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The Scratch Pad / Spring, 1997 |
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The Scratch Pad / Spring, 1997 |
More than 60 IKECA members enjoyed a great program of speakers, and fantastic south Florida weather, at the association’s 1997 annual meeting in Fort Lauderdale, March 19-22.
The meeting was held at the Ramada Plaza Beach Resort. The hotel’s large, ocean-front pool deck and lounge provided an ideal setting for members to network, exchange ideas and opinions, and get some rest after a long, harsh winter.
The meeting program included a number of very informative business subjects, including insurance, staff and personnel matters, taxes, and management issues. A number of speakers were recruited from SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives Association, and proved to be highly energetic, motivated, and knowledgeable.
One of the most interesting presentations given in Fort Lauderdale came from the city’s Acting Fire Marshall, Mr. Chris Weir. His talk left many members wishing that the authorities in their own jurisdictions maintained such strong restaurant inspection and enforcement requirements.
According to Weir, restaurants in Ft. Lauderdale undergo rigorous bi-annual hood system inspections. Systems are required to comply with NFPA Standard 96, as well as the South Florida Building Code. Most local restaurants are in compliance. Nevertheless, even in this highly regulated environment, Weir estimates that 85% of restaurant fires are related to poorly maintained exhaust systems.
Enforcement in Ft. Lauderdale covers system maintenance, including the exhaust and suppression systems. The city employs 25 inspectors, whose salaries are paid in part through a mandatory inspection fee charged to restaurants. Inspectors are required to look up the hoods, pull filters, and go up on the roof when necessary. "The average age of our inspectors is 25. They are young and motivated and do a real thorough job," remarked Weir.
In addition to some great presentations, the meeting was highlighted by fun-filled social events. An evening at Dania Jai-Lai attracted almost 30 members, and included a buffet dinner and reserved seating for the games. A few members even walked away winners! At an afternoon Everglades swamp tour, one member even tried her hand at alligator wrestling!
The final event held in Ft. Lauderdale was the annual banquet, where a Polynesian theme allowed for a pleasant, relaxed evening. The association’s president, past president, executive director, and a few members on stage—doing the hula dance—made for a lot of laughs!
The next IKECA meeting will be held in September in Dallas, Texas—the 1997 Technical Seminar. Look for more detail in your mail this spring!
Well, this is it, my very first president’s message. To begin, I would like to thank the membership and board of directors for having faith in me and electing me to the office of president. My pledge is to continue the outstanding work of the board in furthering the association and its objectives.
One theme you will hear throughout my term as president is this: ethics are far more important than profit. It is my opinion that quality of product/services will naturally lead to profit. They are synonymous, and if you put a great product or service out, the price will lead to profit. It is my intent to show how this can be accomplished. It will be my theme and also my objective. I hope it becomes all of the membership’s objective as well. Excellent work leads not only to pride of ownership, but pride of employment. I am happy to say I work with—not for—my company. We accept 0% defects. If you accept any more, you will get more. Quality! Quality! Quality!
Speaking of high quality, how about the job that Jim Curry did as president from 1992-1997. His shoes will be almost impossible to fill! Another member who has contributed enormously to IKECA is Lionel Smith, our treasurer for the last 4 years. Jim and Lionel were founding members and "thanks" is not enough for the job they have done.
I also want to mention that IKECA recently informed NFPA that we will be a primary sponsor of a research program being conducted by the NFPA Research Foundation. Through a grant to NFPA, IKECA is now involved in a program to test acceptable clearances between cooking surfaces and exhaust ventilation systems. This exciting work is scheduled to begin this spring. It is a subject you will be hearing lots more about in the coming year, and it marks our organization’s first entry into the world of scientific research.
Finally, I would like to personally congratulate the 10 member representatives who passed our certification exam in Ft. Lauderdale. If you haven’t become certified yet, I encourage you to start preparing and studying now for the next test, which will be given in September at our Technical Seminar in Dallas.
IKECA’s future and that of its members looks brighter than ever. I look forward to working closely with you in the coming year!
Executive Director’s Report Glenn Fellman
The IKECA Board of Directors held their annual winter meeting on March 20, 1997, at the association’s 1997 annual meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I would like to use my report this month to tell you about the meeting.
The meeting was attended by the full Board. The first order of business was the Membership Report. It showed the current membership to include 86 Active Members and 13 Associate Members, for a total of 99 member companies. The association has grown by three members since the Board’s November 1996 meeting. However, among the 99 current members are 12 companies that have yet to pay their 1997 membership dues. The Board pledged to make a concerted effort to encourage these companies to renew, and we are confident that most will remain members.
