Understanding Health and Safety Code Standards
Food safety, hygiene, and sanitation are critical components for any food establishment, and commercial kitchens are no exception. These facilities must adhere to strict local and national codes and regulations to ensure that the impact on public health is minimized. Violations can have serious legal and reputational consequences for businesses in the industry. Food safety encompasses many different factors, from food preparation and storage, to spoilage and contamination, to cleanliness and hygiene, and much more. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) outlines a comprehensive set of requirements for commercial kitchens in its NFPA 101®: Life Safety Code, the NFPA 96: Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations, and the NFPA 70: National Electrical Code. Authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) or licensing officials regularly enforce these codes to protect public health and safety, and provide their interpretations of code requirements . An experienced food service design professional creates your commercial kitchen with a deep understanding of how to interpret these codes so that we can effectively guide your construction project in the right direction. Codes and regulations also address proper hand washing, the use of personal hygiene products, and cleanliness of clothes and hair. Many states and municipalities also require all employees who handle food to hold food safety certificates. Food safety training will educate your staff about communicable diseases and their symptoms, proper handwashing techniques, proper storage and handling of food, temperature control and safety, as well as personal hygiene procedures. Your commercial kitchen design will also include proper sanitary equipment to keep your kitchen clean and safe. This equipment must be properly maintained, serviced, and replaced regularly as necessary to eliminate potential hazards related to the spread of bacteria. Equipment failure is one of the most common causes of food contamination.
Fire Code Regulations & Requirements
Fire is a prominent hazard for commercial kitchens, which can have highly combustible conditions with multiple flash points. Therefore, general safety regulations and standards require commercial kitchens to have proper fire prevention implements in place. Open flames from stoves and barbecues, along with high concentrations of flammable materials, can significantly raise the risk of accidental fires. A fire suppression system is required for all types of commercial kitchens that cooks with solid, liquid, or gaseous fuels, though additional safety measures often need to be taken. Commercial kitchen fire safety laws also require extensive use of fire extinguishers of different types, as well as other equipment that prevent the spread of a fire. All fires need to be thoroughly suppressed, the trigger point determined, and immediate action taken after to ensure fires aren’t started by electrical equipment. All combustibles must be removed and disposed of, and occupants should make sure that the fire department is notified immediately.
Ventilation & Air Quality Code Standards
Ventilation and air quality are crucial in commercial kitchens for both safety and comfort. Proper ventilation helps to maintain a safe and healthy environment for employees, clients, and patrons. Most codes and health departments require an exhaust system to be installed in kitchens. The system must be vented to the exterior in accordance with NFPA 96. Most exhaust hoods must be fitted with fans at regular intervals to conform to code demand based on hood size and type. The use of local exhaust air movement is required to minimize exposure to hazardous airborne contaminants and excessive temperatures. Fume hoods, and other laboratory equipment may require chemical and corrosive air removal systems. Ventilation systems and equipment, such as make-up air and chemical scrubbers, may also be required in the commercial kitchen space. Proper exhaust and make-up systems reduce odors, smoke, and humidity. Compliance with local codes regarding ventilation is critical to creating a successful kitchen.
Plumbing & Water Supply Code Requirements
Commercial kitchens also have strict plumbing and water supply codes. The prominent standard that must be looked at is the plumbing code. The American National Standard Institute (ANSI) has regulated plumbing codes for commercial kitchens since 1973 to ensure public safety. All piping needs to be in good repair, not cross contaminated, and should not allow backflow of tainted water. For these reasons, inspectors will check whether or not you have a double backflow prevention device on the supply line. If your drain is connected to the sanitary sewer, the inspector will check whether or not there are grease traps or other drainage protections from allowing oil, grease, or solid matter block the sewer.
Apart from the plumbing connections and connections to the sewer, inspectors may also want to know about your water supply. Are you using bottled water? Is your water filtered? Are you using reverse osmosis? The water supply must be potable. Water bottles should meet the safety standards of 40 CFR part 180 and 21 CFR part 170. All employees must receive clean drinking water at all times.
Electrical & Lighting Standards in Commercial Kitchens
Compliance with electrical code requirements is vitally important when designing commercial kitchens. Decisions on where to place your service entry, circuit and panel requirements, appropriate disconnects, and cable systems must all be considered. If you plan to add exterior lighting or power at a later date, you can maximize your investment by tracking this expansion in the design phase.
