership strives to serve the months and days seem to go by faster 76% not engaging in IKECA, but they need some help. Can you while demands for my time are on the give about two hours a month to IKECA? A maximum of 120 rise: Demands from work, volunteer- minutes per month—that is all we are asking. Oh, and did you ing, friends, and family coupled with know that for every hour you participate as an active volunteer, the upcoming holiday season—and be- you receive .01 CEUs toward your certification renewal? I would fore you know it, bam! It is 2016! Sound be remiss if I did not note that this is how some of the best busi- familiar? As you approach the winter months and business ness relationships and personal friendships have been estab- somewhat slows down, I am once again here to ask you to give lished and flourished. That’s what I call a win–win situation! some of that valuable time for which so many things in your life are already competing. So which kind of association do you want to be part of? A good one or a great one? Please contact me directly to learn As an association management professional, I have first-hand more; I am always happy to hear from IKECA members: knowledge of the positive effect of member engagement. This [email protected]. is what differentiates good associations from great associations. Not only does it help in progressing strategies, it better Respectfully, serves members’ needs and wants, sparks innovation and col- Sarah Hagy, CAE laboration, and grows an industry or profession. Now, you might be experiencing a bit of déjà vu as you read this because, well,

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THE IKECA JOURNAL FALL 2015 | PAGE 7 Standards Matter Developing and Maintaining Standards for Cleaning, Inspection, and Maintenance An Update on Standards Activity Can You Make a Difference with Your Expertise?

A final review of editorial revisions to the ANSI C10-2011 and The ANSI Standards Development Committee strives for bal- continuing development of the user maintenance standard ance of all interested and affected parties, giving them an will be discussed by the ANSI Standards Development Commit- opportunity to participate in development of ANSI-approved tee Consensus Body at its next meeting in Kansas City, MO on standards. By adhering to ANSI’s due process of openness, bal- October 28, 2015 during the IKECA Technical Seminar. ance, and consensus, members will help to serve and protect the public. Please contact IKECA association headquarters if Background you would like to be involved and fit in the following interest categories: IKECA develops voluntary consensus standards for the cleaning, inspection, and user maintenance of commercial cooking • End user operations for the purpose of protecting life and property from • Restaurant industry fire. IKECA became an American National Standards Institute • Fire-prevention authorities accredited standards developer in 2009. The standards include: • Insurance industry • Code-enforcement authorities • Cleaning: ANSI/IKECA C10 – Revisions to the 2011 edition • Kitchen exhaust system designers, engineers, installers will be published in 2016. • Inspection: ANSI/IKECA I10 – New! See the accompany- Interested individuals also may submit an application to infor- ing announcement. [email protected]. Applicants are then presented to the Con- • End User Maintenance: M10 – The standard is currently sensus Body for consideration and balloting. under development. More information can be found at http://www.ikeca.org/ about-ikeca/standards.

PAGE 8 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL Association News Approved! ANSI/IKECA I10-2015: Standard for the Methodology for the Inspection of Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Systems

IKECA Introduces the Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Industry’s First American National Standard for the Methodology for the Inspection of Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Systems

IKECA is pleased to announce the approval by the American IKECA Standards Development Committee’s ANSI Consensus National Standards Institute (ANSI) of ANSI/IKECA I10-2015, Body, which develop and maintain the three standards. “Since Standard for the Methodology for Inspection of Commercial the founding of IKECA in 1989, we have long strived to estab- Kitchen Exhaust Systems. The standard provides minimum re- lish that the work performed by trained, qualified, and certified quirements for inspecting commercial kitchen exhaust systems persons saves lives and protects property.” Besal is a founding and system components for mechanical conditions, structural IKECA board member and past president. He also serves on integrity, fire safety, and cleanliness levels. The standard’s pur- NFPA’s Technical Committee on Venting Systems for Cooking pose is to reduce the potential fire safety hazards associated Appliances which is responsible for NFPA 96. with commercial kitchen exhaust systems through inspection services. Major components of the standard include the minimum knowledge requirements for inspectors of commercial kitchen Second of Three Standards exhaust systems. This includes being able to identify and un- This is the second of a trilogy of standards for commercial derstand the function, application, and use of the various types kitchen exhaust cleaners, owners and managers of facilities, of equipment in Type 1 kitchen exhaust systems. The standard authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), insurance loss control requires that the entire exhaust system is inspected for grease specialists, and others who have interest in industry-accept- buildup by a properly trained, qualified, and certified person(s) ed processes and procedures for the cleaning, inspection and acceptable to the AHJ and in accordance with industry accept- maintenance of commercial kitchen exhaust systems. ed intervals or those deemed necessary by the AHJ, whichever is more frequent. The ANSI M10 standard represents a major commitment to advance the kitchen exhaust cleaning profession. It brings greater Standards Provide a Clear Roadmap for Cleaning and attention the vital role of the proper methodology for inspect- Inspection Services ing systems. The first standard in the trilogy, ANSI C10, Stan- “Cleaning and inspecting exhaust systems of commercial dard for Cleaning of Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Systems, was kitchens have been regarded by some cleaning companies and introduced in 2011. It is currently in the final phases of its five restaurant owners as an inexact science. It is not. Performing year revision cycle. A user maintenance standard is now under these processes properly and safely is essential to mitigating development. The three standards are designed to comple- the risk of grease fires in commercial kitchens,” said Nelson ment and augment NFPA 96, Standard for Ventilation Control Dilg, Nelbud Services, Egg Harbor City, NJ, vice chair of the ANSI and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations, which Consensus Body, an alternate on NFPA 96’s technical commit- has long been a standard for the minimum fire safety require- tee, and a fellow co-founder of the association. “I10 is clear ments related to the design, installation, operation, inspection, about what an inspector should know, how frequently an in- and maintenance of all public and private cooking operations. spection should be performed, and how the inspection should be performed.” Why Develop Standards? Commercial kitchen exhaust systems remove smoke, soot and IKECA President Kathy Slomer, Kool Kleen, Inc., Murrysville, PA grease-laden vapor resulting from cooking operations. These noted, “I’m delighted with the ANSI approval of the inspec- systems become contaminated with grease and cooking by- tion standard and compliment the committee and the experts products over time. Accumulations of these combustible con- from a wide variety of areas who contributed to the final ‘prod- taminants create a fire safety hazard to workers, patrons, other uct.’ As the major non-profit trade association in our industry, building occupants and property. Mitigation of this hazard re- IKECA has invested considerable resources in this initiative. I quires periodic inspection and cleaning of commercial kitchen have seen wonderful progress over the past few years with the exhaust systems. cleaning standard. I anticipate an even higher level of attention to performing good work with the inspection standard.” “The approval of this inspection standard, and the education and adoption process that started with the cleaning standard When Will the Standard Be Available? ANSI C10-2011, are significant benchmarks for our profession,” ANSI I10 will soon be available in print and electronic versions. said Bernard Besal, Besal Services, Atlanta, and the chair of the

THE IKECA JOURNAL FALL 2015 | PAGE 9 Membership Updates The IKECA Blog: Industry News, Member Spotlights, learn to avoid sexual harassment complaints. It is 54 minutes and More long and uses a question-and-answer format. Learn more, in- IKECA took a large step into cluding how to purchase your own video, at the virtual HR desk. the digital world by launch- ing the IKECA Blog earlier Important Update: 2016 Membership Renewals this year. Designed to help Renewal season for IKECA membership is almost upon us. In- grow IKECA’s brand within voices will be sent out by the industry, the new blog the end of November 2015 gives users relevant, indus- for the 2016 membership try-specific information in a year. Payments will be due concise and timely format, as of March 1; those that which is easily accessed via mobile devices with a host of added do not arrive by March 1 benefits that will soon be available to our members. will be assessed a $150 late fee. Please be sure to mark We are pleased to announce that banner advertisements are your calendars to avoid this now available to members as an exclusive low-cost opportunity late fee by submitting your to build your brand among visitors, including KECs, AHJs, facility renewal on time! managers, and even restaurant owners. Get in on the ground level and demonstrate your support of IKECA and the industry Help a New Member: Become a Mentor! today! Ads can be purchased via the online store under “Mem- IKECA is excited to intro- bers Only Products.” Space will be available on a first-come, first- duce a mentor program served basis. designed to help new members understand You can also grow your brand by submitting a “Member Spot- how to get the most val- light,” which will be featured in future e-news as well as on the ue out of their member- blog. What a great way to tell your story and build your brand! ship. This one-year time This simple submission requires only your logo and a completed commitment is a great “Member Spotlight” questionnaire. To participate, simply email way to get involved with the IKECA management team at [email protected]. Do it IKECA and help the organization grow. We are currently seeking now; don’t delay! seasoned members (those who have been members for at least three years) who would like to guide new members in their first Visit http://blog.ikeca.org/ to check it out—or access the blog year of membership. This will be a great opportunity for both from the home page of the IKECA website. mentor and mentee to learn from each other and develop into leaders in the KEC industry and within IKECA. IKECA’s Virtual HR Desk Filled with New Resources and New Offer from Nancye Combs! Interested in volunteering? Email us at [email protected], Human resources expert and prior IKE- and we will add your name to our mentor database. As new CA speaker Nancye Combs, AEP, SPHR, members come in, we will assign each one to a mentor who is has stocked the virtual HR desk with not located within the same market. tons of resources, such as sample policies, an English comprehension safety Find Your Peers in the New Online Directory for quiz (for prospective employees), a new Members employee checklist, sample job descrip- One of the greatest values of IKECA member- tions, an employee handbook template, ship is being able to network with peers in the and much, much more. You can access industry to collaborate, learn, and innovate. these documents, free of charge, in the You can now search our new directory avail- “Members Only” section—navigate to able in the “Member’s Only” section of the “resources” and “documents” and then select “virtual HR desk.” website and search by individual or by company to see the full roster of employees at the Nancye Combs also recently announced the availability of a company. Log into the “Members Only” sec- sexual harassment training video for purchase for on-demand tion of the website to check it out! training. Recognizing that cost, downtime, distance, location, and shifts prevent many companies from conducting training in a single room or location, this program was designed to sim- ulate a classroom training program for administrative, professional, sales, management and technician-level employees to

PAGE 10 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL New and Improved Online Store Referral = Rewards Visit the new online store! Members can IKECA has continued its new member referral program for cur- now purchase hood stickers, access-panel rent members of IKECA for 2016. For each company that refers a stickers, PECT exams, IKECA journal adver- new member to join IKECA, a $100 credit will be applied toward tisements, and IKECA blog advertisements next year’s membership dues. Each member company can earn all in one place! All members (who have an up to eight credits ($800 value) toward membership dues each email on file) have been sent login informa- year! Members are encouraged to use their own peer network tion to access “Members Only” resources to reach out to clients, vendors, and kitchen exhaust cleaning and products at reduced rates. Contact [email protected] companies to spread the word about IKECA. Contact headquar- or (215) 320-3876 if you need assistance logging in. ters for more details!

Stay Connected with IKECA through Social Media Get Paid to Process Payments with Service First IKECA continued to increase its influence and brand through so- Processing cial media in 2015. Recently, we launched IKECA’s own YouTube IKECA was proud to introduce its new- channel, full of videos from our AHJ panel at the 2015 Annual est service provider and partner, Ser- Meeting and a few member testimonials! Make sure to stay vice First Processing (SFP), in 2015. SFP connected; visit our home page and follow the icons in the top is a leading provider of credit card and right to join the conversation. ACH/check processing services. IKECA and SFP have put together a special members only program that is designed to reduce your cost of credit card processing while improving your level of service, support, and compliance. IKECA members who participate will receive a 20% rebate on fees processed!

Visit www.ikeca.org/servicefirstprocessing for details on how to get started and help enhance your company’s profitability. IKECA members can also call (855) 632-9862 to learn more!

