Hospital Kitchen Shut Down After Exhaust System Report Findings

March 25, 2021

A recent state fire marshal inspection found unsafe conditions to do with the kitchen exhaust system in the Zambarano unit of Eleanor Slater Hospital, leading to the shutdown of some of its kitchen operations.

According to a state fire marshal report dated 19 March 2021, the kitchen exhaust system wasn’t ventilating cooking vapors (i.e. airborne grease) and didn’t have the required two-hour fire rating separation to contain a fire. Interior portions of the exhaust system between the basement and fourth-floor attic also hadn’t been properly cleaned; getting to those inaccessible areas would also lessen the buildup of combustible grease, the report found.

The report comes at a time of acute sensitivity about what some call the “hospital of last resort” for people with complex medical and psychiatric needs as the state considers major changes to the hospital. But the state said the problems were flagged during an inspection that they’d requested according to the Boston Globe.

Randal Edgar, a spokesman for the Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals, said in an emailed statement that the kitchen staff can still use steamers and a steam kettle, but can’t use the deep fryer, flat top grill, or oven range to cook food for patients. The staff is also using outside grills for food, Edgar said. Edgar said the state hopes to have the full kitchen back open in about a week. Edgar also said the ductwork had been cleaned once every three months and would be cleaned again Saturday. The exhaust system fan is also being sent out for repair, Edgar said.

The hospital, and its condition, has been the subject of concern and debate. Just Monday night, a Senate oversight committee held a four-hour hearing on the issue. The state said the hospital is, in general, “stuck in the past,” still relying on paper records and with outdated buildings. Staff at the state-run hospital’s Zambarano unit are cooking for patients on outdoor grills as the state addresses the issues.

Responsibilities, Expectations and Mitigation

Ultimately it is the building owner that holds the regulatory responsibility for fire safety at the premises (in this case, the state). While grease builds up fastest on the hood of a kitchen exhaust system, grease will also accumulate on every surface of the ductwork, fan, and roof over time, making it very important to get a thorough exhaust system cleaning that reaches ALL areas.

In order to avoid compromising the integrity of a commercial kitchen’s ductwork, access panels must be installed carefully and in compliance with all relevant code requirements. Where inaccessible, reports should feature photographs and relevant diagrams that show inaccessible areas where applicable. The report should also stipulate those locations where additional access panels are recommended to render the entire exhaust system to be accessible for future inspections and in order to ensure cleaning of the system can be done in its entirety to minimise fire risk and other hazards.

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