When you own a restaurant or hotel, you are responsible for the entire operation of the business. This proves that your job description is endless. You are the marketer, menu planner, manager of your staff, groundskeeper and maybe an accountant most of the time.
When doing all these tasks, you might interfere with grease management in the kitchen and put it on the backburner. Grease removal in a commercial kitchen is often not addressed as a priority. But this is quite dangerous because of many reasons.
Grease Accumulation in Your Vents
This can continue to pose a big problem if not checked and managed well. When you neglect your kitchen activities especially cleaning the kitchen exhaust systems, then you’re welcoming a problem. Make sure it is cleaned well. If you fail, then the grease vapour will be collected and solidify in your exhaust vents.
In most cases, grease accumulation result from kitchen exhaust systems. However, this is a responsibility of a commercial kitchen owner to manage and limit this grease buildup. One significant component is hood filters as it helps to limit and regulate the amount of grease that that is made and accumulated in exhaust fan and the ductwork. Regardless of this, deposits do collect over time.
To prevent potential fire hazard, it is important that these grease deposits be removed. The only method to guarantee an operable and safe kitchen exhaust system is through the entire removal of grease buildup.
Today, most vendors in this industry can’t provide the best services when it comes to cleaning the system. With this, most systems are left completely unsafe.
HAZARDS OF GREASE BUILDUP
Have you ever thought of dangers associated with grease buildup? You should not allow grease to build up even a single minute in your commercial kitchen or restaurant. If this happens, it can lead to:
INCREASED RISK OF FIRE
One characteristic of grease is that it is highly flammable. Any time, grease build up and accumulate either in a restaurant or kitchen, the risk of fire increases. This is very risky not only to human beings but also to the surroundings.
If a fire ignites, there is a bigger possibility of financial loss due to damaged buildings that need repair after the tragedy. Also, the loss of lives can be experienced. Your reputation could take another twist and this might impact the bottom line of your business for months and in the future.
INCREASED RISK OF INJURY
Employees have an increased risk of slipping and failing when grease splatters build up in on the floor. Under OSHA, the regulations for restaurant safety has been mentioned. Employers are supposed to create a safe and favourable working environment that is free from hazards that usually cause death and injuries.
If an employee is severely injured in your restaurant’s floor because of slipping or falling, then you will have a case to answer. He or she can file a complaint or a case with OSHA and claim compensation.
PLUMBING ISSUES
You can cook with grease when in liquid form, however, when it cools, it hardens into the gelatinous mess. Little by little, this may have a negative impact on your plumbing. Your business’s plumbing is totally affected when excessive grease is allowed and disposed of down the drain. Indeed, this is the main cause of the dangerous sanitary sewer overflows.
FOG CHARGES
Oils, fats as well as grease programs all over the country inspect and monitor food establishment. This is done to ensure appropriate disposal and sanitary conditions of FOG. Such programs require restaurants to maintain and properly service their grease removal equipment. If they fail to do this, they may face FOG charges.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
You may not consider grease buildup as an environmental problem but think about this scenario: Your worth rooftop grease collector grasp four quarts of grease. At the same time, you don’t know it, then your kitchen exhaust hood carries a quart of grease every month to the collector.
If only you change out or replace the absorbent grease pad once a year when fire inspector monitor around, you could be doing away with at least eight quarts of grease every year onto the roof.
You may not be knowing it but this is the fact. When it rains, the grease is wiped off into rain gutters. Where it enters the rivers and streams, it is drained by down storm, discolors the water and finally kills the fish and plants.
UNPLEASANT ODOR
Mostly, fried food is characterized by sensitive smell and are taste appetizing, but the odour that is produced by several-days-old grease is wanting and far from appealing. The goal of a restaurant owner is to attract customers and offer quality foods and services, but the smell that comes from the restaurant’s kitchen may hinder this.
INCREASED VERMIN
Of course, lingering grease may attract drain flies, rats among other vermin to your restaurant. In many years, this has been a sanitation issue that can lead to lost businesses.
