NFPA 96 is a standard for commercial cooking operations and includes requirements for fire prevention, ventilation, kitchen hood cleaning, kitchen exhaust hoods, testing, and inspection of cooking equipment. NFPA 96 places a heavy responsibility on the owners of food businesses to implement these practices and ensure compliance with the standards. The requirements apply to commercial kitchens pizza ovens regardless of whether they are operating as a standalone business or part of a larger chain.
NFPA 96 certification applies to any operation that prepares food using solid fuel. This includes restaurants and bars that cook with pizza ovens on the premises. These facilities must comply with the requirements set forth by the standard. To ensure compliance with the NFPA 96 standard, the cleaning staff must perform daily cleaning and maintenance of the interior of the pizza oven and the duct work.
Ensure that a trained person is responsible for the cleaning of the pizza oven and the kitchen exhaust system. The extinguisher must be NFPA 96 certified. A 1.6-gallon K-Class fire extinguisher should be located at least 20 feet from the pizza oven cooking area and have an adjustable nozzle. For larger fires, a 2-A-rated water spray fire suppressant should be used.
Propane tanks used to fuel pizza ovens should be inspected at least once a year. This is in addition to NFPA 96 certified fire extinguishers. Ensure that the propane tanks are maintained by a licensed company. In addition, it is important to follow the NFPA regulations for hydrostatic testing. It is recommended that food trucks carry at least two types of fire extinguishers, one for each type of cooking equipment.
A pizza oven must be cleaned regularly. It is just important to use a pizza oven with a hood. The grease can build up in the ductwork of a commercial kitchen hood and spread fire. Access panels should be installed to prevent the accumulation of grease in inaccessible areas of the kitchen hood system. Certified kitchen hood cleaner will use these panels to clean and inspect the kitchen hood system. This is a critical part of a properly cleaned pizza oven. A kitchen hood and pizza oven cleaning will not only meet code but keeps our safer and also more effective.
NFPA 96 certified fire suppression is required for pizza ovens. It is also recommended that pizza ovens use NFPA 17A-certified filters. These filters have higher fire risk and must be replaced if you want to keep the pizza oven compliant. During the pizza oven cleaning process, you should make sure to lock all electrical switches, and lock down vent ducts. Once you have completed these procedures, you can start your business.
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