Press Release Summary = Lax inspection of restaurant hood and duct cleaning leading to kitchen fires.
Press Release Body = May 24, 2007, Denver, Colo. - A single kitchen fire can devastate a restaurant. According to a 2002 study by the National Fire Protection Association, an estimated 7,100 restaurant fires were responsible for 108 civilian fire injuries and $116 million in property loss.
Grease and oil were the leading igniters, causing 64.2 percent of all structural fires: Yet a much-ignored solution lies readily at hand.
Regular cleaning and maintenance of restaurant hoods, ducts and fans is the single most effective method of reducing fires, according to Massoud Farazandeh.
"Fire departments and government inspectors rarely enforce the codes that do exist," said the CEO of the Denver-based APS-Hoods, an industry leader in restaurant fire protection, and kitchen and hood cleaning/installation.
"At the most, they write notes to restaurant owners, reminding them to clean their hood systems. There are no fines, no enforcement. Even insurance companies don't require regular cleaning as a prerequisite for coverage."
Farazandeh said he reported a restaurant that hadn't cleaned their systems in over a year but nothing was done. In fact, he has reported many restaurants to the fire department and received less than a 5 percent response.
Farazandeh believes significant requirements should be implemented for restaurants to keep their food and beverage licenses: After receiving two 10-day warnings, they should be fined or have their licenses revoked.
Farazandeh recommended government regulators charge a $60 per year licensing fee. He estimates it would take inspectors roughly one-hour per restaurant, per year to ensure compliance.
"It's not something that's costly. It's just that no one is following up."
The simplest tracking method, he said, would be to require restaurant owners fax their cleaning company's paperwork to the regulating agency. He also proposed each state require insurance companies monitor compliance.
"The insurance companies are the ones paying out the big bucks. Why aren't they enforcing this? It's not just a matter of money, however. Regulation will reduce the risk to fire fighters, restaurant staff and their customers. It's a no-brainer."
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Massoud Farazandeh founded Denver-based APS-Hoods in 1989, growing it over the next 20 years into a national leader in restaurant fire suppression systems, as well as kitchen and hood installation and cleaning.
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