Advanced Question certification. to be or not to be?

[mohadeeb]

As long as one abides by the nfpa code book which you can get for $40 does one really need a piece of paper saying they are certified. It may just depend on local/state laws i guess. and does everyone here recommend anyone such as ikeca to get certified. seems like they making lotta money from those of us doing this day in and day out imo. please let me know what ya'll think. seems like the grease police would be the better candidate to certify. Ya'lls in the trenches.

thanks,

Nam
Dirty Jobs Unlimited, LLC

[BUNN]

Certification is good for marketing, but that's it IMO. Passing IKECA's certification test only signifies one's knowledge of NFPA 96, OSHA, and pressure washer use...I'm almost positive anybody who reads this could pass it.

[Ron Musgraves]

Originally Posted by BUNN

Certification is good for marketing, but that's it IMO. Passing IKECA's certification test only signifies one's knowledge of NFPA 96, OSHA, and pressure washer use...I'm almost positive anybody who reads this could pass it.

I would think you might make one Elvis cant pass? Raise the standards, isnt just knowing often good enough.

Example, I have taken many open book test. The idea is we read the book so we know the material and then a test is insuring someone at least saw it.

How many guys dont know simple things?

[mbryan]

Originally Posted by mohadeeb

As long as one abides by the nfpa code book which you can get for $40 does one really need a piece of paper saying they are certified. It may just depend on local/state laws i guess. and does everyone here recommend anyone such as ikeca to get certified. seems like they making lotta money from those of us doing this day in and day out imo. please let me know what ya'll think. seems like the grease police would be the better candidate to certify. Ya'lls in the trenches.

thanks,

Nam
Dirty Jobs Unlimited, LLC

I wouldn't worry about it too much Nam.

There aren't any restaurants that require it, and only a couple of local jurisdictions enforce NFPA 96. Of the jurisdictions that do require certification, they have their own tests run by the fire departments, and if you were in one of those areas you would know it. Boston is looking in to having hood cleaners certified by nationwide organizations, but once a fire occurs in a restaurant that was service by a certified company, they will realize what a mistake it was.

Learn NFPA 96, take photos of every job you do and CYA, if you see anything out of place in a restaurant, note it down on the invoice. Get yourself a good waiver of subrogation on your contracts and invoices and you will be good to go.

Certification will not be required in your lifetime, but it may be something to tell your kids about if they take over the business.

[Tegrey]

Certifications are only as good as the producer. I hear many people (Vendors) saying they can certify you. In what? Their products? LOL There are many individuals that have a lot of years in the business also that claim they can certify you. Only in what they know. If you check into a proper certification, it has many items attached. Integrity, knowledge, history, and so on. They are written by many different knowledgable individuals in the field you are trying to be certified in. Not one person or company has the skills or knowledge to do it all. If I were to certify you in everything I know, you'd come up short in many areas. Certification is valuable to the contractor and client. It shows you have the will power to improve and grow your business. You take the time and effort to be one step above other businesses. If done properly through a real Certification program, you will benefit and grow your business. If the membership wants, the UAMCC will be doing this. The PDCA has had a program for many years. There are more and they do work. Saying a certification program is useless is like kissing your sister. It's nice, but doesn't mean anything personal! LOL My 2 cents. Thank You.

[Ron Musgraves]

Originally Posted by BUNN

Certification is good for marketing, but that's it IMO. Passing IKECA's certification test only signifies one's knowledge of NFPA 96, OSHA, and pressure washer use...I'm almost positive anybody who reads this could pass it.

And how many Hacks dont?

[hpwasher]

Is anyone a member of IKECA? Is there high volume in hood cleaning? I looked in the yellow pages in my talkingphonebook and there are only about 15 contractors listed in the commercial kitchen cleaning services

[RustyACE]

This has been discussed many times by many folks so I'll add my 2 cents and make it brief.

I believe strongly that the person cleaning the hood needs to be the one that is ceritified.

Alberta, Canada,
Nevada,
Delaware

All require certification.

California and soon Boston, MA are working on it.

We have taken a Hands on Approach to making sure that hood cleaners are Properly Trained, Qualified and Certified to clean kitchen grease exhaust systems.

By offering a Lifetime Membership to our Association, CHDCA, and then requiring Annual Recertification, it keeps our members on their toes.

They are required to submit 10 sets of current before/after pics (hood, filters, plenum, ductwork and fan) each year (or attend our annual meetings). Current letters of reference from recent happy/satisfied customers. Proof of current insurance in this industry. This was decided by our CHDCA Members as the way that they wanted it known that they were recertified to clean hoods. Our Association is made up of Hood Cleaners across the world that are working together to press this issue.

Now here's the next point:

We can preach the NFPA 96 till we are blue in the face, but until the Legislature of your state requires that the Fire Marshal's enforce the NFPA 96 you are working at it from the wrong angle.

That's why here at the CHDCA we are taking a proactive approach at lobbying the legislatures of all 50 states to write into law the NFPA 96 Certification Requirements.

I've had numerous meetings with Fire Marshals and until they are "required" to enforce it, it ain't going to happen.

So, I suggest that each person reading this, find out who represents you in your area and start building rapport with them along with working with the local fire marshal's towards this goal.

Russell Clark
President, Ceritified Hood & Duct Cleaner's Association
NFPA 96 Technical Committee Member, NFPA 96 Standards Instructor Hood Cleaning School

[chris francis]

I hate to say it but the certification as good as paper it is printed on. Not every state is going to go for certifications when there is every one certifing every one. Nurses have the same problem nurse in florida can not move to NY be nurse up there with passing ny boards same with doctors so see certifications does not realy work. But push trianing on to the insurance companys so that I would have to show I was trained national teaching company

[Double07]

It's just another racket to get money. That's all this crap boils down to. Customers want the job done cheap and you get what you pay for. If the customer wants an occasional fire then they can roll the dice. As for certification, I have to take an 8 hour class and they call it "continuing education" for my refrigeration/ac license. All it boils down to is more money and jobs being created for people who don't do a dang thing to make a good living off us guys who put the rubber to the road and earn our paychecks. Just think in 20 more years, if that long, the guy cutting your grass will have to be certified. He will have to go to training classes and an instructor will tell war stories of what types of rocks to look out for in lawns that are most likely to fly out of the mower and crack a windshield. Get a real job!!!

[BUNN]

There is nothing wrong with continuing education. As a matter of fact, I think that is one of the things I agree with, that the certifying bodies are pushing.

[Double07]

King Solomon said that a fool hates knowledge so yea continuing education is a good idea. BUT for a lot of us we have continuing education 365 days a year. IMO you will run across these people in sites like this one. They want to learn. They want to improve. Here is a good example of one of my continuing ed classes. I sat through a miserable miserable miserable couple of hours listening to a sales pitch for PURON the new 410a refrigerant. I didn't learn anything the parts house guy could not have told me when I was buying a jug but it was credits for my yearly requirement.

Don't get me wrong we need to have guidelines and be governed for safety and security reasons. BUT I am a huge proponent of limited government.

[BUNN]

That would be rather annoying. At least when someone is trying to sell you something over the phone, you can hang up, but you don't really have that option if it is for "continuing education" credits. I couldn't imagine sitting through a two-hour seminar about only one single product.