Considerable discussion took place regarding the association’s California membership. Concerns were expressed that the association should be better represented in that state, and that a strong effort to get new California members should take place. IKECA currently has just one member in California. Subsequent to the meeting, the headquarters staff was directed to make every effort to obtain one new qualified member from every major city in California by the time of the association’s next meeting.
Next on the agenda was the financial report. The association’s year-end statement for the period spanning January 1, 1996, to December 31, 1996, showed revenue of $94,381 and expenses of $69,049, yielding a surplus of $25,332. The association’s fund balance as of December 31, 1996, was reported as $49,353. 1996 was the association’s strongest year ever from a financial standpoint. The surplus is primarily attributable to growth in membership, strong dues renewal, and certification fees.
After the financial report, the meeting was adjourned temporarily and then reconvened so that new Directors could be officially installed. Harris L. Rothenberg, Airways Systems, Inc., Skokie, IL, is a new Director. Neal Iorii, Olympic Maintenance, Inc., Melrose Park, IL, was re-elected to the Board. Fred Kahn, PE, Guardian Power Cleaning, Dallas, TX, was also elected as a Director. Kahn has previously served as an IKECA Director. With the new Directors duly installed, officer elections for the 1997/98 term were held. I am pleased to announced the following results:
Fred Kahn assumed the chairman’s position following his election, and of course presided for the remainder of the meeting. Kahn confirmed each association committee’s chairman, as follows:
It was noted that the purpose of the Marketing Committee is to address areas of association involvement in the insurance and fire prevention industries, as well as to promote membership in IKECA to qualified firms. The purpose of the National Accounts Committee is to make national restaurant chains aware of the services and benefits available from IKECA members.
Nelson Dilg presented a report for the Newsletter Committee. He said that the winter edition of the Scratch Pad contained articles by eight contributing authors and advertising by four Associate Members. Dilg stated the number of advertisers is expected to increase with the spring edition, and that the edition would be published on time. He also stated that the newsletter was expected to generate a surplus for IKECA in 1997.
Next on the agenda were IKECA meetings and conventions. The Board directed staff to secure a hotel for the seminar in Dallas/Fort Worth over the dates of September 24-27 for the 1997 Technical Seminar. The seminar will be hosted by Delco Cleaning Systems of Fort Worth. It was agreed that Butch Houck, Capital Kleen-Air, Corpus Christi, TX, will serve as chairman of the committee to develop the technical seminar program.
I presented a proposal for the site and dates of the 1998 annual meeting, giving three hotel options to the Board. The Board approved a proposal to have the meeting at the Doubletree Hotel in New Orleans, over the dates of March 25-28, 1998. This is the same hotel where IKECA held a very successful convention in 1994.
Under new business, it was proposed that IKECA sponsor a research program being conducted by the NFPA Research Foundation at the University of Maryland, which would investigate the acceptable distance of combustible materials to an exhaust system. Considerable discussion took place, in which it was agreed by the Board that such a sponsorship would be beneficial to IKECA in a variety of ways. The cost of the sponsorship is $8,000. The Board voted unanimously to sponsor the research program.
The Board’s meeting last month in Fort Lauderdale was among their most productive and efficient. The membership can rest assured that they have a hard working group of leaders working on behalf of them and their industry.
Members with any questions regarding the proceedings of the Board meeting are welcome to contact me at IKECA Headquarters in Washington, DC.
I think that one of the strongest elements of our organization is the professional commitment of our members. This commitment has allowed us to overcome our initial fears of those who may become our competitors, and engage them in an open and beneficial dialogue. Members willingly spend long hours into the night at meetings sharing experiences of what has worked for them, as well as what has failed miserably.
I believe that this dialogue should be continued, and I think the "Strictly Business" column within the Scratch Pad offers an excellent opportunity to further this discussion. Personally, I would like to share some decisions of my own organization that have worked well for us and perhaps may work for you too.
One thing we have always done that surprises some people is continue to pay employees at full pay during a workman’s comp claim. Our state would pay our employees at 66.66% of gross while they are unable to work. Our feeling has always been that if you are injured in service to our company, you should not be penalized. I know a lot of people say, "I paid the premium, I’m sure going to get my money’s worth!" The advantages of continuing full pay are an increase in employee moral across the board with all staff members, and the advantage of keeping your experience mod lower than if the insurance company is paying out dollars. This may not be feasible for everyone, but our experience is that the benefits in the long term outweigh the pain of a few weeks or months of paying someone as you have been. Our employees seem to want to return to work quicker and with a better attitude, instead of trying to figure out ways to beat the system.