Your electrical design must allow for adequate lighting in food preparation areas. For commercial kitchens, it’s typically easy to satisfy the lighting code requirements. Construction or installation of any new mechanical, structural, or electrical equipment will require an inspection from the city electrical inspectors.
Any lights above food prep areas are required to be shatterproof or shielded. If a shielded light fixture is installed over or near an ice machine, a guard is required to protect against breakage of the lens or shattering of the glass bulb. Any light fixtures or shatter bulbs located close to 4 feet above the deck of an ice machine will greatly reduce light output and is non-compliant.
Electrical systems must be protected from physical damage, which requires all wiring to be in raceways or rigid non-flexible conduits. Rigid non-flexible conduit is required in walls, under concrete slabs, in ceilings, etc. If the floor slab is covered and there is a ceiling smaller than 60 inches (1524 mm) high; the floors above and ceilings below are protected from water while the kitchen is operating , a flexible conduit or electrical metallic tubing can be used. The flexibility conduit must not be run through conduits within 5 feet (1524 mm) of a grease-laden cooking equipment. If the kitchen does not operate at all, overhead costs are too high, and the product may be stale before it sells, your walls, ceilings, or even floors can be penetrated by a flexible conduit.
Electrical receptacles located within 6-feet of a sink or basin will require GFI protection. Sub-panel circuits located within 10 feet of a sink or basin must have GFI protection. All outlets will require the cover plates to be secured with Odyssey screws, tamper resistant covers, Anderson outlet covers, or another approved tamper resistant cover to prevent access to the receptacle. Wires and associated connectors inside an area above a suspended ceiling, dropped ceiling, dry wall ceiling, or similar concealed area will require mass protection. These can be installed with a drip-proof protection within a 12 ft horizontal reach. All cables, wires, conduits, and other conductors will be securely supported within the rated space above the ceilings.
Kitchen exhaust systems are the leading cause of fires in restaurants, so using the correct wiring and materials is imperative. Notice: any wire subject to greases, oils, or other combustible matter may not support combustive insulation. Almost always this means THHN or XHHW wiring must be protected. Also, when wiring in exhaust duct systems, each run of ducting will need to be protected within 12 inches of flexible joints.
Accessibility & ADA Code Standards
For any commercial kitchen, ensuring accessibility for all guests is crucial. This is especially true of the provision of kitchens to a new tenant or sub-tenant. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that commercial spaces be designed and constructed to include accessibility for those who may have physical disabilities. This includes a wide variety of requirements which are detailed in the ADA Standards for Accessible Design.
Accessibility requirements for commercial kitchens often include, but are not limited to:
Under the ADA, those who are handicapped must be able to use the services provided as effectively as a non-handicapped individual. In practical terms, this means that commercial kitchens will have to include appropriate layout and equipment in order to remain compliant.
The ADA does not identify specific plans for commercial kitchens, so it is imperative that a professional knowledgeable with ADA guides the design and layout.
Compliance with the law is usually the responsibility of the end-user—the one who actually uses the space. That said, a commercial landlord or developer still has duties to ensure compliance with the ADA so as to avoid liability.
Permits & Inspections
Once the commercial kitchen design has been approved, you will need to submit the plans to appropriate health authorities for permit approval. These health authority plan checks can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to be reviewed and signed off on. Well-designed plans paid for the services of a professional designer like Pacific Restaurant Service are more likely to be approved without massive returns for red-lining. Keep in mind that all minor corrections will lead to a delay in the time between plan check submittal and plan approval.
In addition to plan approvals, many other permits must be obtained during the construction process. Depending upon the design, it may be necessary for electrical, plumbing and mechanical building department permits to be obtained, not to mention electrical and gas utility permits. Some jurisdictions also require an additional special operating permit from the health department or licensing departments .
You will need to contact the appropriate departments to schedule inspections once it is deemed that the various work stages are complete. Each inspection will be billed to the contractor or property owner. Typically, these costs are as follows:
Generally a general building inspection is required to be done prior to filing the paperwork for the kitchen. However, the order may vary depending upon your location. Permits for utilities must be finaled and the appropriate inspections made at the end of construction. You may be required to wait until the commercial kitchen has passed all the other inspections to get the final utility check off.
In most jurisdictions, you must have all of your utility service installations done prior to requesting final approval. The utility companies will perform their own checks to confirm that their installation was done correctly, and once they approve that their work was done properly, you will be able to obtain a final approval from your appropriate health departments.