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THE IKECA JOURNAL FALL 2015 | PAGE 11 IKECA Certification Updates Now Available: Enhanced CECS Study Guide! Maintain Your IKECA Certification: There Are More The new CECS study guide in- Ways Than You Think! cludes flash cards of key terms Do you feel as if there are just are not and phrases used on the exam. enough hours in the day to com- There is also a practice exam plete the continuing education available to help familiarize required to renew your certifi- yourself with the style of content cation? It may be even easier and questions that will be found than you think! The certifica- on the exam. These enhance- tion committee and board ments to the guide come at no of directors are continuously additional charge. Purchase your working to develop ways for copy of the study guide in our members to affordably main- online store! tain their certifications while upholding the integrity of the certification program. Highlights of what’s new from 2015 are as follows: Important Update on CECT Exams IKECA has launched an updated ver- What qualifies as continuing education? sion of the CECT exam. The new exam • Online courses detailed at www.ikeca.org/certification/ has been implemented, and any ex- onlineceus ams scheduled moving forward will • Attendance at an in-house training seminar or one at an- be using the updated exam. The new other facility. It must be taught by a third-party instructor exam now reflects content from NFPA or someone certified to train the subject matter 96 (2011 version), health and safety standards in line with • College courses: General and business management OSHA and Canadian Health and Safety Regulations, and the In- courses from an accredited university qualify up to 25% of ternational Fire and Mechanical Codes (IFC/IMC 2009 version). CEUs per renewal cycle • Attendance at an industry-related conference, meeting, or Planning to take the exam and need help preparing? Contact seminar: Up to 1.0 CEUs each headquarters to help get you started. What does not qualify? Update Regarding PECT Exams: Important for Those • In-house training or courses taught by someone within with Copies on File the same company (unless certified by a third party to in- The certification committee works to ensure that certification struct on the subject matter) programs are current and reflect the most up-to-date codes and • Earning or renewing an industry-related certification standards in the industry. As a result, PECT exams will be valid • Earning or renewing a state license for one year from the date of purchase. A new PECT exam was implemented on October 1, 2014. Visit www.ikeca.org/certification/continuing-education for further details and all approved CEU opportunities.

PROFESSIONAL EXHAUST Coming Soon! New IKECA Online Certification Portal Stay tuned for IKECA’s new online certification portal. With the release of the new online system, members will be able to better manage their certification renewal process, upload continuing education documentation, and order new exams online.

QUALIFIED KNOWLEDGEABLE

CLEANING TECHNICIAN

PAGE 12 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL CECT = 10 hours (1.0 CEUs) every 24 months CECS = 20 hours (2.0 CEUs) every 12 months

CESI = 40 hours (4.0 CEUs) every 24 months

Attendance at the IKECA Annual Meeting or Fall Up to Attendance at in-house training seminar, or 0.1 CEUs/Hour Technical Seminar 2.0 CEUs one at another facility ** Up to 20 hours of content available per meeting 0.1 CEUs per one hour of content Presenting at the IKECA Annual Meeting, 0.5 CEUs Online educational training programs 0.1 CEUs/Hour Fall Technical Seminar OR other 0.1 CEUs per one hour of content industry-related events Develop online assessment content with 0.5 CEUs Approximately 5 hours of content deveploment and presentation a liate industry organizations Approximately 5 hours of content development Submission of a technical article for 0.3 CEUs The IKECA Journal Technical Code Committee Work 1.0 CEUs/Day Approximately 3 hours of content per article (NFPA, SHRAE, ANSI Consensus Body) Attendance at an industry-related conference, Up to Active Participation in an IKECA Committee 0.1 CEUs/ meeting or seminar * 1.0 CEUs 0.1 CEU per committee meeting Meeting Eligible for a maximum of 1.0 CEUs per meeting Presenting to local AHJs within your jurisdiction 0.5 CEUs College courses - general and business 0.1 CEUs/Hour Must submit o cial documentation signed by an AHJ on their management courses by accredited universities letterhead indicating date, location and time of presentation Only 25% of CEUs per renewal cycle may come from college courses

PLEASE NOTE: If you rely on attending IKECA meetings or conferences to obtain the required CEUs, attendance is tracked, and certificates of attendance issued based on actual attendance.

*Acceptable organizations include: NADCA, ASHRAE, NAFA, NFPA, NAFED, RFMA, NASFM. For all others, please contact IKECA to confirm eligibility.

**Must be taught by 3rd party instructor or certified to train the subject matter. (Qualifying topics include but are not limited to: ladder safety, PPE, fall protection, hood/system service, near miss reporting, defensive driving, etc.) Before pursuing a course, contact IKECA to ensure the course qualifies.

Featured Articles Why the Sink Drain Is Not the Proverbial “Rabbit Hole”

By Peter Rehage In the opening scene of Walt Disney’s gal and financial consequences for the client, such as insurance beloved 1951 Alice in Wonderland, Al- hikes, equipment repairs, regulatory and noncompliance fines, ice slips into a daydream within which and complete shutdowns. As KEC professionals, your business a magical and nonsensical adventure is to remove grease from the premises in order to prevent and ensues. Alice finds herself careening reduce the risk of fires, and it is also your responsibility to make down a rabbit hole into a land beyond sure the grease you remove does not harm your clients or come comprehension. back to haunt them in another form.

It has been my experience that many Where Water Goes and How It Gets There people look at the kitchen drain (and The wastewater collection system (CS), also known as the sani- even the toilet for that matter) as a tary sewer, is defined as the infrastructure that transfers used rabbit hole, with little comprehension or concern regarding water from homes and businesses to a wastewater treatment where the water goes, how exactly it gets from one place to plant (WWTP). The CS is made up of pipes, pumps, and basins another, and how it is treated. Consider the garbage disposal— that allow for the control of the flow of water into the WWTP. for crying out loud—the term itself implies that the drain is a The primary objective is to efficiently move wastewater with trash can. as little contact with the surrounding environment as possible. Contact with wastewater can result in disease transmission, in- There are two general concepts that apply here. The first is that halation of dangerous and deadly gases, and exposure to heavy every drain is connected to a series of pipes, and these pipes metals and an array of toxic substances. take water and anything else put down the drain to another location where it is cleaned. The second concept is that hard- The CS is composed of smaller pipes that connect homes and ened grease will always return to its hardened state even if you businesses to larger pipes that transfer water in volume—simi- liquefy it with heat or dissolve or emulsify it with a cleaning lar to the way tributaries and streams feed into the main body chemical. Grease is still grease! of a river. Along the way, the pipe system passes through basins—grease traps, grease interceptors, lift stations, equaliza- I like the rabbit hole as a metaphor for the fantasies the gen- tion basins—that serve as reservoirs helping control the overall eral public conjures regarding how a drain works and what can flow and cleaning the water by allowing debris and solids to go down it because a mind-bending array of items find them- either float to the surface or sink to the bottom. Although de- selves in the pipes—including baseballs, rags, CDs, cutlery, signs vary, the general purpose is the same: removal of items socks, mugs—simply because they will physically fit. At least, that might otherwise impede transfer of water or cause trou- grease in a drain is easier to comprehend. It flows (in its liq- ble for the WWTP. uid form), and water flows—OK, down the drain then! Unfor- tunately, grease is the biggest culprit for clogs, overflows, and Most CSs use gravity for the majority of the journey. This an- emergency maintenance requests. cient design was a feature of the Roman aqueducts and has the benefit of greatly reduced power and energy consumption. So getting back to Alice, my point is this: Even though people Gravity systems need a consistent slope or head (the difference understand that the water flows through pipes and that pipes in height between where the water enters the pipe and where can get clogged, it still feels as if people think that beyond the the pipe discharges) to cause water to move in the direction drain there exists a magical world devoid of physics, logic, and of the WWTP. Often, a flat or low section in the pipe will allow Euclidean geometry. water to pool. When this happens, solid debris can accumulate and lead to a clog and overflow. Another drawback is the low As KEC industry professionals, we can be as guilty as anyone pressure and slow movement of the water. This allows grease else. We know the reality that exists beyond that drain is one to slowly build on the inside walls of a pipe, just like fat and in which water cools, soaps are diluted, and grease hardens. So cholesterol build up on the walls of human arteries. it is incredibly important that we are not sucked into the rabbit hole mentality, that we understand the complexity of the In contrast, storm water systems (SWSs) transport and direct wastewater transfer system that lies beyond the drain. surface water runoff away from roads and buildings and into designated water collection areas, such as ponds, lakes, res- The more you know about the system and your impact on it, ervoirs, marshes, or the ocean. SWSs mostly consist of pipes, the more power you have to avoid potential problems and to drainage ditches, and substrates that help collect, direct, and leverage clients from your competitors with a proven perfor- filter dirt, debris, nutrients, and contaminants. mance record and impeccable service. The fact is that the KEC industry can cause clogs and sewer overflows that have real le-

THE IKECA JOURNAL FALL 2015 | PAGE 15 There are steep fines and legal penalties for discharging waste- hydroxide, and sodium metasilicate, and solvents, such as d- water, especially grease-laden wash water or cooking oils into limonene and alcohol. Unfortunately, these chemicals can have the SWS. Grease is especially harmful because it can clog the major repercussions, both for the health and safety of your em- pipes, clog the substrates that filter the SWS, and introduce ployees and for the wastewater infrastructure downstream. high levels of nutrients into bodies of water, which can lead Due to their caustic nature, they can be extremely dangerous to harmful algae blooms and substantial degradation of that to apply. Solvents are often carcinogenic and can have long- body of water. The CS at least has grease traps; the SWS has no term health effects, so proper personal protective equipment methods for coping with grease. (PPE) is strongly advised.

The Complete Life Cycle of Oil and Grease These chemicals, especially when combined with hot water and high pressure, are effective because they break down grease into very small particles. The grease is then more easily held in suspension in the wash water. Provided you are wearing proper PPE and no water is being discharged down the drain, this method works just fine. However, if the wash water is discharged down the drain, the suspended grease in hot water is the easiest way to bypass the grease traps and cause an overflow. It is not a matter of if a clog or backup will occur, but only a matter of when.

Figure 1: Pie chart of sanitary sewer overflow causes Lets examine this in more We all know grease is the product of oil, butter, meat, cheese, detail. The hot water and milk, cream, and the like being prepared and cooked. As KEC the high concentration of professionals, you can attest to the volume of grease that be- soap keep the grease in comes airborne and is carried beyond filters into the exhaust suspension. As the water ductwork. Once in the ducts, grease hardens, builds, accumu- travels, the water cools, lates, and overwhelms the system, resulting in extreme risk of and those small particles fire. And so, the KEC industry was born to maintain a clean and of grease harden. When our safe restaurant kitchen environment. water mingles with non- Figure 3: A lift station with soapy water, the soap that So if a restaurant vent system is properly maintained to a bare accumulated grease was holding those now metal standard and the grease is no longer in the ducts, where hardened particles of grease in suspension becomes diluted. is it? Enter stage 2 of the oil and grease life cycle: down the The diluted soap no longer influences the grease particles, rabbit hole—excuse me, down the drain. Despite compliance and they coalesce and stick to the walls of the pipe. The grease and regulatory agencies cracking down on businesses that con- grabs bits of food and plastic—really any debris that finds its sistently discharge grease incorrectly, the practice continues, way into the pipes—and starts to snowball around that bit of perhaps because of the perceived anonymity and simplicity of debris until it forms something that wastewater professionals pouring wash water and liquefied grease down the drain. refer to as a matzo ball: a fist-sized ball of grease.

Avoiding Sanitary Sewer Overflows Lets examine a typical KEC scenario: You’ve completed the cleaning and the collected wash water is ready for disposal. If you are about to send that wash water down the drain because there is a downstream grease trap, remember the pic- tures in this article. Under the wrong conditions, the presence of a grease trap is not enough to eliminate the risk of clogs and overflows. By understanding how these devices function and how grease can bypass them, you can avoid costly mistakes, fines, and legal conflict. The three most important factors that contribute to grease trap bypass are temperature, volume, and pH.