Another policy we have established that helps employee moral and impresses the workman’s comp Loss Control Auditor is the issuance of personal safety equipment tool boxes. They have each employee’s name and contain personal items like goggles, back belts, respirators, and gloves. Each employee is responsible for their own box and notifying the office of lost or damaged equipment. Again the key is letting the employee know that you care about them and are serious about safety. The upgraded moral and positive impression with a Loss Control inspector are just nice by-products of a safer work environment.
Workers performing cleaning of kitchen exhaust system components are potentially exposed to various health and safety hazards. One of these hazards involves exposure to air contaminants. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established regulations for worker exposure to air contaminants (29 CFR 1910.1000) and the use of respiratory protection (29 CFR 1910.134). The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) is a non-regulatory organization that also establishes recommended allowable exposure limits for air contaminants. In fact, the original OSHA permissible exposure limits (PELs) were based on the ACGIH Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) in effect at the time the OSHA regulations were established in the early 1970’s.
Unlike the OSHA PELs, the ACGIH TLVs are updated annually. The OSHA PELs are legally enforceable exposure limits, whereas the ACGIH TLVs are recommended guidelines based on what is believed to be the best available information. Although the main focus of this article is on respiratory protection, a basic understanding of air contaminants and the corresponding allowable exposure limits is needed to properly implement a respiratory protection program.
Air Contaminant Exposure Limits Exposure limits, as OSHA PELs or ACGIH TLVs, have been established for many different types of air contaminants. The ACGIH states that "Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) refer to airborne concentrations of substances and represent conditions under which it is believed that nearly all workers may be repeatedly exposed day after day without adverse health effects." OSHA PELs and ACGIH TLVs may be established as 8-hour time-weighted averages (TWAs), short-term exposure limits (STELs) as 15-minute averages, or ceiling (C) values which must not be exceeded at any time during the work shift. Air contaminants may be gases, vapors, mists, fumes, toxic particulates, or nuisance particulates. Different factors determine if an operation or process releases air contaminants into the work area. These factors include:
Once a process or operation is determined to be a source of air contaminants, the next thing to determine is whether workers can inhale those air contaminants. This is referred to as exposure by inhalation, one of the four ways chemicals can enter a workers’ body. Inhalation is the primary way workers are exposed to chemicals. The amount of chemical that enters the body will determine whether or not a worker becomes ill, and is related to the airborne concentration of the air contaminant and how much time a person is exposed. Overexposure to a chemical may occur if either one or both is too great.
Air Contaminants During Kitchen Exhaust System Cleaning
Some of the chemicals or products used during the cleaning of kitchen exhaust system components contain a caustic ingredient, such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH). This product is frequently applied to interior surfaces of the exhaust system to dissolve grease build-up. The use of a spray bottle is a common method of applying the product. This creates a mist containing sodium hydroxide. Overexposure to sodium hydroxide will cause immediate symptoms of eye irritation and respiratory irritation. The OSHA PEL and ACGIH TLV for sodium hydroxide are 2 mg/m3, as a ceiling limit, not to be exceeded at any time during the work shift.
While symptoms of eye and respiratory irritation indicate a possible overexposure, the only way to determine the actual airborne concentration of sodium hydroxide is to measure it. This type of exposure measurement is performed by an Industrial Hygienist (IH). An IH is an individual who, through education, training and experience, is knowledgeable in the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of occupational health hazards. Until this is done, the airborne concentration of sodium hydroxide to which workers are being exposed is unknown.
OSHA Respiratory Protection Requirements
In the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard 29 CFR 1910.134 (a) OSHA requires employers to use, as far as feasible, engineering control measures (for example, enclosure or confinement of the operation, general and local ventilation, and substitution with less toxic materials) to prevent worker overexposure to air contaminants. When effective engineering controls are not feasible, such as in field operations or while they are being instituted, appropriate respirators must be used in accordance with the requirements of the standard.
OSHA recognizes both employer and employee responsibilities when respiratory protection is needed to reduce exposures to below the PEL. The employer must provide the proper type of respirator and establish and maintain a respiratory protection program. The employee must use the provided respiratory protection in accordance with the instructions and training received. Requirements for a minimal acceptable program include:
Respirator Selection
Selection of the proper type of respirator to be used must be done by a qualified person. Things that need to be considered are the following:
There are different types of respirators which provide different levels of protection to the wearer. They can be divided into two categories, air purifying and supplied air.
