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| Employee Training and Awareness
The success of an establishment's Best Management Practices (BMPs) program is largely dependent upon employees. To promote effective employee implementation: Train employees on the BMPs that have been adopted for their establishment. All establishments should instruct employees not to pour fat, oil and grease wastes (FOG) down the drain or use sinks to dispose of food scraps. Post "No Grease" signs above sinks and on the front of dishwashers. Signs should be written in the language(s) that are commonly spoken by employees.
Garbage Disposals and Drain Screening
Excluding food particles from the wastewater system can eliminate a large amount of FOG from an establishment's discharge. To practice this: Disconnect or minimize the use of garbage disposal(s) and use dry clean-up methods (described below). Operators can reduce FOG discharge by up to 50 percent by disconnecting their garbage disposals and scraping food into the trash. Retain or install a fine meshed screen (1/8-inch and 3/16-inch screen openings are recommended) in the drain of each kitchen, mop and hand sink. Clean drain screens frequently by placing the collected material in the garbage.
Dry Clean Up
Remove food waste with dry methods such as scraping, wiping or sweeping before using wet methods that use water. Wet methods typically wash the water and waste materials into the drains where it eventually collects on the interior walls of drainage pipes. To practice dry clean-ups: Use rubber scrapers to remove food particles, fats, oils and grease from cookware, utensils, chafing dishes and serving ware. Place the removed food particles and FOG in the garbage. Use paper towels to wipe down all work areas. Use food grade paper to soak up oil and grease under fryer baskets.
Spill Prevention and Clean Up
Preventing spills reduces the amount of waste on food preparation and serving areas that will require clean up. In addition, a dry workplace will help to avoid slips, trips and falls. For spill prevention: Empty containers before they are full to avoid spills. Use a cover when transporting spillable materials, particularly liquid wastes containing fats, oils and grease. Provide employees with proper tools, e.g., ladles, ample containers, to transport materials without spilling.
Practice effective spill containment and clean up. Spills of dry ingredients should be swept up or vacuumed to prevent them from being washed into sinks or floor drains. For FOG spills: Block off all sinks and floor drains near the spill. Cover the spill with absorbent material, e.g., sand, saw dust, kitty litter, salt, paper towels. Remove spilled material and place it in the garbage. Use wet cleanup methods only to remove trace residues.
Establishments that use large amounts of cooking fats, such as deep fat fryers, should develop and post their spill response procedure, in addition to maintaining spill containment and absorbent supplies. Dishwashing and Equipment Cleaning
Proper dishwashing and cleaning methods can reduce the entry of solids and FOG into the wastewater system. These methods include: Consider using disposable paper products rather than dishware to minimize or eliminate dishwashing. Pre-washing dishes and cookware with hot water and no soap prior to using the dishwasher or three compartment sink can reduce FOG discharge by 25 percent. Prewash sinks used for this purpose must be connected to a grease trap. Prior to washing deep fat fryers, use a rubber spatula to squeegee down the sides while grease and oil are still warm then wipe the fryer down with paper towels. Dispose of the paper towels in the garbage. Before washing grill and roaster/broiler drip pans, empty their contents into a waste grease container and then wipe them down with paper towels. Dispose of the paper towels in the garbage. Pour all liquid grease and oil from pots and pans into a waste grease container that is stored at the pot washing sink and then scrape out the solidified grease if present. Capture accumulated oil during the cleaning of stoves and ventilation/exhaust hoods and dispose of it in the garbage after absorbing all free liquid.
Recycling
Think of oil and grease as a valuable commodity. When using deep fat fryers or any process that requires or produces large amounts of plant or animal byproducts, collect the oils and fats. Recycle the oils and fats through one of the area's recycling companies. This is the preferred method of disposal for food service establishments (FSEs) that produce any volume of food waste. To practice recycling: Never dispose of fryer vat waste oils and fats down the drain as this material is usually clean enough to be recycled. Collect and store fryer vat waste in a rendering tank. Most recycling companies will provide outside receptacles for storage until pickup. Some companies will offer services free-of-charge and others will give a rebate on the materials collected.
Beneficial Use of Food Wastes
Food wastes can be put to beneficial use rather than simply discarding them. To do this: Donate edible food waste to a local food bank or soup kitchen. (Need to evaluate liability aspect of this BMP.) Collect inedible food waste so that a local garbage feeder for feeding livestock can use it.
Grease Traps
For indoor grease traps to be effective, the units must be properly sized, constructed and installed in a location to provide easy access for cleaning and an adequate retention time for settling and accumulation of the FOG. If the units are too close to the FOG discharge and/or do not have enough volume to allow accumulation of the FOG, the emulsified oils will pass through the unit without being captured. In addition: FSEs are required to inspect indoor grease traps every three months. These devices are less effective if the grease occupies greater than 25 percent of the holding capacity. If the grease occupies greater than 25 percent of the trap's holding capacity, FSEs are required to perform a full cleaning of the grease trap (removing all liquids and solids and scraping the walls). A once-per-month, full-cleaning of grease traps is encouraged. If less than 75 percent of the trap capacity remains, the trap should be cleaned more often than once per month. Confirm that grease traps contain their internal baffles and inlet piping flow restrictors/air relief during every inspection and cleaning. These components aid in grease removal by reducing turbulence and increasing holding time within the trap. FSEs are required to maintain a record that documents the cleaning activities for indoor grease traps. Records should include the name of employee who performed the cleaning, date/time of cleaning, amount of grease removed and the disposal location for the grease.
Grease Interceptors
For outside underground grease interceptors to be effective, the units must be properly sized, constructed, and installed in a location to provide easy access for cleaning and an adequate retention time for settling and accumulation of the FOG. In addition: FSEs are required to inspect outside underground grease interceptors every three months. These devices are less effective if the grease and solids occupy greater than 25 percent of the interceptor's holding capacity. If the grease and solids occupy greater than 25 percent of the interceptor's holding capacity, FSEs are required to perform a full cleaning of the grease interceptor, including removing all liquids and solids and scraping the walls. During these inspections, FSEs are required to confirm the "tees" on both the inlet and outlet pipes on the grease interceptor remain intact.
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