Form 16: Kitchen-Hood Cleaning Approval — Everything a Business Owner and Building Manager Needs to Know

What Form 16 is and why it exists

Form 16 is a kitchen-hood cleaning approval attesting that the vapor- and smoke-exhaust system in a commercial kitchen was cleaned as required and meets the fire-safety requirements. In the licensing world it is attached to the business's licensing file and usually constitutes a precondition for receiving or renewing a business license, within the framework of the National Fire and Rescue Authority's requirements for businesses with a kitchen.

The reason for its existence is very tangible: a layer of grease that accumulates in the hood ducts is one of the most dangerous fire-risk factors in a commercial environment. Grease that builds up over time inside the ventilation duct can ignite rapidly and carry fire through the duct to the rest of the building — including residential apartments above a restaurant or bakery. The cleaning approval is how the authority ensures that this risk is managed systematically and documented.

Which system the form approves and how it saves lives?

The form refers to the kitchen's vapor- and smoke-exhaust system, which usually includes:

• The hood canopy above the stove, grill or frying station
• The grease filters inside the canopy
• The metal ducts that carry the air from the kitchen out of the building
• The exhaust fan itself, usually on the roof

When this system is clean, a fire that starts near the stove has a much harder time spreading into the building's ducts. Professional cleaning that removes the grease from the ducts denies the fire the "fuel" that lets it move from a small kitchen to a widespread blaze. This is the difference between local damage and a disaster.

The relevant standard — SI 1001 Part 6 in plain language

The Israeli Standard SI 1001 Part 6 deals with fire safety in the ventilation systems and hoods of commercial kitchens. In everyday language, the standard and its appendices address:

• When the system is considered "dirty" and requires cleaning, based on the state of grease accumulation in the duct
• Which areas of the system must be cleaned — not only the visible filters, but also the hidden ducts and the roof exhaust
• Accessibility for cleaning — the need for access openings and service doors along the duct
• What must be documented after the cleaning: findings, before-and-after photographs, and the details of the professional who performed the work

A business owner does not have to read the standard himself — but he does have to ensure that the company cleaning for him is familiar with the standard's requirements and acts according to them.

Who must submit the form and when?

The need for a hood-cleaning approval usually applies to businesses that operate a commercial kitchen with a ducted hood: restaurants, cafes, catering, event halls, hotels, institutions with a dining hall, food plants and more. It is customary for the form to be required in the following situations:

• Opening a new business — as part of the application file for a business license
• Renewing a business license — an updated submission according to the framework set by the authority
• After a change or expansion of the hood or kitchen system
• At a fire inspector's demand — in any inspection where the inspector sees a need to require an up-to-date approval

It is important to emphasize: even between license renewals, the business owner is responsible for the ongoing, periodic cleaning of the system — and not only before submitting an application to the authority.

Who is authorized to fill in and sign the approval?

This is one of the topics that give rise to most of the mistakes. Not every cleaning company can issue a valid approval. As a rule, the approval must be signed by a party with appropriate training and certification in the field of cleaning commercial ventilation and hood systems — for example a technician or company trained for it, or a relevant engineering party in accordance with the local authority's requirement.

The critical point: the specific certification for commercial hood-cleaning work is what matters — not just a general contractor's license and not just seniority in the work. A company that cleans well but does not hold the required certification may issue an approval that will not be accepted, and the business owner will discover this only when the form is rejected by the fire inspector. Therefore, check in advance with the local authority or with a professional that the company you hire is indeed authorized to issue a valid, signed and numbered hood-cleaning approval.

Validity of the approval and cleaning frequency

The validity of the approval and the required cleaning frequency are not uniform, but depend on the intensity of kitchen use and the type of cooking. The greasier the cooking and the longer the operating hours — the faster the grease accumulates and the more often cleaning is required. The following table presents frequency ranges common in the industry (not a substitute for the fire inspector's guidance in your case):

The fire inspector may demand a higher frequency based on inspection findings. A previous approval does not guarantee that the next one will be accepted automatically — every cleaning requires a fresh inspection and documentation.

What does the fire inspector actually check?

During an inspection, the inspector is not satisfied that the form exists in the file — he examines the full picture:

• Whether the date on the approval is up to date and reasonable relative to the intensity of kitchen use
• Whether the signatory is indeed an authorized party recognized for this work
• Whether a report with documentation is attached, including before-and-after cleaning photographs
• The actual state of the filters — if they look greasy at the time of inspection, the signed approval will not save the situation
• Whether there are cleaning-access openings in the ducts, so that the entire system can even be cleaned

Common mistakes and pitfalls

These are the failures that recur again and again among business owners:

• Cleaning only the filters, not the ducts: they wash the visible filters once a week, but do not order a professional cleaning of the whole system. The filter is clean, but grease accumulates in the duct over months and years.
• A cleaning company without appropriate certification: the company cleans excellently but is not certified to issue a valid approval, the application is rejected, and the business owner has to repeat the process.
• An approval date that does not match the inspection: an old approval for a business that cooks many hours a day may be rejected, even if the cleaning was done in the past.
• Missing cleaning openings in the duct: in old buildings where the ducts were installed without access openings, the cleaning company cannot reach all the sections — and therefore cannot confirm that the whole system was cleaned. Sometimes a change to the duct structure is required before the first cleaning.
• An approval without a detailed report: the form is filled in but without attached documentation (photographs, findings). The inspector asks for the report and does not receive it.
• Confusing a domestic hood with a commercial one: a unit originally installed as a domestic hood in a place that became a business — check with the authority whether it is even within the scope of the commercial requirement.

Practical tips for the business owner and the building manager

• Choose a certified cleaning supplier in advance, even before opening the business. Ask to see written certification and experience in issuing hood-cleaning approvals.
• Keep a digital copy of every approval, including the report and the attached photographs — not just in the paper file.
• Set a reminder for the next cleaning on the very day you receive the latest approval — don't wait for the authority's demand.
• Check the state of the filters by eye once a month. If they are black and loaded with grease, don't wait for the next scheduled cleaning.
• Ensure there are access openings in the ducts — in old buildings this is not a given, and the cost of adding them is far lower than a fine or a business-closure order.
• If you are a building manager with a restaurant on the ground floor: ask to see the approval yourself. You bear a fire risk even if the business license is not in your name, especially when the ducts pass through the common property.

How Domera helps you track this approval?

Building managers and business owners use Domera to manage the property's digital file, including tracking safety approvals such as the hood-cleaning approval. You can set automatic reminders ahead of the next cleaning date, store the report and photographs alongside the property's other documents, and manage a list of certified suppliers with a work history — so that when the next cleaning is due, you don't start from scratch.