Air purifying respirators range from disposable dust masks to powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs). Air purifying respirators filter the workplace air before the wearer breathes it. This type of respirator is most commonly used during cleaning of kitchen exhaust systems. A major limitation of this type is that it does not supply oxygen, therefore, this would not be the appropriate type for use in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere.
Filter elements for air purifying respirators vary. Some remove only particulates, others remove only certain organic vapors or acid gases and some can remove a combination of the two. It is therefore very important to match the air contaminant to the appropriate filter media. In some cases, only a supplied air respirator is appropriate.
Air purifying filter elements have maximum use concentrations, below which adequate protection will be provided to the wearer. Therefore, it is necessary to know the airborne contaminant concentration in order to ensure and document adequate worker protection.
Respirator Use and Fit Testing
The OSHA standard requires that the respirator user be instructed in the selection, use, and maintenance of the respirator. Both supervisors and workers shall be instructed by a competent person. Training shall provide the worker with an opportunity to handle the respirator, have it fitted properly, test the face-piece-to-face seal, wear it in normal air, and, finally to wear it in a test atmosphere (fit testing). Respirators shall not be worn when conditions prevent a good face seal. Such conditions may be facial hair, eye glasses, or goggles. To assure proper protection, the facepiece fit shall be checked by the wearer each time they put the respirator on.
Proper fit of a non-powered air purifying respirator is especially important. Every time the wearer breathes in, the inside of the respirator face-piece is at a negative pressure (vacuum) relative to the outside of the respirator. If the respirator is not fitted properly, air contaminants will enter the inside of the respirator through gaps in the face-piece-to-face seal, by-passing the filter elements, and exposing the wearer to a higher level of the air contaminant.
A common method used to perform initial fit testing of an air purifying respirator involves the use of irritant smoke. This is a qualitative method that will very quickly let the wearer, and person performing the fit testing, know if the respirator fits. Once it has been determined that a respirator fits, it should be documented in writing. At a minimum, this documentation should include date, respirator wearer’s name, title, respirator manufacturer and model, respirator size and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) approval number. The method used and individual who performed the fit testing and the fit testing result should also be included. Fit testing should be performed only by persons knowledgeable in the proper protocol.
Summary
In summary, a number of factors need to be considered before allowing a worker to use a respirator. Some of these include:
Employers that incorporate these factors into their respiratory protection program, in addition to other requirements of the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard, will ensure that their workers are properly protected from airborne contaminants during kitchen exhaust system cleaning activities.
The International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association held its second administration of the organization’s certification program on March 19, 1997. This article provides a summary of the exam administration and its results.
The IKECA Certification Examination included questions broken down into the following categories:
A total of 11 candidates sat for the examination. The time limit imposed for the examination was 2 ½ hours, and all 11 candidates completed the examination before the expiration of the time limit. There were no irregularities with respect to the administration of the examination.
In conjunction with the examination, candidates were provided with a "test critique form" and were asked to comment on any questions believed to be flawed. Eight candidates completed test critique forms, several of which provided substantive comments (e.g., comments questioning the validity of specific examination questions).
Following the examination administration, the test critique forms were reviewed in conjunction with the consultants who wrote the examination questions. This post-exam review revealed that all questions on the exam were valid, and none needed to be deleted for scoring. Therefore, the examination was scored on a total of 125 questions, with candidates needing to correctly answer 87 questions (70%) to receive a passing score.
RESULTS OF THE EXAMINATION
Of the 11 candidates who sat for the examination, 10 achieved passing scores and 1 failed the examination. In other words, 91.8% of the candidates were awarded the credential, "Certified Exhaust Cleaning Specialist." These results virtually mirror those of the first administration of the exam.
The highest score achieved by a candidate who sat for the March examination was 91%. The lowest score was 62%. The average score of all candidates, including those who passed and those who failed, was 81.5%. The chart below breaks down the score of the 11 candidates into percentiles.
| Score Percentile | Number of Candidates |
|---|---|
| 60-64% | 1 |
| 65-69% | 0 |
| 70-74% | 1 |
| 75-79% | 2 |
| 80-84% | 2 |
| 85-89% | 3 |
| 90-94% | 2 |
| . | 11 Total |
The association extents congratulations to all those who passed the March 1997 certification exam administration.
Congratulations!!!
IKECA extends hearty congratulations to the following individuals who passed the March 19, 1997, administration of the association’s certification exam, and have been awarded the Certified Exhaust Cleaning Specialist (CECS) designation.
