AMBIENT HEAT REGULATION
same time that we’re watching OSHA’s proposal, we can’t overlook the fact that Cal/OSHA implemented their own heat illness regulation which went into effect July 23. Tis is significant because it could set the tone for other, similar state-level rules to come. We also need to keep in mind that the proposed federal and California rules aren’t in lockstep, and this is bound to cause headaches – if and when the Federal rules are adopted.”
GUIDANCE AND SOLUTIONS Tough a proposed federal rule will likely take time to develop, foodservice consultants and designers are advised to begin paying attention to equipment, ventilation and their impact on ambient air temperatures now. Still, “there’s no need to panic,”
says David Zabrowksi, vice president, Frontier Energy and general manager for the Food Service Technology Center in California. “Everyone has to develop illness and injury guidelines and monitoring indoor air quality and training employees to watch for heat stroke and illness is a natural part of that.” Regarding the new rule in California,
“the California Restaurant Association is developing legal guidance for compliance and the Food Service Technology Center is developing technical guidance for implementing solutions that can help reduce indoor air temperatures,” Zabrowski adds, noting that the developing situation is still an unknown frontier when it comes to how and when California municipalities (and other states) might start measuring and enforcing indoor air temperatures – whether it’s through thermostats, higher- tech hoods, building monitoring systems, equipment readings or other. It’s also not yet clear if local health
departments or OSHA might oversee the enforcement. One thing is certain, the regulation is officially in place and all California businesses need to be in compliance – starting now.
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“There's no need to panic. Everyone has to develop illness and injury guidelines and monitoring indoor air quality and training employees to watch for heat stroke and illness is a natural part of that”
Most professional kitchen designers
wouldn't even consider simply putting a fan on the cookline, but it’s definitely in the realm of possibility for operators looking for a quick-fix. “Doing this actually makes the situation worse because it causes heat to spill out and make the kitchen hotter and cause ventilation systems to fail,” Zabrowski says. At the very least, says Richard Young,
the Food Service Technology Center’s director of outreach, consultants and operators “should be paying attention to the cooking platforms and moving toward our kitchen of the future – which includes more equipment like combi ovens and fewer broilers – more in the style of European kitchens.”
RESOURCES AND NEXT STEPS Here are a few other concrete steps Young and Zabrowski recommend consultants consider do to begin monitoring, managing and ultimately lowering indoor air temperatures for commercial kitchens.
Pay attention to demand-controlled ventilation and makeup air. “Designers building new facilities need to pay attention to mechanical engineering and optimizing kitchen ventilation systems so they properly capture and contain heat,” says Young. Tat’s No. 1. Taking things a step further, and considering that many kitchens will now require more air conditioning to meet the new regs, controlling exhaust air flow becomes more important as a way to keep
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