• Temperature: Hot water liquefies grease. Liquid grease Figure 2: A grease-clogged pipe passes through traps much more easily than solid grease. Common active ingredients in KEC chemicals include high-pH So let the water cool before sending it down the drain. or “hot” compounds, such as sodium hydroxide, potassium Continued on page 33

PAGE 16 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL

Third Party Reporting The right path for AHJs and kitchen/exhaust hood cleaning providers By Matthew Rice, Brycer, LLC At recent industry conferences in Las climate and budget pressures. On the other side of the coin, Vegas, Atlantic City, and New Orleans, kitchen/exhaust hood cleaning providers are trying to keep our company was asked give a presen- their businesses afloat in an ultracompetitive environment—as tation: “Fire Protection Systems: Com- are the property owners whose premises they inspect. With an pliance and Tracking with Third-Party estimated 40% of commercial building fire protection systems Technology Solutions.” While listening in the United States being uninspected, tested, and maintained to keynote speaker Retired Chief Timo- annually, third-party compliance technology is necessary for all thy E. Sendelbach, I took note of the constituents. First and foremost, there is a life-safety issue; sec- FDNY’s Edward Croker quoting Benja- ond, the KEC marketplace is often running at less than 50% of min Franklin: “An ounce of prevention is its potential; and third, the execution of the fire code needs to worth a pound of cure.” He was saying be streamlined, transparent, and accountable for all involved. that the fire industry has been stingy with our ounces, and it is costing us in dear pounds. This should resonate across the kitch- For instance, the staff at Eugene Springfield Fire in Oregon per- en and exhaust hood cleaning arena because the importance of formed an internal audit and found that they were between maintaining consistent, quality cleaning of commercial kitchen six weeks and six months behind in reviewing inspection, test- and exhaust hoods has not garnered the attention it deserves. ing, and maintenance reports submitted to the department. Of these reports, 200+ had outstanding violations 60 days or older, The U.S Fire Administration annually tracks thousands of res- 400 reports were waiting to be entered into the record manage- taurant building fires with resulting harm to life and property. ment system, and 800 reports were waiting for the deputy fire Fire code officials typically do not have the resources, staffing, marshal to review them. They concluded 50% of fire protection or tools to consistently perform annual routine inspections of systems were not being inspected or maintained in the jurisdic- hood suppression systems within their jurisdiction. As well, the tion. The manual process was not working; as in most preven- local fire code official is often the only party that determines tion bureaus, they did not have the resources or time to manu- the certifications for who can clean hood systems, the required ally process the information. They implemented a third-party standards for cleaning such systems, and the required frequen- compliance reporting system, which eliminated data entry and cy of such cleanings. Thus, service providers are typically the chasing down paperwork, affording them the ability to review most informed sources for the proper cleaning standards for double the number of reports each month and take action on commercial hood and exhaust systems but are solely depen- the past-due systems and those with deficiencies. dent upon the support and authority of the fire code officials in order to have the code requirements and the quality of cleaning KECs do not share a common type of form to record their service enforced. work and share the compliance data with AHJs. As well, many states and local jurisdictions do not require KECs to obtain a Both parties, fire code officials and hood/exhaust cleaning ser- standard level of certification or licensing, nor are they required vice providers, need each other to increase public safety, and to register as a KEC. This can easily create a fragmented industry they need a common vehicle to drive compliance. Service pro- with KECs performing varying degrees of quality of hood and viders need to be able to easily inform and educate fire code exhaust cleaning services. But this fragmentation, along with officials about the compliance requirements and status of hood an AHJ’s lack of resources and inexact knowledge of the compli- and exhaust systems. But fire code officials must have a simple, ance history of hood cleaning services performed, also does not effective method to receive, track, and manage the compliance allow KECs and AHJs to know which buildings have what sys- data and drive enforcement of these systems. A third-party com- tems, when they are due for service, and whether they have out- pliance reporting solution is a streamlined path to proactively standing violations. Third-party technologies are providing AHJs communicate and manage hood cleaning requirements and is and KECs with the medium necessary to address these issues. also the critical path for sustainable growth of the kitchen hood cleaning market. These solutions are the ounce of prevention In North Liberty, Iowa, we have elevated the enforcement necessary to deliver a pound of cure. on the cleaning of all hoods by passing a resolution requir- ing that all reports of service are tracked and reviewed by Why Are Third-Party Information Technology our department. We also required that specific questions Management (ITM) Solutions Necessary? are answered on the forms by all service providers to en- Fire prevention bureaus face the daily challenge of trying to sure quality service is being performed by all service pro- maximize protection from fire loss in their jurisdictions with viders. The Compliance Engine is a fantastic tool to help us limited staff and resources—a reality of the current economic with our compliance efforts. —Bryan Hardin, fire marshal

PAGE 18 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL What Are Third-Party ITM Reporting Solutions? to-use system that has been mandated jurisdiction-wide to en- These systems are web-based applications that streamline the sure all premises and contractors participate, delivering a level communication between the KEC and the AHJ, affording the fire playing field to ensure compliance and professional integrity is code official a tool to aggregate, track, and drive code compli- achieved. ance. These systems are not the AHJ, do not have enforcement authority, and are not inspection software. The goal of these so- How Does a Fire Code Official (AHJ) Require a lutions is to reduce administrative time and deliver the informa- Third-Party Reporting Solution? tion necessary for the AHJ to enforce corrections of deficiencies There are multiple avenues, depending on the type of jurisdic- and ensure all systems are serviced while doing more with less. tion, involved in the adoption and requirement to use a third- party reporting solution in an AHJ. The options are passing an Third-party compliance reporting solutions deliver a secure ordinance, resolution, or fire policy; amending the code; or add- cloud environment in which KECs and all fire and life-safety ser- ing supplemental rules and regulations to the existing fire code. vice providers who inspect, test, service, and maintain fire pro- All these processes, except the fire policy, require approval from tection systems can directly submit their reports to the AHJ via either a city manager, city council, or fire board. The fire policy a web portal. AHJs gain a more efficient review, tracking, and route already has provisions in the fire code granting the fire follow-up process with premises owners and occupants to cor- code official the ability to enforce the code in a manner deemed rect deficiencies and maintain systems. The end result is a com- appropriate. Once the requirement has been adopted by one of prehensive and accurate aggregation of data showing which these options, the AHJ has full authority to enforce the use of a buildings have what types of systems, when they were last third-party system, leveling the playing field for all constituents. serviced, and if there are any deficiencies that could jeopardize their successful deployment in the event of an incident. With Third-party compliance solutions are here to help the AHJ and third-party reporting, fire prevention bureaus are now better KECs; they are changing the landscape of inspection, testing, equipped in their mission to drive 100% code compliance with and maintenance. As the old adage goes, “The price of doing life-safety laws. the same old thing is far higher than the price of change.” Third- party compliance solutions afford AHJs the ability to do more But just like KECs, not all third-party compliance solutions are with less; increase the number of systems inspected, tested, equal. A special report published in the March 2014 issue of and maintained; generate greater revenue for KECs and service Firewatch! astutely recognized that “every provider and pro- providers; and, most importantly, deliver an ounce of preven- gram is different, so it’s not possible and unfair to assume that tion resulting in safer communities. they all do the same thing.” The key differentiators for KECs and all service providers to recognize are the systems that are gener- Common KEC questions: ating compliance for the AHJ, the return on investment for KECs • Who owns the data? The common position of all third-par- and service providers delivered, and the simplicity of adoption ty vendors in the market is that the AHJ and the KEC own and use by the KECs and service providers in their daily business the data. The “terms of use” agreement is a great place operations. to look for the protection of data language. Additionally, ask the AHJ if it has a contract with the third-party solu- What Should a KEC Require from Third-Party ITM tion and what is in the agreement regarding ownership of Solutions? data. KECs should require a solution that will deliver a return on their • Will a KEC’s data become public for competitors’ use? This investment, enhance cash flow, strengthen customer retention, goes hand in hand with the question of who owns the streamline communications with the AHJ, deliver compliance, data. A vigilant third party will take extreme precautions and be simple to use. All of these things are possible. For ex- and implement strict security to ensure your data is not ample, Fire Marshal Doug Killane of Martin County Fire Rescue made public or shared with your competitors. That said, in Florida has been using a third-party system for more than a there is one known vendor who offers the functionality year and will tell you “the service provider’s biggest challenge is and service of bidding out work. staffing all the new work they now have.” • Do I have to use the third party’s online inspection forms? KECs should expect a system that delivers a database of premis- This is the decision of the AHJ and its process for admin- es that is controlled by the AHJ, delivering powerful analytics for istering inspection, testing, and maintenance reports. both the AHJ and the KEC. The KEC should expect a system that Some of the vendors do require you to use their forms, drives compliance by generating hard- and soft-copy renewal, but again, most afford the KEC the ability to use their own overdue, and deficiency notifications that are delivered to each forms along with the AHJ’s directed forms. IKECA has ac- premise’s responsible party. KECs should expect to be notified tually partnered with a third-party vendor (Brycer) to cre- by the third-party compliance solution when the customer’s ate a kitchen/exhaust cleaning standard report template, life-safety systems are out of compliance and when enforce- so KECs can have multiple ways to submit proof of service. ment action is taken by the AHJ. KECs should expect a simple- Continued on page 32

THE IKECA JOURNAL FALL 2015 | PAGE 19 Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Fire Mitigation

PHOTO 1 Grease exhaust fans with backdraft dampers locked in PHOTO 2 Stretched, cracked and almost broken belt. This is open position. Maintenance personnel got tired of common for restaurant exhaust fans. Despite calls for dealing with dampers found stuck in the closed position. proper maintenance by codes, this is often ignored.

Food-service establishments are notoriously prone to kitchen pression, by definition, is about extinguishing a fire after it has fires that emanate from high-energy cooking appliances and already started. Fire mitigation, on the other hand, is about re- often spread to the hood and duct system and sometimes be- ducing risks so that a fire is less likely to occur in the first place yond. This is why insurance companies classify such establish- or less likely to spread and cause subsequent damage/injuries. ments in a higher-risk category than most other commercial buildings. And, this is why a properly designed kitchen ventila- Looking at the entire heat/grease system from the cooking tion and fire suppression system for cooking equipment is re- equipment to the exhaust fan, the area with the least pub- quired by code.1 lished research and most design variability from application to application is the grease duct. While listed grease ducts are According to the U.S. Fire Administration, cooking was the also available, they are usually only specified where reduced leading cause of commercial building fires in years 2007–11, clearances to combustibles dictate their use.4 Otherwise, the averaging over 25,000 such fires per year. The second leading more common practice is to custom design the grease ducts in cause averaged less than 10,000 fires per year. In addition, the accordance with codes.5 But this is typically done out of habit dollar loss for cooking-related fires averaged almost $50 mil- or to reduce construction costs—and not necessarily as a con- lion per year during this five-year period. And, although deaths scious effort to improve fire safety. and injuries are not shown for specific causes, there were 3,005 deaths and 17,500 injuries due to all fires in just 2011.2 Where there is custom design, there is custom installation. And where there is custom installation, there is a higher probability Therefore, it is relevant to ask how engineers can mitigate of field errors by the mechanical contractor. This often includes these costs and risks going forward. Do we continue to design using the wrong sheet metal and leaving holes in weld seams. the way we always have and accept the above statistics as out- There is also a tendency for engineers to rely on codes as their side of our control? Or do we seek opportunities to improve fire sole basis of design and not fully recognize improvement op- safety in areas within our control? portunities.

So often the emphasis gets placed on specifying the right com- As many engineers already know, since commercial kitchen mercial kitchen hoods and fire suppression system.3 Yes, if a fire ventilation (CKV) systems are a type of HVAC system, it would ever occurs, having a listed hood and fire suppression system is behoove our profession to educate architects on the need to important. We want the fire properly contained at the source move CKV out of the foodservice section of the plans and spec- and immediately extinguished. However, the previous statis- ifications, and into the mechanical section. The hoods are lo- tics suggest more is necessary. cated in the kitchen, but so are other HVAC components such as grilles, registers, and diffusers. More importantly, the food- The purpose of this article is to suggest that additional em- service consultant usually has little or no knowledge of the “V” phasis should be placed on fire mitigation strategies. Fire sup- in CKV or HVAC, and should not be specifying hoods, controls, PAGE 20 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL and other features to which they may not understand the con- FIGURE 1 Higher- and lower-risk designs of grease ducts. sequences of their choices.

The engineer is uniquely positioned to ensure the entire system is designed for optimal fire safety—as well as energy efficiency—for the life of the building. And though listed hoods for food-service applications are widely available, there is more to designing than just specifying listed equipment.

