10/30/2026
The “inaccessible areas” provision in NFPA 96 was implemented with good intentions: to create greater transparency, accountability, and communication around areas of commercial kitchen exhaust systems that cannot be properly cleaned.
The idea was to start a conversation between cleaning vendors and their customers about access limitations, potential fire hazards, and what needs to be done to address them.
But the provision has also created an unintended loophole.
Instead of driving solutions, it has sometimes created a disc***ect between vendors, customers, and authorities having jurisdiction.
Several factors contribute to the problem:
• A lack of vendor innovation and communication around access solutions.
• A lack of customer awareness about the value and urgency of addressing inaccessible areas.
• Inconsistent code enforcement and a lack of industry standardization.
For some vendors, documenting an area as “inaccessible” has become a way to limit liability rather than work toward a solution.
But documenting a fire hazard doesn’t eliminate it.
The intent of NFPA 96 is to improve commercial kitchen fire safety, not simply check a box.
At Bare Metal Standard, we believe the industry needs to move beyond documentation and toward better communication, accountability, and solutions.