Voluntary Standards Cover the Spectrum: from Good Manufacturing Practices to Ventilation Control

In an effort to communicate the vital role that standards play in daily life, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) publishes snapshots of the diverse standards initiatives undertaken in the global and national standards arena, many of which are performed by ANSI members and ANSI-accredited standards developers. Two of the latest selections follow:

Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations

Operative fire safety requirements can reduce the potential fire hazard of both public and private commercial cooking operationswhich can range from restaurants to cafeterias to nursing homes.

The National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA's) revised NFPA 96-2017, Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations, provides the minimum fire safety requirements (preventative and operative) related to the design, installation, operation, inspection, and maintenance of all public and private cooking operations. Requirements include, but are not limited to, all manner of cooking equipment, exhaust hoods, grease removal devices, exhaust ductwork, exhaust fans, dampers, fire-extinguishing equipment, and all other auxiliary or ancillary components or systems that are involved in the capture, containment, and control of grease-laden cooking effluent.

NFPA, an ANSI member and audited designator, is committed to producing and promoting consensus codes and standards, research, and training and education, and works to prevent fires as well as to lessen the impact of fires when they do occur, which includes developing procedures that will keep firefighters safe and healthy.