Nevertheless, the focus of this article is the portion of the CKV system above the ceiling and how it can be designed to improve fire safety. As such, following are six design practices to consider in order of priority for your future projects.

1. Design short, straight, and vertical grease ducts whenever possible—and design horizontal ducts only if necessary. Grease, like oil, is a highly flammable substance. If you’ve ever seen a grease fire along with its thick black smoke, you understand the serious nature of your work. Therefore, don’t mess around. Design the grease ducts so that they provide the short- est path for the heat and smoke to travel outside the building as possible.

Long ducts provide more surface area for this grease to collect and eventually serve as a potential fuel source for a fire. And horizontal ducts provide a surface for heavy grease particles to fall out of the airstream and collect at a higher rate than vertical surfaces.5 In fact, grease often “pools” in horizontal grease ducts, and this is a major reason why clean-outs need to be installed. Yes, these ducts are required to be sloped to facilitate draining, but such drainage does not always occur due to inad- and foremost. Who knows, perhaps the discussion will open up vertent low spots in the duct, the high viscosity of grease, and/ new possibilities. Perhaps the kitchen can extend to the side or entrainment caused by the operating exhaust fan. And yes, of the main building on the first floor with the ducts and fans conventional practice is to blame the hood and duct cleaner if immediately above it. Or perhaps the kitchen can be moved to this happens, but smart design should dictate that you elimi- the top floor with better views and where the ducts and fans nate the potential for grease collection in the first place. More- can be positioned immediately above it. Building owners do over, a horizontal duct usually involves at least two 90-degree not want to incur undue risks and liabilities, and so we need turns, and this additional resistance requires more fan energy to speak up. to move the design airflow. When you can design for both fire safety and energy efficiency, all the better. 2. Eliminate obstructions such as dampers, filters, coils, and 90-degree turns in grease ducts whenever possible. Remem- Though clean-outs are required for gaining access6 they intro- ber, the purpose of a kitchen ventilation system is to remove duce another potential weak link in the system. Not only can potentially dangerous heat and smoke from the building as ef- grease leak at these clean-outs due to an improper seal—and ficiently as possible. And so designing obstructions in the duct drip onto the hood and ceiling, the covers are sometimes forgot- only make this more difficult.7 Yes, dampers, filters, coils, and ten and left to allow the exhaust air to short-cycle and cause im- 90-degree turns are a fact of life for most HVAC systems— but paired hood performance. Moreover, if there is not a mezzanine grease ducts are a different animal. Most HVAC systems are not with proper access and lighting, leaving it up to duct cleaners prone to collecting a highly combustible substance and moving to find a way to navigate a ceiling full of electric conduit, water high-temperature air through them. And, most HVAC systems lines, and cabling in the dark is a recipe for problems. are not as prone to catching fire. So design the grease ducts as aerodynamically as practical. Certainly, many existing buildings that are retrofitted with commercial kitchens do not have the same design flexibility as Think of your gas grille on the patio of your home. Would you new construction. And even some new construction has con- ever consider moving it into your kitchen and installing a hood straints on where the hoods, ducts, and fans can be located. But with modulating dampers, a bag filter, heat exchanger, and to the degree designers have influence on a project, we should four 90-degree turns before it exits your second-floor roof? If speak to the architect and owner with fire safety in mind, first Continued on page 24

THE IKECA JOURNAL FALL 2015 | PAGE 21

PHOTO 3 Direct-Drive Exhaust Fan. No belt can fail and cause PHOTO 2 Exhaust Fan with Grease on Roof. Indicates how exten- heat/smoke issues. Also no belt drive losses and belt sively grease can contaminate duct and fan system. maintenance required. Therefore best to keep them short, straight and vertical.

not, why would you do this for a hotel, hospital, or college with 4. Design redundancy in the kitchen ventilation system by in- hundreds of times more property value and occupant lives at cluding more than one exhaust fan where there are multiple stake? And while you may be maintenance savvy as an engi- hoods. As already stated, the purpose of a kitchen ventilation neer what about the restaurant owner or his low-cost helper? system is to remove heat and smoke—and so when this vitally Energy efficiency is increasingly important in today’s world, but important function stops because a single belt or motor fails, it should never come at the expense of fire safety. this is as much a reflection of poor design as poor product quality and/or maintenance. Some functions are so mission-critical Another reason not to design long grease ducts with multiple that unless the associated system components are 99.99% turns is the hood fire suppression system will be less effective reliable in design, construction, operation, and maintenance, if the inside of the duct catches fire. A single nozzle aimed into redundancy is a best-practice. That is why IT companies have the grease duct will cover less surface area if the duct is not servers located across the country. They cannot afford to lose short and straight. customer data if one natural disaster or terrorist attack occurs. That is why airlines have at least two engines on planes flying 3. Specify listed grease ducts. Factory-built systems are de- across the ocean. There are too many lives at stake if a plane signed with a double-wall construction and are therefore has just one engine and it fails in mid-flight. stronger and more durable than single-wall grease ducts. In addition, they are less apt to be installed with holes/gaps in the Yet, kitchen exhaust fans are almost as mission-critical in ap- seams and allow grease leaks to occur because the assembly plications like hotels, hospitals, schools, and high-rises occu- and welding mostly takes place in a controlled environment. pied by hundreds of people. What do you do if a hotel banquet Experience shows that trying to weld a liquid-tight vessel kitchen is preparing food for hundreds of people on a Saturday above the ceiling where it is dark and easy to miss holes/gaps night and there is only one exhaust fan serving the kitchen— is largely dependent on the quality of the welder. And since the and then the motor burns out? From a safety standpoint, you low-bid mechanical contractor usually gets the job, the owner should turn off the cooking equipment and apologize to your usually gets what he paid for. Finally, factorybuilt systems are customers because a new motor will not be able to be installed manufactured with stainless steel, which has a higher tem- very quickly. But in reality, the pressure to continue cooking perature rating than black iron sheet metal. This is important could prevail as the staff would not necessarily be thinking if/when a fire ever does occur because if the grease duct fails, about the possible risks. the fire will be able to spread that much more quickly. Stainless steel buys more time. And if a fire does start and overtake the hood and duct due to a fan failure and the resulting heat buildup, then who is to But if a listed grease duct cannot be specified and used for what- blame? It would be easy to dismiss our culpability as mechani- ever reason, then serious consideration should be given to how cal designers and blame it on the motor manufacturer, main- the field-fabricated and welded grease duct will be protected tenance staff, kitchen cooks, or the fire suppression system. above and beyond the minimal threshold of code compliance. (Based on the statistics mentioned earlier, we should not as- For example, even if the required clearance to combustibles is sume fire suppression systems will necessarily put out all fires). met, the grease duct should ideally be wrapped with insulation But in this litigious society in which we live, lawyers will not or enclosed so that a fire inside the duct cannot easily spread necessarily see it that way. outside the immediate surrounding area. Again, fire mitigation is about preventing a fire from spreading and becoming an out- If a second duct and fan had been designed into the overall of-control fire. kitchen ventilation system, it is possible any smoke-related

PAGE 24 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL damage and injuries/deaths could have been avoided. This can be designed with DCKV capability and thereby modulate would not have prevented the initial fire inside the hood with a the exhaust and make-up fan speeds based on temperature motor failure, but it could have provided sufficient ventilation and/or smoke to save energy. through the other hoods to keep smoke from reaching other parts of the building and getting into the eyes and lungs of Fire-prevention features of a well-engineered DCKV system kitchen staff as they might try to put out the fire or escape and include an audible alarm if the exhaust air temperature rises call the fire department. within 100°F (38°C) of the activation temperature of the fire suppression system. Similar to new cars with sensors that tell 5. Eliminate the weak link when possible by specifying listed you when you are getting too close to another object, new direct-drive exhaust fans. The fan belt is the infamous weak hoods should be specified to “beep” and tell you if the exhaust link of most every kitchen ventilation system out there. It’s a air temperatures are getting dangerously high. Another possi- relatively cheap part that is prone to stretching, cracking, and bility is an automatic gas/electric shut-off capability if the ex- eventually breaking—and causing untold lost business rev- haust air temperature continues to rise within, say, 50°F (10°C) enue, employee wages, customer loyalty, and building damage of the activation temperature. Why wait until the fire suppres- and human injury/lives for the reasons mentioned earlier. And sion system is activated to shut-off the fuel source? In this day it often breaks at the most inopportune time when demand for and age, intelligent hoods should monitor, communicate, and food and thus ventilation is at its highest and the availability control to prevent a potential disaster from occurring. Specify for repair service is at its lowest. Again, think Saturday night. accordingly.

Conventional on/off motor starters add to the problem be- Summary cause they provide nearly instantaneous acceleration at start- In conclusion, no food-service establishment is fireproof, but up, which means these weak links are severely stressed—and we can help design them to be more fire safe. stretched—every day when the hoods are turned on in the morning. And so before the belt actually breaks, it will gradu- More specifically, design grease ducts so that they are short, ally become loose within the pulley grooves and slip, resulting straight, and vertical whenever possible. Design them without in slower and slower fan speeds over time. obstructions so that the heat and smoke can exit the building in the most efficient manner possible. And, specify UL-listed The solution is to specify direct-drive exhaust fans and vari- grease ducts to provide an extra barrier between the potential able-frequency drives (VFDs) when possible to eliminate this fire source and combustibles. Furthermore, design the CKV sys- problem. Conventional practice is to point the finger at mainte- tem with more than one exhaust fan so that there is a level nance for not regularly replacing these belts, but why not think of redundancy in ventilation in case one fan goes down. To proactively and design more reliable systems? Fan manufactur- minimize this possibility, eliminate the belt by specifying direct ers have made major strides in recognizing this need and op- drive fans where applicable. Lastly, specify a DCKV system so portunity by expanding their fan lines to include direct-drive that the fans not only automatically start upon the detection (up to approximately 3,000 cfm [1416 L/s], currently) over the of heat—but so that temperature alarms can signal if/when last five to 10 years, and so it is up to the mechanical designer the exhaust temperature rises above normal and/or safe levels. to take advantage of this when possible. Don’t let a $10 part fail and cause a potential fire because “that’s the way it’s al- These design practices are especially important in buildings oc- ways been done.” cupied by hundreds of people. And it is even more important for systems that may receive little preventive maintenance. And don’t let the VFD become the next weakest link by allow- Anything designed above the ceiling is not only out of sight— ing a low-quality drive to be used. Specify a top-tier brand with but very often out of mind until it fails. a national and preferably global reputation for quality. Yes, there are some things outside of our control as the me- 6. Specify a listed demand control kitchen ventilation (DCKV) chanical designer when it comes to fire mitigation. But there system. This allows the customer to gain more utility from the are also things within our control. The purpose of this article VFDs than just setting a fixed speed on direct-drive fans. It also was to highlight the latter and advocate for a bias towards allows the customer to gain more utility from minimally intel- safety. The engineer should never abdicate his professional re- ligent autostart systems now required by code. In fact, most sponsibilities to the owner, architect, manufacturer, contractor, codes now require an electrical or thermal interlock between or food-service consultant because “that’s the way it’s always the cooking equipment and hood fans to address the possibil- been done.” Sleeping well at night might depend on it someday ity that cooks may forget to turn the system on in the morning or off at night.6,8 With little or no extra cost, the CKV system

Continued on page 27

THE IKECA JOURNAL FALL 2015 | PAGE 25 Key Principles for Maximizing the Value of Your KEC Business

