Kitchen Exhaust Hood Cleanliness and Operation Audit

This template covers the hood system from access and identification through interior cleanliness, filters, exhaust fan operation, makeup air balance, and cleaning records. It is designed to document observable conditions such as grease accumulation, damaged filters, airflow concerns, and missing cleaning logs. Use it as a walk-through audit for commercial kitchens that rely on grease-laden vapor capture. It is not a replacement for a certified hood cleaning service report.

Use it on a routine schedule that matches the kitchen’s grease load, operating hours, and local fire code expectations. High-volume operations may benefit from weekly or monthly checks, while lower-volume sites may use it as part of a periodic compliance review. The right cadence is often more frequent than the professional cleaning interval. If conditions change, such as menu changes or equipment additions, increase the frequency.

A trained manager, facilities lead, safety coordinator, or competent person familiar with kitchen exhaust systems can complete this audit. The inspector should know what normal airflow, filter seating, and grease accumulation look like so deficiencies are identified consistently. For corrective work, use qualified service providers for cleaning, repair, or balancing. If your site has a fire marshal or AHJ review, keep the audit ready for that follow-up.

The template is aligned to the practical expectations of NFPA 96 for grease removal, inspection access, and maintenance documentation. It helps you verify that the hood, filters, fan, and makeup air system are being kept in a condition that supports fire safety and code compliance. Local fire codes and the AHJ may require additional documentation or more frequent service. Use the audit to surface issues before they become a code deficiency.

Common mistakes include checking only the hood exterior and missing grease inside the plenum, assuming the fan is working because it is noisy, and failing to record the last cleaning date. Another frequent issue is treating a dirty filter as a cosmetic problem instead of a fire-risk deficiency. Teams also sometimes skip makeup air checks, which can hide capture problems at the hood. The template works best when each item is observed and documented during the same walk-through.

Yes. You can add line items for charbroilers, fryers, pizza ovens, or other high-grease cooking equipment that changes the hood loading profile. You can also adjust the inspection frequency, add site-specific corrective action owners, or include local fire department requirements. Multi-unit operators often clone the template and standardize it across locations while keeping a few local fields. That makes comparisons easier without losing site-specific detail.

Document the deficiency, photograph the condition, and assign corrective action immediately. If grease buildup is significant or the fan is not operating correctly, escalate to a qualified hood cleaning or mechanical service provider rather than waiting for the next routine cycle. If airflow appears weak, check for blocked filters, closed dampers, makeup air issues, or fan problems. Keep the audit record with the corrective action so you can show what was found and what was done.

Ad hoc checks often miss the same recurring issues because they are not structured around the full hood system. This template forces a consistent sequence: access, cleanliness, filters, fan, makeup air, and records. That makes it easier to spot trends, compare shifts or sites, and prove due diligence. It also reduces the chance that a critical item is overlooked during a busy service period.