There seems to be an exception to almost every rule, and the codes governing kitchen hood installation are no different.
These codes are designed to promote health and safety. Most government building inspectors set and enforce code requirements for their state and/or city.
Having this kind of “book knowledge” is nice, but “real world” knowledge is also necessary to properly enforce code.
That lack of real-world experience often leads plan inspectors to go against the intent of the code, to ensure health and safety, while trying to follow the letter of the code.
Some plan inspectors need to pay more attention to the safety tips that contractors propose and consider that we are doing everything we can to stay up to code.
Imagine a situation where a range hood system must be installed in a new building and code requires the system to be installed 10 feet from the edge of the roof. However, doing so would have made future cleaning, repairs, and servicing difficult and dangerous for workers, due to a nearby hedge and a slope on the building.
Sometimes when you are code compliant, real safety and practicality are ignored just to be code compliant. But you should not forget that the concept of safety and practicality is also a big topic.
The process
When a hood cleaning company is contracted to install a hood system, someone must first submit the drawings to the appropriate city plan examiner. In some cities, this is a person who has experience in the field and knowledge of engineering and/or design.
Sometimes the plan inspector is someone who may possess book knowledge, but has never worked in the field and doesn’t realize that following the code actually decreases safety in some cases.
Basically, they just read from the codebook. If the code says put up 10 access panels, that’s what they expect, even if it means some of those panels aren’t accessible. That is not practical, nor does it make good sense.
In situations where the hood installation company recommends an alternative to strict code compliance, someone from the company takes this idea to the city and explains the situation. If you believe placing an exhaust fan five feet from the edge of a building because there is a slope at 10 feet that would make fan cleaning and maintenance more dangerous, tell the examiner.
Once the examiner approves the alteration, they include an explanation on the drawing that explains why the code will not be followed in that situation.
Fortunately, few examiners insist on following the code without exception.
This rarely happens, most planning examiners are quite reasonable and well-informed types. They understand what’s out there, and they know that when the guy in the field tells them something other than the code, it’s because there’s a safer way, not because he’s trying to make the job easier.
The danger of having these examiners “strictly by the book” is that it breeds apathy over time and contractors begin to stop considering the long-term consequences of their work.
Contractors must put personal care into their work. They must consider security in everything they do and work to ensure there are no failures. But because there are “pencil pushers” who enforce code without any outside consideration, many contractors today simply build to code and don’t consider the consequences.
The code is designed to protect people and promote safety. We don’t want to circumvent the code, we just want to make sure we follow the spirit of the code and the intent behind it.