By Billy Marshall, CEO, ServiceTrade At some point, every businessperson CAC is the cost to acquire a new customer. A strong and valuable or entrepreneur wants to be paid full brand will attract new customers at a lower cost because the value for the time, energy, love, and marketing and sales expenses are low when references, custom- money he or she has invested over the er service, and brand reputation are strong. Fighting a trove of lifetime of his or her business. Whether negativity in the market associated with poor customer service that payday is an arm’s-length finan- and negative reviews is expensive (high CAC). A new owner does cial transaction with an unrelated third not want to spend heavily on advertising and sales because you party or a passing of the business to have created a wall of negativity that must be climbed for each the next generation, everyone wants new sale. the satisfaction of believing the next owner is receiving something of great So if this is the basic formula for value, what are the principles value. The principles behind maximizing the value of a kitchen for maximizing value? First, provide amazing customer experi- exhaust cleaning (or any other service-contracting) business ence. Maximizing LVC means ensuring customers would never are pretty simple, but it is amazing how often they are ignored think of using any other company for any service that you can in the day-to-day decision-making process regarding what is- provide for them. It means you get a greater share of their wal- sues get management’s attention. Keeping the formula and the let over a longer period of time. In addition, price is important principles for maximizing value in focus on a daily basis will infor each service because no one wants to discover he or she has crease your payday when you cash out—whether that cash is a been gouged when sharing his or her experience with a neigh- financial transaction or simply a passing of the torch to the next bor. However, the experience and the ability to recall, review, generation. and share that experience is critical, which means it must have an online digital component. A coffee- and tobacco-stained yel- The formula for value is simple: low after-service report with cryptic accounting codes finds the NC × (LVC − CAC) = VALUE trash quickly and will never be recalled, reviewed, or shared. If you have not figured out how to connect with customers online NC is the number of customers you serve. Ideally, you have many using digital service artifacts (photos, job clock stamps, service of them because having only a few is risky for the future owner. reports, etc.) that make it easy for them to review and recall If one or two are lost, much of the value of the business is quick- your value, you need to figure it out and join the 21st century ly erased. Also, business you receive from third parties (national party that is happening online. account management companies) generally does not count as value either. Without a direct, persistent, and meaningful con- Amazing customer experiences also dramatically lower your nection with the end customer, your revenue and profit margin CAC. Advertising is an expensive approach to gaining new cus- are tenuous and therefore not very valuable to the next owner. tomers. The lowest CAC comes from referrals and online reviews that put your brand in the top position among prospects consid- LVC is the lifetime value of a customer. The beautiful thing about ering the services you offer. Make it easy for your current cus- the KEC model is the recurring nature of the services. Grease tomers to rave about you, and forward your digital service arti- in the ductwork is truly the gift that just keeps giving. Ideally, facts on to others or post them online. If you do not understand you also do a good job managing the repair and maintenance that last sentence, hire someone who does. of the related customer equipment, such as hinge kits, duct access panels, grease containment systems, rooftop cleanup, etc. Manage and mine customer data vigorously for new revenue There is not a better sales lead for incremental business than a opportunities to increase LVC. Your opportunity to sell more photo of damaged equipment on the roof that you discovered to an existing customer is directly proportional to how much last night during the quarterly cleaning. Maximize the value of you know about that customer and how easy it is to turn that every customer at every opportunity by showing online (you knowledge into new service calls. A history of invoices in your cannot afford to go back the next day) what an excellent job accounting system does not count for any incremental LVC. How you are doing taking care of these systems. much data do you have about your customers’ property, equipment, and service history that you can act upon with computing In addition, if each customer is “one and done” with your ser- resources and send tailored offers for improvement? A perfect vices, your business is not worth much. You must sustain mar- example is a review of deficiency quotes to look for service op- ket advertising or similar sales expenses promoting the brand portunities that align with a scheduled cleaning. If a broken fan to attract new revenue. As with having only a few customers, hinge or an excessive grease buildup deficiency/quote has been the future is risky when the new owner cannot depend on your ignored, the best time to renew that conversation is when you current customer base for future income streams. are returning for the next service. If that information is easy to

PAGE 26 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL retrieve and review, and it is easy to see that the customer has The new owners will reflect the value you have built—either viewed the quote online, you are in a perfect position to upsell in the purchase price or in a next generation debt of gratitude. the repair or the incremental buildup charge. If not, you are sim- Either way, your satisfaction will be substantial and genuine, ply in a position to take more grief during the next service and knowing you created something of great value by following potentially lose money again due to the aggravation of an inat- these principles. tentive customer and an outdated customer service strategy.

Finally, create a sales culture that leads to predictable year-over- Billy Marshall is an entrepreneur and technology leader with sig- year increases in NC. New customer additions should be an al- nificant experience building companies and developing innova- most daily occurrence with a predictable formula and a routine tive products. His passion in business is using new and different for prospecting. When you can predict and bank on the addition approaches—marketing or technology, preferably both—to give of new customers and you can likewise predict that each cus- customers a remarkable value and breakthrough capability. tomer will provide many years of income due to amazing customer service and the ability to mine data for new revenue, you have built a very valuable business.

Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Fire Mitigation (cont.) Notes 4. UL. UL Standard 1978, Grease Ducts. Covers factory-built grease ducts and grease duct assemblies that are intended to 1. NFPA. National Fire Protection Association Standard 96-2014, be installed at reduced clearances. Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commer- cial Cooking Operations. Also the Uniform Mechanical Code, 5. Gerstler, W.D. 2002. “New Rules for Kitchen Exhaust.” ASHRAE UMC 2012 borrows most NFPA 96 requirements related to fire Journal, November. suppression for commercial cooking. Moreover, the Internation- 6. IAPMO. 2012. Uniform Mechanical Code and ICC. 2012. Inter- al Mechanical Code, IMC 2012 Chapter 5 covers this area. national Mechanical Code. 2. U.S. Fire Administration. 2011. “Restaurant Building Fires.” 7. Duda, S.W. 2014. “Fire & Smoke Damper Application Require- Topical Fire Report Series. U.S. Department of Homeland Secu- ments.” ASHRAE Journal, July. This states under Other Rules: Do rity. not put any dampers in Type 1 grease exhaust systems. 3. Griffin, B., M. Morgan. 2014. “60 years of commercial kitchen 8. California Energy Commission. Title 24, Building Energy Effi- fire suppression.” ASHRAE Journal, June. ciency Standards and ASHRAE Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.

IKECA Members Proudly Show the IKECA Logo! ACCESS PANEL Company Customized Hood Stickers Address City, State, Zip Customized Access Panel Stickers 888-888-8888 Your Customized Grease Gauges Logo Competitive prices Inspected Cleaned Tech. Name and/or Cert # Personalized service

Your Company Name Quick turnaround Your Street Address Go to www.ikeca.org, log in with your mem- Your City, US 98765 ber username/password, and click on the On- line Store to automatically receive member 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 pricing/quantity options on merchandise. Call www.ikeca.org IKECA - 215-320-3876 215.320.3876 with any questions.

THE IKECA JOURNAL FALL 2015 | PAGE 27

IKECA Member Benefits Supporting Your Bottom Line By Sarah Hagy, CAE, IKECA Executive Director

One of the best parts of my day is when I hear from members about how IKECA has helped them in their business. Be- lieve it or not, I hear this pretty routinely, making many days not just good days, but great days! Recently, DJ Nowack from Fat Free, Inc., was one such member who reported back on how IKECA assisted his business, positioning it as an industry leader and gaining valuable mileage in business development.

About two weeks ago, DJ contacted us to see what kind of information IKECA might have to support a presentation he had scheduled with a facility management firm, Stiles Property Management, as well as other risk managers and facil- DJ was able to secure two valuable com- the time this article was generated, Fat ity managers in Florida—in total about ponents for his presentation: IKECA’s Free, Inc., had already received multiple 50 attendees. A few weeks prior to him “AHJ 101” PowerPoint presentation and leads from their presentation. contacting us, a Stiles-managed proper- the “Best Practices for Choosing a Kitch- ty had a fire in a 23-story building in Ft. en Exhaust Cleaner” brochure. Both of This is just one of the ways that IKECA Lauderdale, Florida, that started in—you these items were provided to DJ at no supports members’ efforts in spreading guessed it—the kitchen of a lower-level cost and were co-branded with the Fat the word about the importance of prop- restaurant. Thankfully, no one was in- Free, Inc. logo. These resources gave DJ erly cleaned, inspected and maintained jured, and everyone was able to get out and his co-presenter, John Zaza, addi- commercial kitchen exhaust systems. of the building while firefighters worked tional collateral to bring to their presen- To learn more about these products, to access the ducts to contain the fire. As tation as leave-behinds (the brochure) visit IKECA’s online store, hover over “on- many of you know, it sometimes takes and saved them valuable time develop- line store,” and select “Members Only these kinds of losses to get managers ing a presentation from scratch—not to Products.” If you are not already logged with kitchen exhaust systems to realize mention that they walked into this meet- in, please do so, and then you will be the true risks associated with poor main- ing with the support of and an affiliation brought back to the store. You may also tenance of these systems. with the industry’s only nonprofit orga- contact a member of the IKECA manage- nization with international reach. As of ment team by calling (215) 320-3876.

THE IKECA JOURNAL FALL 2015 | PAGE 29 From the desk of an IKECA member

PAGE 30 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL

Safety Update Regarding Confined Spaces

Eric Scolari, CECS, RHP Mechanical Systems IKECA continues our mission to inform and educate our mem- How Does This Apply to the Kitchen Exhaust bers about important changes in standards relating to occupa- Cleaning Industry? tional hazards. The Occupational Safety and Health Adminis- Kitchen exhaust cleaning often involves access to confined tration (OSHA) has just released a new construction standard spaces for proper cleaning. Many people who die in confined 29 CFR 1926 subpart AA. This subpart is specifically designed to spaces simply are not aware of the potential hazards; there- protect construction workers from confined space hazards that fore, all hazards must be addressed before entering a space to are not covered in subpart P excavations. perform work and eliminated whenever possible. The first step in confined space awareness is performing a confined space assessment to identify all permit-required confined spaces. • Can an employee be trapped or asphyxiated? • Is the atmosphere hazardous or is the air contaminated? • Is there a need for testing? • Is the work environment susceptible to really hot or cold conditions? • Do we have a need to isolate energy sources?

Once evaluations are performed, employees need to receive awareness training on the potential hazards of confined spac- Here is the information you need to know. es, confined space entry requirements, and entrant and atten- dant training. A rescue plan must also be developed. What Are Confined Spaces? A “confined space” is defined as a space that This is a starting point for finding information about these • is large enough and so configured that an employee can spaces, the hazards they may present, and ways to safely work bodily enter it in them. This can be a big deal and add significant cost to a project; however, as employers, it is our duty to provide a safe and • has limited or restricted means for entry and exit healthy work environment. There are several resources avail- • is not designed for continuous employee occupancy able within OSHA’s frequently asked questions (https://www. osha.gov/confinedspaces/faq.html) as well as in a press release Confined spaces include HVAC ducts, bins, boilers, sewers, (https://www.osha.gov/newsrelease/nat-20150501.html). The storm drains, electrical vaults, tanks, manholes, digesters, full subpart AA can be found here: https://www.osha.gov/con- grease ducts, etc. finedspaces/1926_subpart_aa.pdf.

Third Party Reporting (continued)

• Won’t this overwhelm AHJs? No. Case studies show that is the key reason for the structure of the business models. 85% of administrative time associated with addressing re- • Do I have to pay to register? KECs and service providers ports submitted by KECs and all service providers is allevi- should not have any costs or additional charges to simply ated. These systems are putting more boots on the streets register their company and list their technicians and in- due to the significant time savings. spectors. • How does pricing work, and why should I pay for it? The revenue model for these systems is they are free for the AHJ. KECs/service providers are charged a small fee to sub- Matthew B. Rice is CEO of Brycer, LLC, based in Warrenville, Illinois. mit. The revenue generated for KECs and service providers He can be reached at [email protected].

PAGE 32 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL We Want YOU!

