There are currently no national codes, standards or guidelines specifically defined to provide minimum fire safety requirements for food truck exhaust fans. But that may all be about to change very soon.
Food Truck Industry Growth
By the time the NFPA 96 Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations was adopted in the late 1940s, food trucks had already become quite popular.
Oscar Meyer’s rolled out its famous “Weinermobile” in 1936 and during the 1960s, food trucks quickly became a construction site mainstay. In the last five years alone, according to IBISWorld, the food truck industry has grown an average of 9.3% each year. There are now an estimated 117,000 food trucks nationwide with an annual revenue of about $857 million in 2015.
A Wake Up Call
Some rules regarding food truck safety have been developed at local and state levels, but with trucks moving from place to place and no single point of reference, it is hard for operators to keep up with regulations from one municipality to the next.
It wasn’t until 2014 when a tragic accident happened, that serious discussions were even started regarding the adoption of a national set of codes to regulate food truck fire safety.
On July 1, 2014, a propane tank leak on the La Parrillada Chapina food truck in Feltonville, Pennsylvania resulted in an explosion that killed the two truck operators and injured ten others. A group of International Fire Marshals Association (IFMA) members were inspired by the tragedy to develop a task force to address the issue.
A National Set of Guidelines?
In December 2015, a proposal for a new chapter of NFPA 96 was submitted by the task force for possible inclusion in the 2017 edition of the standard. As revisions to NFPA 96 await review, some municipalities like Chicago, San Antonio and Rochester have already begun writing their own rigorous fire safety standards for food trucks.
Food truck operators across the U.S. are asking already asking what they need to do to prepare for these new regulations. Check back in next week for Fire Safety Requirements for Food Truck Exhaust Fans – Part 2 for more information and 20 tips on how to make your food truck safer.
Need help selecting a food truck exhaust hood system for your mobile kitchen? Stop by www.HoodFilters.com or give us a call at 877.394.9731.