Joel A. Berkowitz, CECS Fireproofing Corp. of America New York, NY
Glenn J. Catalano, CECS Fireproofing Corp. of America New York, NY
Bobby Grasmick, CECS Grasmick Company Inc. Meridan, ID
Ron Kratz, CECS Dyna-Kleen Service Omaha, NE
Angelo Lisi, CECS Interstate Fire and Steam Cleaning Greenwich, CT
Jeffrey Morris, CECS Western Fire Prevention Exhaust Service Las Vegas, NV
David A. Nowack, CECS Fat Free Systems Fort Myers, FL
Steve Potter, CECS C&S Fire Safe Services Roseburg, OR
James B. Willenbring, CECS Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Jackson, MO
Tom E. Woods, Jr., CECS Ivey Air Inc. Levittown, PA
W e don’t get a lot of water on the floor cleaning Grease Exhaust Systems (GES), but the crew brings a wet/dry vac and accessories to the work area in case of an accident. Vacuum accessories loaded on service trucks include the vacuum, wand, and a crevice tool. In addition, we have developed a great system for vacuuming grease troughs in hoods that don’t drain fast enough, or that don’t drain at all.
We use a washing machine waste water pipe to create a suction connection into the trough. The U shaped pipe is inverted, with one end in the trough and the other connecting to the vacuum hose. You can find the washing machine tube at places like Johnstone Supply, any appliance repair store....or your local 24 hour Laundromat! To make the tool, cut a notch in the intake end so it will glide easier and not pull down on the trough. When cleaning cooking equipment in place, we remove the vacuum head and tape it to the hose, so we are not stomping on the wand end all the time. I like a window squeegee on a 5' stick for floor clean up. It’s light, quick to use, and easy to store in the service truck.
Your shop vac will be able to clean a floor drain or a waterwash hood drain most of the time. Don’t force it down, but rather draw the blockage up through the path of least resistance. Fill the drain with water and draw the debris to the vacuum–two or three times should suffice.
Lionel Smith came up with a great idea a few years ago. He installed a sump pump inside his 30 gallon vacuum! The pump kicks on when the float contacts the switch, and empties the water into the drain, manhole or wherever you direct it to go. Taking Lionel’s lead, Ed from our company built a "Super Vac." He used a 30 gallon chemical barrel with a removable lid, installed a 1 ½ inch inlet/outlet and a 3/4 inch exhaust from the sump pump. Your vacuum does its job, providing the suction to the Super Vac or, as we call it, "The Interceptor." It’s great for jobs requiring removal of a lot of water, like HVAC systems and full kitchen cleaning, because it saves having to have a man dump the vacuum. Of course, as Lionel says, "If the water gets high enough, it will run out the door anyhow, so don’t worry about it!"
We did the same thing with a HEPA filter on an HVAC job, only we used a 55 gallon drum, powered with a 3 fan unit capable of around 500 CFM. Jeff from our company named it R2 D2. There is a round HEPA filter on the market, and this filter will fit in a 30 gallon drum, but does not allow space for particulate fall out. We cover the HEPA with bulk filter media to extend its life.
Lastly, we were doing a fire clean up in a 300' ´ 900' building with one bay door. The building had no drains and no power. We went to Grainger and purchased a leaf blower powered by an 11 horse Briggs & Stratton engine. We manufactured an attachment to fit the 4" plastic blower pipe, and "blew" 20 gallons per minute out the door, 300' away.
Persons wanting to respond to this article, please call Jay Yanick in Seattle. He has more time to field criticism than I do, and he is used to it.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released an electronic version of their National Fire Codes Subscription Service. This CD-ROM contains the most up-to-date information on fire codes, and will be updated on a regular basis.
The electronic subscription service comes with an on-line index, easy search commands, on-line directions (as well as a printed user’s guide), free technical support, and other NFPA code-related materials. It contains multiple searching options and content links, making navigation through a single code and/or numerous codes faster and easier. It provides an easy and complete means to cross reference information quickly.
The National Electrical Code , the Life Safety Code , the National Fire Alarm Code , and the Installation of Sprinkler Systems are just a few examples of the 290 codes found on this CD-ROM. As nearly 25% of all codes change every year, this software package offers a comprehensive and accurate resource, aimed at helping you to identify changes that could affect your business more quickly.
The cost of this service for a single user is $450 for a member of NFPA, and $500 for a nonmember. Network licenses are also available. The service is good for one year and includes updates as well as additional code-related information published by NFPA. To place an order or request more information on this service, contact the National Fire Protection Association directly at 1-800-344-3555.
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