By Jack Grace, CECS, CESI, Immediate Past President, IKECA The future of the International Kitchen best we get from IKECA is the best we give to IKECA, and that Exhaust Cleaning Association contin- has proven true again and again. ues to look brighter each day. From the visionary work of our founders to the Because you are with us as a member of this association, you exceptional success of the ANSI com- have already shown excellent judgment, and you clearly see the mittee and each and every success in value of the work the association does for the industry and the between, IKECA continues to strive to greater community. So I ask those of you who have not or are reach its potential. It is a tribute to the not currently serving on a committee to please volunteer your hard work and dedication of each and time and add to the conversation, find your voice, and partici- every one of our members and their pate in making this association greater. For those who currently teams that we have the honor and priv- serve on committees and have found that voice, I ask for you to ilege to have the great Oliver Moore serve as our AHJ committee consider running for a position on the board of directors. chairman. It does not matter if you are a short- or long-time member of Our association is stronger than ever and poised to take the the association, nor do you need to have the experience of serv- next steps forward in our combined pursuit of excellence in the ing on a committee or a board of directors. What you need is a exhaust cleaning industry, and it is critical that, as we step for- passion for this industry and the will to keep moving forward ward, you consider your role in our shared future. The leader- for the benefit of the entire IKECA team. I have met so many ship role of the board of directors is indeed both an honor and excellent leaders in this association, and I am excited to see the a great responsibility. I can attest to the many hours spent de- future leaders take charge. bating the details and charting the course that will lead us to the greatest success, and I can also attest to the immeasurable If you are ready to serve, please reach out to us and let us know. amount of knowledge, wisdom, and great times that have come We have so much great work to do, and we welcome your par- with being able to serve this association. ticipation. If you want to learn more about the board of directors and committees, please reach out to our either our man- As your immediate past president, my time on the board is agement team or reach out to me directly. Thank you again for drawing to a close, and my final task is to help guide members the work you do in your own companies to make IKECA stronger, into the critical leadership roles that will ensure the future of and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve you for IKECA and the continuation of our shared story of success. The these many years. Now, it’s your turn!

Why the Sink Drain Is Not the Proverbial “Rabbit Hole” (continued) • Volume: Pour water down the drain slowly, taking short pen and test your water. If the pH is above 10, then use a breaks periodically. Grease traps are only so big, and they neutralizer to bring it down. depend on a period of still water in order to allow grease to float and solids to settle out of the water. Pouring too Ultimately, cooler temperatures, lower volumes of water, and much water down the drain at one time will flood the lower pH will benefit your business and greatly reduce your trap and greatly reduce the trap’s ability to catch all that impact on the client’s drain system. Having these practices in grease. place will give you the advantage when the EPA and munici- palities become more vigilant with regard to KEC practices. • pH: pH matters! Because many of the soaps used in the KEC industry are high pH and are highly concentrated, the pH of your wash water can remain high. High-pH chemi- Peter Rehage is a chemist whose work is exclusively devoted to cals increase the pH of your soap, resulting in potential green and environmentally friendly chemistry, an emerging field discharge violations for your client. In addition, pH is the that is growing in response to the demands for safer chemicals determining factor for how well the chemical emulsifies and reduced waste products in an ever-growing world economy. grease. Therefore, if the pH of your wash water is high He can be reached at Chemical Research and Design: Uncle Os- (above 10), then the grease can remain emulsified and car’s LLC; [email protected]; (212) 323-2772. can easily bypass the grease trap or interceptor. Buy a pH

THE IKECA JOURNAL FALL 2015 | PAGE 33 Retaining Good Employees in a High-Turnover Industry

By Skip Lewis and Brian Smith Good employees are the lifeblood of thetic ear and good advice will lead to a trusting and stronger any successful service-based company. relationship. Employee retention has been an ongo- ing issue for many industries, such as Tools of the Trade fast food, hotels, construction, and, to It is of utmost importance that an employee is able to do the be more specific, restaurants and hood job safely and efficiently. Safety on the job must be stressed fre- cleaning. quently. Proper clothing and safety equipment should always be readily available. For example, using sturdy ladders and teach- Hood cleaning is a tough, dirty, danger- ing proper safety techniques is a start to building an employee ous job that is usually done during the base that is more safe and informed in this work environment. wee hours when most folks are snug The worker must know that his or her health matters to you. in their beds. It could be 100° or 20° below zero. Hood cleaners deal with When it comes to equipment unique to the hood cleaning in- high winds, snow, rain, sloped roofs, dustry, an employee should be trained thoroughly on how to nasty grease, and a plethora of other operate and diagnose a problem correctly. Extra hoses, nozzles, obstacles and dangers that cause many unloaders, and other replacement parts should be a part of the of them to scratch their heads and ask truck inventory. It is frustrating and costly to have a machine themselves, “Why the heck am I doing constantly break down in the middle of a job without having the this?” Sometimes the answer is “No proper tools to correct the problem on the spot. If the employee reason is good enough; it’s not worth can’t get it back up and running, then the job is left undone. In it,” and the employee gives notice or turn, you have to schedule costly return visits, you will have up- quits on the spot. set customers, and the employee will also be aggravated.

At that time, the hood cleaning company has to find a replace- Equipment maintenance should be a priority so the workers ment; jobs may have to be delayed or canceled, and good cus- can do their jobs. Using antifreeze on pressure washers during tomers are sometimes lost. Training a new employee takes the winter is one example of keeping the equipment properly time, patience, and money. It’s certainly not a process any own- maintained during a specific circumstance. You should always er or crew chief wants to go through every two weeks. When an be on the lookout for new tools, chemicals, techniques, etc. that owner finds a gem—a hard-working, motivated, dependable, can make hood cleaning jobs simpler, faster, and safer for your conscientious employee who invariably does the job correctly— workers to complete. Do not forget to maintain the trucks and that worker must be retained. Here are a few ideas about how vans; ensure that they stay running. to accomplish that; some are obvious, but not always practiced, and some may not have occurred to you. Add-On Services Mean Extra Money for All Here is a way to find out who the real go-getters are. Make sure It Begins with Communication your employees know about NFPA 96 and other industry-relat- As with most developing relationships, business or personal, ed codes and why they are important. Suggest deficiencies they communication is key, and it starts from the beginning. Make can look for while they are doing each job that remedying will it clear at the onset what is expected from each employee and make the customer cleaner, safer, and code compliant. How do what he or she can expect from you. The hiring interview should the sidewalks and walkways leading to the restaurant look? Are involve questions that enable you to determine if this potential they dirty from foot traffic or covered with gum and spills? Of- hire is a good match for your company. An opportunity for the fer your service to power wash that unsightly gunk away. How person to ask questions in return should also be provided, along about the grease dumpster corral area? Some of those are disas- with a manual stating the objectives of the company and what ter zones, environmental hazards, and major eyesores. You can a given job entails. Rules and policies must be made clear and offer to clean these messes as well. applied consistently and fairly. Feedback should be encouraged, and regular meetings should be scheduled to update employees Hinge kits are required, and that requirement is being enforced on any policy changes and to go over recent events that may by AHJs much more stringently than in the past. Have your crew impact the business. Accomplishments should be applauded— inspect all fans to be sure a compliant hinge has been installed. a pat on the back goes a long way—along with an open-door If there is no hinge (or a cheap, noncompliant one) instruct policy. Employees should be encouraged to offer any ideas in- them to note it on the report. The same applies to access doors. volving making or saving money for the company. If a problem They should be installed at regular intervals and at changes arises, either on the job or in someone’s personal life, a sympa- in duct direction. Grease containment systems are needed on

PAGE 34 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL many fans that don’t currently have one. Encourage your crews not mean we have to always uphold that tradition. Companies to always be on the lookout for these add-on opportunities and across the United States are seeing average lengths of employ- reward those that find them. You can use a bonus program, de- ment expand by implementing these few simple strategies. It fined commission incentive, salary raises for consistently pro- all begins with communication and preparing your potential ductive performers, or some other incentive. When you provide employees to succeed from the very first interview through the your diligent employees with additional ways to supplement training and management process. Using the consistent com- their income, you will profit yourself as well while keeping your munication model to implement company safety and policy top performers happy, on their toes, and eager to stay with your standards will help to make employees appreciate the work en- company. vironment even in less-than-optimal work conditions. Making sure the proper tools are provided, in great working conditions, Have Some Fun! will not only show them that they and your customers are im- Communication is a huge key to employer–employee relations. portant, but it will also help to cut down on cost and increase So is camaraderie, both on the job and after hours. Create com- the bottom line. With these employees, along with consistent petition at work; offer a gift card or tickets to a sporting event communications and proper tools, you can implement added or musical for the employee who generates the most new busi- services or products that can increase revenue per customer and ness in a specific time frame. Take the gang to dinner if they provide incentive opportunities for them to make more. In turn, go an entire year without an injury or safety-related incident. your bottom line will grow. Have a company Christmas party or a summer picnic. Take every opportunity to let the workers you can always count on know that they are valued. Promote them to positions of higher re- Skip Lewis is a sales executive with Omni Containment Systems, sponsibility and compensation when they’ve earned it. Those the manufacturer of the Grease Gutter, SuperHinge, and Access people are difficult and costly to replace. Make sure they feel Armor as well as a number of other NFPA ’96–compliant prod- appreciated and rewarded when they do a great job, and you ucts. Omni is an associate member of IKECA. Brian Smith is the won’t have to. chief operating officer at Omni Containment Systems and an active member of IKECA as well as the senior managing partner at The Bottom Line on Employee Retention Individual Advantages, an international business consulting firm. Being in a business that traditionally has high turnover does

THE IKECA JOURNAL FALL 2015 | PAGE 35 AHJ Corner Fuel to the Fire What AHJs need to know about solid-fuel cooking fires in commercial establishments. Plus, suggestions for further research on related detection and suppression systems. by Doug Horton, D. J. HORTON and Associates, Inc. Reprinted with permission from NFPA Journal® (Vol. 109, #4) copyright © 2015, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA. All rights reserved. In my work consulting on commercial kitchen ventilation sys- All of the significant aspects of this incident, including require- tems, including restaurant fire investigations, I’ve recently en- ments for installation and maintenance of solid-fuel cooking countered fires involving solid-fuel cooking systems. I served as systems, are addressed in Chapter 14 of NFPA 96, Ventilation an expert consultant on one such fire that occurred at a pizza Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations. restaurant in Maryland, an event that illustrates the kind of po- Designers, installers, owners, and authorities having jurisdic- tentially serious problems that can occur with solid fuel, typi- tion (AHJs) need to familiarize themselves with, and follow, cally wood, briquettes, or charcoal. these requirements, since solid-fuel cooking in commercial settings can include its own particular hazards. Wood, espe- The fire started in a tall, rectangular hearth-type pizza oven cially, can introduce highly flammable creosote deposits into during mid-morning bread baking operations for the owner’s the cooking and ventilation systems, adding to the fuel load multiple restaurants. The oven burned natural gas on one end of grease deposits. It is important that AHJs help stakeholders and wood “bricks” made of compressed wood and sawdust on understand and address these hazards, whether in new con- the other, and was located beneath a high-quality, listed, Type I struction or in the maintenance of existing solid-fuel cooking wall canopy exhaust hood. The hood was equipped with listed systems. grease filters and a conventional fire suppression system with detection by fusible links, a system that includes two small Anecdotally, at least, reports of fires involving solid-fuel cook- brass plates soldered together and attached to tension cables ing systems seem to be increasing, in part a result of the grow- that separate when heated to 360 degrees F (182 degrees C), ing number of establishments that have added solid fuel cook- or other preselected temperature, activating the conventional ing to their operations in recent years. Live-fire cooking has fire suppression system. The exhaust duct turned horizontal a become a popular restaurant concept that can include wood- few feet above the hood, extending close to offices and other fueled char-broilers, pit barbeques, rotisseries, smokers, and spaces in the multi-tenant, multi-story building, and then it hearth and brick ovens, the latter being especially popular for turned upward again toward the exhaust fan. cooking pizza. In many locations, both natural gas and wood are used in the same appliance. According to NFPA data, U.S. In his report on the incident, the fire investigator wrote that, fire departments responded to an estimated average of 7,640 in his opinion, “this fire started as a result of too many bricks structure fires per year in eating and drinking establishments of wood burning” in the oven. The heat of the over-fueled gas between 2006 and 2010. While it’s difficult to say how many of and wood fire ignited creosote and grease deposits in the oven, those fires involved solid-fuel cooking, three out of five of those increasing the intensity of the fire that spread upward from the incidents involved cooking equipment. oven flue. Significantly, the fire suppression system did not activate—the fusible links did not separate—and fire traveled the The creosote problem short distance from the flue to the hood, filters, duct, and eventually to what the report described as “roofing materials.” “The In many systems, especially those that burn wood, the chief heat became so intense that it burned the buildup of creosote hazard is creosote buildup. Creosote is made up of condensed off the inner wall of the oven,” the investigator wrote. “The fire volatile gases created by incomplete combustion of the wood, extended to the flue of the oven and then breached the firewall according the Cornell Cooperative Extension Service. As these protection. The fire then entered into the void area around the gases rise in the chimney, they cool, mix with water vapor, and flue.” form a tar-like substance that clings to the chimney walls. The substance is highly combustible and is well known for its fire Case evidence revealed that periodic duct cleaning was insuf- threat in chimneys above residential wood-burning fireplaces. ficient to remove grease and creosote deposits, in part because there were not enough duct access panels and duct cleaning According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), had not been thorough. Damage to other parts of the building certain conditions encourage the buildup of creosote, including was caused by insufficient clearances to combustible construc- restricted air supply, unseasoned wood, and cooler-than-nor- tion. There were no deaths or injuries associated with this in- mal chimney temperatures. If creosote builds up in sufficient cident, though the building sustained damages estimated at quantities, the CSIA says, and the internal flue temperature several hundred thousand dollars, with responsibility allocated is high enough, the result can be a chimney fire. The Cornell by the legal process to several parties. Cooperative Extension Service reports that chimney fires “can

