Maintaining Systems that Protect

According to a 2017 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) report, fire departments respond to 7,400 restaurant and bar fires every year.¹ Although the cooking equipment is the leading cause of those fires, 70% did not spread beyond the place of fire origin. The NFPA restaurant standard, NFPA 962, requires a kitchen suppression system for the protection of the cooking appliances and associated hoods and ducts. A logical conclusion is that these kitchen systems are doing a good job of protecting employees and patrons and keeping property losses to a minimum.

"Fire departments respond to 7,400 restaurant and bar fires every year...the cooking equipment is the leading cause of those fires."

According to NFPA 17A³, the inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM) of commercial kitchen fire suppression systems is the responsibility of the owner of the system, although the standard allows that responsibility to be transferred to a management company or tenant by a written agreement [17A, 8.1.1]. Here is information that can be used to convince owners and their associates that they should continue to be diligent in their efforts to maintain these systems in proper working order to protect people and property.

Monthly Inspections

On a monthly basis, the owner is required to perform an inspection of the kitchen system in accordance with the owner’s manual [17A, 8.2.1]. This monthly quick-check inspection must include verification of the following items:

• Tamper seals on cylinders are in place and not broken.
• Manual pull stations are appropriately marked and not obstructed.
• The system service tag shows maintenance was performed within the last 6 months.
• There is no obvious physical damage to the fire suppression system.
• There is no condition that might prevent system operation.
• The stored pressure cylinder pressure gauge is in the operable range.
• Nozzle blowoff caps (or foils) are installed on nozzles and undamaged.
• A system service technician has reviewed protection for new cooking appliances or relocation of existing equipment.

Although this is often called the owner’s inspection, it is permissible for a system service technician to perform this monthly inspection. This is often preferable as any corrective action that involves maintenance of the system must be performed by a trained service technician and can be performed at the time of the inspection [17A, 8.2.3.1].

The system owner is required to keep a copy of the system manufacturer’s installation and maintenance manual or the owner’s manual in the restaurant and make it available if requested by the authority having jurisdiction [17A, 8.2.1.1]. Records of monthly inspections must be kept, including the date of inspection, the person performing the inspection, and any corrective actions taken [17A, 8.2.4]. Those records must be retained for all inspections performed between semiannual maintenance service intervals [17A, 8.2.6].

Any work that involves system repair, replacement of parts, or service activities performed to ensure proper operation of the system is called system maintenance [17A, 3.3.11]. This work is only permitted to be performed by a service technician who has a certification and special training on these systems [17A, 8.3.1]. Many states require this training and certification, in accordance with NFPA 17A, as part of state licensing programs.

Semiannual Maintenance

The maximum interval for performing system maintenance is every 6 months and it must be performed in accordance with the system manufacturer’s design, installation, and maintenance manual [17A, 8.3.2]. System recharging and maintenance must also be performed after any system discharge or if there is insufficient pressure as indicated on the system pressure gauge. After a system has discharged, the piping must be flushed with clean water and then blown out with dry air or nitrogen [17A, 8.4.1].

All restaurant kitchen systems are provided with manual and automatic means of operation. After any maintenance or recharge, the service technician performs a procedure that places the system in a normal operating condition that allows either manual operation of the system with a manual pull station or automatic operation by heat-actuated fusible links. For these systems to remain reliable and operable in the event of a fire, the fusible links are required to be replaced during the 6-month maintenance of the system [17A, 8.3.4].

The system service tag provides a record of the year of manufacture and the date of installation of the new fusible links so that the required periodic replacement can be verified by the owner and the authority having jurisdiction [17A, 8.3.4.2]. All replacement fusible links must be listed and must have the same temperature ratings as the ones being replaced unless new temperature readings indicate a need for a change [17A, 8.3.4.1]. Fusible links removed during servicing are destroyed or discarded so they cannot be used again [17A, 8.3.4].

Periodic Hydrostatic Testing (12-years)

On a 12-year basis, extinguishing agent containers and system hoses are required to undergo a hydrostatic test [17A, 8.5.1]. This pressure test helps ensure that containers and hoses can withstand normal operating pressures. No leakage, rupture, or movement of hose couplings is permitted during testing [17A, 8.5.2.1]. At the time of hydrostatic testing, the wet chemical extinguishing agent is replaced [17A, 8.5.3]. Only the agent marked on the system agent container is permitted to be used for recharging. No substitutes are permitted.

Maintenance Reports

After maintenance is completed, a maintenance report must be provided to the owner including any corrective actions taken and recommendations [17A, 8.3.3.6]. Maintenance reports are required to be kept for a period of one year and are subject to review by the authority having jurisdiction [17A, 8.3.3.6.1].

Service Collars

Similar to portable fire extinguishers, after recharging including hydrostatic testing of cylinders, a service collar is installed on stored pressure cylinders with the month and year of service indicated with a perforation using a hand punch [17A, 8.6.3]. Cartridge-operated containers are not required to have service collars installed [17A, 8.6.4].

The most reliable kitchen systems are those that are inspected, tested, and maintained according to NFPA 17A and the manufacturer’s manuals. Your customers will appreciate the work you perform to keep their systems code-compliant and reliable in the event of a fire emergency.

State Updates

Washington State

The Washington State Building Code Council (SBCC) delayed new licensing criteria for pre-engineered systems for 6 months at the request of FEMA to consider allowing the ICC/NAFED test to be used as the benchmark for qualifying technicians.

Maine

At the request of FEMA, Amerex, and others, Maine is considering adding gaseous agents to their list of “Currently Unavoidable Use” list in their efforts to regulate PFAS chemicals in water supplies.

Federal Updates

DoD

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requires extinguishers in military facilities. Recently, it was reported that two military bases installed extinguishers throughout to comply with NDAA. FEMA is pushing for the update of the DoD building code: Uniform Facilities Criteria (UFC) so that all military bases have extinguishers throughout their facilities.

GSA

FEMA is communicating with congressional staff to change the Government Services Administration (GSA) building code P-100 to require extinguishers in all GSA buildings. Currently, GSA has an allowance to remove extinguishers in office buildings with sprinklers.