Oil/grease + PVC in commercial kitchen: should I be concerned?

[Sam_Butler]

Hi all. I just repaired some damage in a commercial kitchen which frankly I was shocked by. Not literally, of course...

I may treat you to some of the "oh my god" pictures but more importantly, I noticed that everything in this kitchen tends to get covered in oil. They cook Italian food so they're using a lot of oils in Pizza, pasta, frying chips (to please the locals), etc. So I get that you can't get rid of the stuff very easily. But some white PVC mini-trunking running along the ceiling is now decidedly off-white, and of more immediate concern are appliance flexes, plugtops and non-IP-rated accessories.

Here's how it went: a small (now sorted) rodent problem resulted in some badly chewed flex. An appliance stopped working and the manager pulled out another appliance to reach the socket and found the exposed conductors, which had shorted and tripped the MCB, protecting the little critter from certain death (shame). I looked at this flex and it was also discoloured and felt rather hard, and certainly less flexible than flex should feel. I therefore decided to use 1.5mm 3183TQ flex which is sheathed in butyl rubber and both heat and oil resistant.

Looking at other flexes I noticed the same problem. Also they have a mix of metalclad and white plastic accessories - nothing is IP rated yet everything from plugtops to sockets is covered in this greasy film. Sure, you're not unplugging a freezer or microwave very often, but I just felt uneasy about it. I'm preparing a set of recommendations for the business owner and have consulted LABC to find out about licensing and byelaw requirements to try and determine if they may be in breach, but without dropping them in it. I've already taken them up on some H&S issues like permitting an appliance to continue to be used despite damage (plugtop with big chunk missing, for example).

Currently they have a nightmareish situation with half a lighting circuit gone dead with cables buried in the ceiling void that I couldn't troubleshoot with a quick test, so clearly they need a full PIR (and PAT testing, heavens) and to address the findings.

So my questions:
1) Based on the observed impact of oils on PVC, what would you recommend, including any applicable regs?
2) Considering the issue with airborne oils coating accessories, do you feel this poses a risk, and do you have any tips I might add to my recommendations?
3) Any general recommendations with regard to commercial kitchens in a restaurant?

Of course there's the regs and H&S laws themselves but I'm looking for some further feedback based on experience. Thanks in advance.

 

[Strima]

With regards to the airborne particles. My brother-in-law is a head chef, they conduct regular in-depth cleaning to get rid of all the grease and other particles for hygiene reasons, they have plenty of socket outlets etc and have no problems with their power supplies.

Sounds like a lot of the problems in place place are due to a basic lack of cleaning, read 'rodent problem' is a big hint. Items should be IP rated where appropriate, I haven't actually got round to reading the latest amendments on kitchens. Sounds like the whole place needs an overhaul, not just electrickery wise.

 

[Sam_Butler]

Thanks and agreed hygiene should be improved. Cleaning live plastic-fronted accessories is not something I'd want them to do with soap and water though! I've had to clean and dry disconnected ones, fair enough, but I can't help feeling where not otherwise covered and thus exposed to airborne particles, the accessories should be IP rated. To me something like a cooker isolator should be IP65 so it's safe for the chef to isolate with wet hands. But I'm approaching it from a theoretical standpoint and this is the only commercial kitchen I've worked on, so I lack experience.

Thanks again for your comments and if your brother-in-law has any tips on how exactly they clean the electrical accessories it would be good to know, in case this client is clueless, so I can point them in the right direction.

 

[Strima]

Thanks again for your comments and if your brother-in-law has any tips on how exactly they clean the electrical accessories it would be good to know, in case this client is clueless, so I can point them in the right direction.

Soapy water... :lol: When I see him next I'll ask as no doubt others will want to know. As with any job there must be safe systems of work in place for cleaning so at a rough guess isolate to circuit and use a damp cloth with suitable cleaning agent and allow the accessory to dry. If regular cleaning is carried out regularly then there would be no need for using harsher 'wet' methods.

I'm not up to date with food preparation areas but I don't know many chefs with wet hands, that would be for the illegal immigrants in the back on the pan bash...

I'll end now as I've had a few beers and probably spouting a load of bollox...

 

[Engineer54]

Seems this food outlet has no end of shift cleaning program, hence the build-up of cooking waste etc, which has now encouraged rats and other vermin into the premises.

There is absolutely no excuse for everything to be coated in cooking oils/grease. They need to close there doors for a night or two and give this kitchen a through deep clean, and then follow-up with an end of night clean up program by the staff...

 

[Marvo]

There is absolutely no excuse for everything to be coated in cooking oils/grease.

I've noticed there's often a correlation between the amount of grease around the kitchen and the efficiency of the extractor hood. It might be worth checking the hood is running at the correct air volume and velocity, also that the make-up /supply air system is functioning correctly etc. Make sure they're not using cooking appliances outside of the footprint of the extract hood as well.

Setting up of the air movement systems is critical, I've seen several places where the kitchen is at positive pressure wrt the surrounding areas, this causes rapid deterioration of the restaurant decor as well as being a fire hazard. You can usually tell if this is the problem by looking at the ceilings for grease marks, especially around the light fittings.

On the other hand, as already mentioned it might just be that the management is just too slack and lazy to implement proper cleaning schedules

 

[malcolmsanford]

More important point lads ......................was the tucker any good, a chef once told me the greaser the kitchen the better the food, after all Roland liked the flex

 

[plugsandsparks]

Funny just yesterday i was degreasing a lathe control panel. Used a whole can of electrical cleaner. The oil contamination was causing shorts at only 50V so at 240V eventually is going to go.
The regs give direction under external influences, you ca nonly go by what you see rather than what they should be doing etc.
I agree with your choice of cable, PVC degrades much quicker, goes brittle and splits the insulation even without help from Roland. Lights would be better using IP rated fluorescents, not least to reduce glass contamination under lamp failure. Only really seen higher IP rated switches etc when it is known that switches and scokets will be used with wet hands, i.e. that is the nature of the task in hand so to speak.

I have seen plenty of commercial kitchens with both plastic and metal clad fittings working perfectly well. I would agree with the ventilation issue raised already, all this oily stuff should be vented out or filtered.

As for cleaning, probably cheaper just to replace all the face plates

 

[PC Electrics]

Agree the pvc flexes should be changed. i always connect cookers up with H07RN-F, which is heat and grease resistant as well as being tough and very flexible. Google for the Electric Cable Company if your local wholesaler doesn't do it (I get from Edmundsons mostly).

Florries should be the enclosed type - much easier to clean and don't have to handle manky tubes which are easier to drop and break (whence they become hazardous waste!).

 

[Sam_Butler]

Excellent points from all, thanks very much. I'm recommending PIR and PAT anyway, plus a risk assessment on hygiene and cleaning regimes, appliance flex replacements and new faceplates for any greasy accessories. I think the light is already IP rated but if not that's a very good point as you wouldn't want 'pizza con phosphate'...

 

[the pict]

Commercial kitches are a nightmare, I have a few regulars, fryers are the worst, a valetine fryer on one particular occasion was so bad the flex was about twice the diameter, I told the guy I would need to take it away, so I disconnected it at the wall I told him I would be back later as I had to make room in the van, the KP meanwhile with good intention tried to clean off the cable only to remove the sheath and insulation by wrapping a soapy cloth round it and pulling it along the length just as well I disconnected it
Pict

 

[crawf]

I had the same prob with all the plugs so I replaced the sockets for fridges fryers and microwaves to sw fused outlets all fused to comply of course told them that they would save some money calling me out if they cleaned regularly too