PAGE 36 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL start quickly and be very powerful, shooting flames many feet above the chim- Research Roadmap ney cap and producing a loud rumble like a freight train.” The need to evaluate emerging technolo- The flash point and auto-ignition temperatures of wood tar creosote- aresur gies for solid-fuel cooking fire suppression prisingly low. Research has determined the flash point (which requires an ignition source) of wood tar creosote to be 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Thus, all it While NFPA 96 provides comprehensive takes to ignite creosote in hoods, filters, and ducts is a spark, burning ember, or guidance on solid-fuel cooking systems— flame—all present in solid-fuel cooking—that raises the creosote temperature to including the critical areas of cleaning and 165 degrees F. Creosote’s auto-ignition point, which does not require an ignition maintenance—there may be opportunities source, is 451 degrees F (233 degrees C), or the same as paper—which makes for further research, especially regarding sense, since both substances are derived from wood. This temperature is signifi- detection and suppression. cantly lower than the auto-ignition temperature of grease, which can increase the potential hazard. The combination of creosote and grease in exhaust hood Investigations are finding that, in some plenums and ducts can be easier to ignite than creosote alone, and can burn cases, conventional systems are not reliably hotter. detecting or extinguishing fires in hood plenums and ducts over solid-fuel cooking. A large part of the solution to the creosote problem is regular cleaning and main- Some creosote fires are igniting in upper tenance, and Chapter 14 includes a section devoted to these procedures. For ex- portions of ducts, above conventional fus- ample, the combustion chamber is required to be “scraped clean to its original ible link detectors, while other solid-fuel surface once each week” and inspected for deterioration or defects; if any are fires are starting below the conventional found, they are required to be repaired immediately. The flue or chimney must detectors and moving into ducts faster be inspected weekly for “residue that might begin to restrict the vent or create than the detectors can activate suppression an additional fuel source” such as grease-infused creosote, and for “corrosion or systems. Detector fouling by grease accu- physical damage that might reduce the flue’s capability to contain the effluent.” mulation can result in fusible links failing Spark arrester screens located at the entrance of the flue or in the hood assembly, to separate, especially if the grease is aged designed “to minimize the passage of airborne sparks and embers into plenums and solidified. and ducts,” must be cleaned “prior to their becoming heavily contaminated and restricted.” Modern electronic fire suppression systems may represent a technological advance- Systems exist that provide automated daily hood plenum and lower duct clean- ment over fusible links, and this could be a ing with hot water and surfactant, delivered with the same system that provides valuable research question to address. Elec- electronic detection and fire suppression with water and surfactant. One promi- tronic systems include additional tempera- nent kitchen ventilation supplier I know will only undertake jobs with solid-fuel ture sensors high in ducts, beneath each ex- cooking if this type of combined system is specified, along with listed ductwork. haust fan inlet, in addition to usual detector locations over appliances and in duct exits If the inspection, cleaning, and maintenance requirements in Chapter 11 (and from hoods. The added sensors can detect Chapter 14 if specifically for solid fuel) were routinely followed by all establish- fires that start in ducts above the location ments utilizing solid-fuel cooking systems, we would have fewer fires involving where conventional fire suppression system these systems and far fewer fires that grow large enough to cause significant detectors are installed, and they can acti- damage, as illustrated by the Maryland pizza restaurant fire. vate fire systems by detecting either high temperatures or high rates of temperature The Chapter 14 solution rise.

Besides the inspection, cleaning, and maintenance requirements, AHJs and other Even if a fire is detected, conventional fire stakeholders should be aware of additional requirements in Chapter 14. suppression systems are limited to the amount of liquid fire suppressant in one or The chapter addresses venting application, appliance location, hoods, and ex- more prefilled canisters. Such systems spray haust systems, specifically that solid-fuel exhaust systems be separate from all the appliances, hood plenum, and lower other exhaust systems; gas-operated equipment utilizing solid fuel for flavoring duct for a limited time, on the order of one must meet a checklist of 11 conditions that must be met in order to be exempt minute. Conventional fire suppression sys- from this requirement for a separate exhaust system. Grease removal and air tems also include interlocked gas valves or movement are also covered. electric circuit breakers to shut off the respective cooking energy sources when fire From my observations of unlisted fabricated-on-site ducts leaking grease and systems are activated. With solid fuel appli- not meeting clearance requirements, I also recommend specifying factory-built ances, however, there is no means of turn- listed ducts as a minimum requirement for solid-fuel cooking exhaust systems, if ing off the fuel, a condition that is exacer-

THE IKECA JOURNAL FALL 2015 | PAGE 37 not all exhaust systems. With high standard kitchen ventilation systems including bated by persistent use and high operating listed hoods (UL 710), grease filters (UL 1046), and exhaust fans (UL 762), it makes temperatures, which in some cases can ap- sense to specify listed exhaust ducts (UL 1978, among others). The ducts also need proach 1,000 degrees F (538 degrees C). to adhere to clearance and cleaning access requirements such as those found in NFPA 96. Fire suppression system requirements for solid-fuel cooking are provided in Section The chapter’s section on suppression calls for appliances that produce “grease-lad- 14.7 of NFPA 96 and call for water-based en vapors” to be protected by listed fire-extinguishing equipment. Where accept- systems. Suppression technology exists able to the AHJ, appliances constructed of “solid masonry or reinforced portland or that discharges an unlimited amount of refractory cement concrete” and vented in accordance with NFPA 211, Chimneys, water, or water and surfactant—a com- Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances, need not require fixed auto- pound designed to coat the fuel and pre- matic suppression equipment. Hoods, duct systems, and grease-removal devices, vent its contact with oxygen—on solid-fuel with the possible exception of those associated with masonry or concrete appli- fires, a potential improvement over the fi- ances, are required to have listed suppression equipment. The chapter specifies nite amount of suppression material con- water-based agents for use in suppression, and calls for the suppression equip- tained in prefilled canisters. Newer technol- ment to be large enough to “totally extinguish fire in the entire hazard area and ogy also includes systems that generate a prevent reignition of the fuel.” shielding mist of water droplets, enhanced by surfactant, to coat grease and creosote As part of a section titled “Minimum Safety Requirements: Fuel Storage, Handling, and provide a thermal blanket that limits and Ash Removal for Solid Fuel Cooking,” the chapter includes provisions for in- surface temperatures to 212 degrees F (100 stallation clearances for solid-fuel appliances. The most frequent non-conforming degrees C). The water mist droplets absorb code issue I’ve seen in the restaurant fires I’ve investigated is hoods and ducts in- heat from the fire and vaporize, expanding stalled without required clearances to adjacent wood construction, requirements more than 1,000 times to displace oxygen for which are found in Chapter 7 of NFPA 96. Those clearance issues often cause and further suppress combustion—an es- small fires to spread and increase damage, as in the case of the Maryland pizza res- pecially important feature, considering that taurant. In addition to customary methods, a simple solution in new construction solid-fuel cooking systems like rotiserries is specifying metal studs, joists, and trusses within 18 inches of planned locations or pizza ovens do not include automatic of cooking appliances, hoods, and ducts. shut-offs. Newer systems can also be elec- tronically monitored and can notify opera- These are the kinds of details and requirements stakeholders need to consider tors if the systems require maintenance. when installing and maintaining solid-fuel cooking systems. The systems may be Newer systems are tested and listed to UL new for a lot of commercial users, and may require a level of maintenance unan- 300 and meet the requirements of NFPA 96 ticipated by those users, but the good news is that all of the relevant requirements and NFPA 17A, Wet Chemical Extinguishing are addressed in NFPA 96. AHJs have a valuable tool with which to educate stake- Systems. holders and to clearly define compliance. In UL 300 tests of modern fire suppression One outcome of not following NFPA 96 is what recently occurred at a barbeque systems with electronic detection, surfac- restaurant in Missouri, when the fire in the barbeque pit ignited a fire in the flue. tant, and unlimited water, these systems The cook was able to extinguish the pit fire but was unable to stop the flue fire; were consistently more responsive and staff evacuated the restaurant and called 911. During the course of firefighting op- effective than conventional fire suppres- erations, the culprit was revealed: chunks of burning creosote and grease tumbled sion systems with fusible links and a lim- out of the flue and landed on the grill. It certainly made the fire marshal’s job easy. ited amount of suppression agent. Signifi- In his fire report, for “item/material first ignited,” the answer was a no-brainer: cantly, the electronic detection systems on “grease and creosote.” the modern systems actuated more often from the rate of temperature rise than from reaching a set point of 360 degrees F (182 degrees C)—a detection feature not avail- Doug Horton, MS, CFSP, is principal consultant at D. J. HORTON and Associates, Inc. able with fusible links. in Batavia, Illinois. He consults on commercial kitchen ventilation systems, including restaurant fire investigations and related litigation. He has participated with the Taken together, these topics may provide a ASHRAE Technical Committee 5.10 on Commercial Kitchen Ventilation for 22 years. possible roadmap for further research and, ultimately, help provide improved confi- dence in solid-fuel fire prevention.

—D.H.

PAGE 38 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL Welcome New Members

New Members

Active Members International Members

PK Pressure Kleen, Inc., Pamela L. Kaiser-James, Fairfield, OH Air-Care Engineering (S) Pte Ltd, Darion Lim, Singapore Sani Systems Ltd., Michele Greenberg, Hicksville, NY Al Serkal Group LLC, Waseem Quraishi, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Sextant Marine Consulting LLC, Francesca Mugnari, CECS, Miami, FL Enviroverks (M) SDN BHD, Nitesh Malani, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia JMR Trade Resources, Robert Mathesan, Shah Alam, Selangor Malaysia Associate Members Lotus Filters Pty. Ltd., Graeme Williamson, Heidelberg West, Victoria, Australia

Really Good SYS, Jose Hernandez, Gilbert, AZ M & E Solutions (Pvt) Ltd., Joseph Gnanagar, Colombo, Sri Lanka

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Advance Consultants Fire, Roedolf Mias Coetzer, Sr., Rabigh, Saudi Springfield Fire Department, Jeph Bassett, Springfield, IL Arabia Springfield Fire Department, James Johnson, Springfield, IL Bangor Township Fire Department, James Starkey, Bay City, MI Tamarac Fire Rescue, Tommy Demopoulos, Tamarac, FL Barrie Fire And Emergency Service, Carrie Clark-Weatherup, Barrie, Tamarac Fire Rescue, Yvette Evans, Tamarac, FL Ontario, Canada Tamarac Fire Rescue, Marie Sheila Doblas, Tamarac, FL Bella Vista Fire Department, Gary Bowman, Bella Vista, AR Tamarac Fire Rescue, Jeff Moral, Tamarac, FL Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals, Bryan Parks, Plantation, FL Texarkana Arkansas Fire Department, Charles S. Johnson, Texarkana, AR Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals, Rolando Soto, Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, Eric Nordlund, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada Plantation, FL Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, Marty Patterson, Thunder Bay, Ontario, City of Belleville Fire Department, Corey Davis, Belleville, Ontario, Canada Canada Town Of Brighton - New York, Christopher Roth, Rochester, NY City of Belleville Fire Department, John Lake, Belleville, Ontario, Town of Carmel, Michael Carnazza, Mahopac, NY Canada Town of Farmington, Jamie Kincaid, Farmington, NY City of Canton Fire Department, James Kula, Canton, GA Town of Haverstraw, Fred Viohl, Garnerville, NY City Of Hollywood Fire Rescue Department, Jay Havens, Hollywood, FL Town of Orangetown Bureau of Fire Prevention, Robert A. Morrison, City of Kingston D.P.W., Jeanne Edwards, Kingston, NY Orangeburg, NY, City of Middletown, Adam Mccarey, Middletown, NY Town of Ramapo, Adam Peltz, Suffern, NY City of Sunrise, Steve Felicetti, Sunrise, FL Town of Shawamgunk, Lisa Magliano, Wallcill, NY County of Los Angeles, Byron Prewett, Corona, CA Town of Stony Point, Thomas W. Lackin, Stony Point, NY Creve Coeur Fire Protection District, Arthur Oesterich, Creve Coeur, MO Town of Ulster, David Allen, Lake Katrine, NY DASNY, Anthony Mercado, Albany, NY Trent Hills Fire Department, Randy Dunkley, Campbellford, Ontario, Florham Park Local Enforcing Agency, Alban Kellogg, Florham Park, NJ Canada Inver Grove Heights Fire Department, Jeffrey G. Schadegg, Inver Grove Trent Hills Fire Department, Paul Dawson, Campbellford, Ontario, Heights, MN Canada Kingston Fire & Rescue, Paul Patry, Kingston, Ontario, Canada Village of Airmont, Roy Dougherty, Tallman, NY LA County Fire Department, Jenny Baron, Covina, CA Village of Airmont, Ian Smith, Tallman, NY Mesquite Fire Department, Darrel Evans, Mesquite, TX Village of Haverstraw, Ruben Berrios, Haverstraw, NY Municipality of Monroeville, Andrew McWhinney, Monroeville, PA Village of Haverstraw, Patrick Mcnamee, Haverstraw, NY New Lenox Fire District, Daniel Turner, New Lenox, IL Village of Hillburn, Adam Gordon, Hillburn, NY North Lauderdale Fire Rescue, Rodney Turpel, North Lauderdale, FL Village of New Square, Manny Carmona, New Square, NY North Lauderdale Fire Rescue, David Sweet, North Lauderdale, FL Village of Nyack, Vincent Fiorentino, Nyack, NY Oakville Fire Department, Gary Laframboise, Oakville, Ontario, Village of Ofkaseb, Bill Press, Monsey, NY Canada Village of Piermont, Charles Schaub, Piermont, NY Ottawa Fire Services, Gwen Lewis, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Village of Pomona, Louis Zummo, Pomona, NY Port Authority of NY & NJ, Scott Seamon, Jamaica, NY Village of Suffern, Frank Wilson, Guffern, NY Rockland County Health Department, Kevin Mackay, West Nyack, NY Village of West Haverstraw, Michael Mandikas, Garnerville, NY Siloam Springs Fire Department, Todd Collins, Siloam Springs, AR Village of Woodbury, James Savarese, Highland Mills, NY Siloam Springs Fire Department, Dustin Kindell, Siloam Springs, AR Village Spring Valley, Douglas Perry, Spring Valley, NY South Carolina State Fire, Ray Hoshall, Columbia, SC Yakima Fire Department, Tony Doan, Yakima, WA

THE IKECA JOURNAL FALL 2015 | PAGE 39 New Certifications Congratulations to those who recently achieved their designations and certifications! PECT Professional Exhaust Cleaning Technician (designation) • Juan Barrera • Emmanual Perez • Dean Palmerton AIRPRO Indoor Air Solutions Enviromatic Corporation of America Northwest Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning, • DeJuan Hunter • Marcos Zamano Inc. AIRPRO Indoor Air Solutions Enviromatic Corporation of America • Byron Signorelli • Francis Pero • Hector Zamora Offshore Air & Refrigeration, Inc. AIRPRO Indoor Air Solutions Enviromatic Corporation of America • Taylor Smith • Joshua Rivers • Joseph Donaher Offshore Air & Refrigeration, Inc. AIRPRO Indoor Air Solutions HOODZ of the Mid and Lower Hudson • Damian Brown • Randy Kostelak Valley Performance Industrial AirTek Indoor Air Solutions, Inc. • Edward Rich • Brandon Davis • Brandon Nuttall HOODZ of the Mid and Lower Hudson Performance Industrial AirTek Indoor Air Solutions, Inc. Valley • John Livingston • Phil Samaniego • Michael Garcia Performance Industrial Assured Solutions Industrial Steam Cleaning of Chicago • John Neumann • Jose Nieves Nieves • Juan Landeros Performance Industrial Building Maintenance & Management Industrial Steam Cleaning of Chicago • Jeffrey Stemp Service, Inc. • Alejando Lopez Performance Industrial • Oscar E. Harris Industrial Steam Cleaning of Chicago • Leo VanNess Derby Pressure Wash • Antonio Reyes Performance Industrial • Diana Amaro Industrial Steam Cleaning of Chicago • Ryan Frazer Enviromatic Corporation of America • Cesar Vasquez Power King Exhaust Cleaning • James Bork Industrial Steam Cleaning of Chicago • Don McTavish Enviromatic Corporation of America • Rafael Adolfo Power King Exhaust Cleaning • Devon Dunmire Interstate Fire & Safety Equipment • Kim Watson Enviromatic Corporation of America Company, Inc. Power King Exhaust Cleaning • Christopher Ferdin • Edward Andrews • Bill Williams Enviromatic Corporation Of America Interstate Fire & Safety Equipment Power King Exhaust Cleaning Company, Inc. • Joseph Gallardo • Jared Farris Enviromatic Corporation of America • Donte Sanchez Proclean Cleaning Services, Inc., Interstate Fire & Safety Equipment Operations • Ruben Guerrero Company, Inc. Enviromatic Corporation of America • James Jones • Benjamin Daurio Service-Tech Corporation • Elias Gutierrez J & J Enterprises of Suffolk Corp. Enviromatic Corporation of America • Alton Newby • Edward J. Ryan II Tidewater Pressure Washing, LLC • Jared Howze J & J Enterprises of Suffolk Corp. Enviromatic Corporation of America • Lamont Smith • Leland Lemott J & J Enterprises of Suffolk Corp. Enviromatic Corporation of America

PAGE 40 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL CECS BCCS Certified Exhaust Cleaning Specialist Boston Certified Cleaning Specialist

• Anthony Brendis LBI/ Egg Harbor • David Neubauer A-1 Airvents Northern States, LLC AAA Restaurant Fire Control, Inc • Mathew Kelley • Joesph Wolfe Metropolitan Services • Ernest Singleton A-1 Airvents Northern States, LLC AAA Restaurant Fire Control, Inc • Gustavo Cruz • Kana Kauhane Omega Ingenieros SAS • Isaac Rivera AIRPRO Indoor Air Solutions Boston Hood Cleaning • Steve Conner • Ra Chan • Steven Afenir PK Pressure Kleen, Inc. Buzcor Heating and Air Conditioning Cochrane Ventilation Inc. • Dean Korson • Michael Palculich • Lay Chea R and J Vent-A-Clean Buzcor Heating and Air Conditioning Cochrane Ventilation Inc. • Jordan Hecht • Martin Proulx • Chumuichia Phay Sani Systems Ltd. Cadexair, Inc. Cochrane Ventilation Inc. • Janakan Ampalavanar • Edwin Ortiz • Joshua Reach Canadian Grease Fighteres Sani Systems Ltd. Cochrane Ventilation Inc. • Jason Coleman • Francesca Mugnari • Ryan Sullivan Enviromatic Corporation of America Sextant Marine Consulting LLC E.R.S. Enterprise • Chris Kim • Jason Russell GMB, Inc. Southeastern Protection Services, Inc. • Jason Williford • Matt Hurd CESI Hoodz of Cherry Hill/ Trenton/ Tri State Hood and Duct LLC Certified Exhaust System Inspector • David Hayes Boston Fire Department • Steven Afenir CECT Buzcor Heating and Air Conditioning Certified Exhaust Cleaning Technician • Jeremy Busby • Alfonso Iniguez Mercado • Colin Mareschal Buzcor Heating and Air Conditioning 360 Cleaning Solutions Buzcor Heating and Air Conditioning • Michael Palculich • Robert Mathews • O’Dean Irving Buzcor Heating and Air Conditioning A-1 Airvents Northern States, LLC Fat Free, Inc. • DJ Nowack • Tyler Timmons • Haris Bin Muhammad Fat Free, Inc. A-1 Airvents Northern States, LLC • John Livingston • Chris Pearson • Anthony Dean Performance Industrail Grime Stoppers, Inc. Buzcor Heating and Air Conditioning • Darren Yarnes Nelbud Services Group, Inc.

THE IKECA JOURNAL FALL 2015 | PAGE 41 IKECA Board of Directors 2015-2016

Submit an Article for the PRESIDENT DIRECTORS Kathy Slomer, CECS (2016) IKECA Journal Kool Kleen Inc. Neal A. Iorii, Jr., CESI (2018) Contribute to the conversation in the com- Murrysville, PA Olympia Maintenance, Inc mercial kitchen exhaust cleaning industry [email protected] Melrose Park, IL – write an article for the next issue of the [email protected] IKECA Journal. Articles should be on current subjects of interest to those in cleaning and PRESIDENT-ELECT Reuben Levine, CECS (2018) inspection, including contractors, fire author- Randall Rauth, CECS (2017) ities, insurance providers, facility managers Hood Cleaning, Inc. Scientific Fire Prevention Co. and owner/operators. Waukesha, WI Long Island City, NY [email protected] * Your perspective on today’s industry topics [email protected] * Share your story with an innovation or new Frank Mitarotonda, CECS, CESI (2018) device or procedure TREASURER Jesse Getz, CECS (2017) Chief Fire Prevention * Your personal experience that offers les- Getz Fire Equipment Co. Mount Vernon, NY sons learned Peoria, IL [email protected] * Best practices on maintenance or repair [email protected] * Frequently asked questions that you want Grant Mogford, CECS, CESI (2018) to answer SECRETARY Flue Steam, Inc. * Personnel or staffing tips that you’ve learned Anne Levine, CECS (2018) Culver City, CA Applied Building Technologies [email protected] Details Baltimore, MD [email protected] Don Pfleiderer, CECS, CESI (2016) • View IKECA’s full Article Submission Guide- Enviromatic Corporation of America lines for all details. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Minneapolis, MN • Email complete articles to Jack Grace, CECS, CESI (2016) [email protected] [email protected] Western Commercial Services • Articles should be between 750 and 2,000 Las Vegas, NV Alex Young, CECS (2017) words (between 1 ½ to 4 typed pages) [email protected] Power King Exhaust Cleaning • Charts, tables and photos are welcome, Sutton, Ontario subject to editorial approval Canada • Include a short biography of the author (50 [email protected] words) • Articles must be educational and informa- tive in nature, and must not be advertisements for specific good or services. All are subject to review, approval and editing Your Ad Here before publication. How many potential customers might you reach through an advertisement in the IKECA Journal? Share your Ideas Not sure about writing an article? Our professional staff will help you “polish” Advertise in the IKECA Journal your article. Don’t let the thought that “I’m Published – two times per year not a writer” stop you from sharing your ideas or perspective. Circulation – 500+ IKECA member and industry companies. Published online and accessible by IKECA members Need more incentive? Editorial includes Feature Stories, How To Articles, Earn CEUs! Educational opportunities and much more! Need continuing education credits to maintain your certification? Earn 0.3 CEU for submitting an article for Contact [email protected] for a rate sheet and publication in the IKECA Journal. advertising specifications. Questions? Call IKECA at 215-320-3876 or email [email protected].

PAGE 42 | FALL 2015 THE IKECA JOURNAL