Document inaccessible duct areas encountered during a commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning or inspection per NFPA 96 reporting requirements

Steps

1. Have the cleaning/inspection company provide the system owner a written report identifying any areas that were inaccessible or not cleaned during the service, not just a general pass/fail summary
2. Where the locally adopted NFPA 96 edition specifies a formal deficiency/completion report format, follow that format, including inaccessible-area detail, access panel locations, and any ductwork leakage found
3. Where locally required, forward the deficiency report (including inaccessible-area findings) to the fire department, fire marshal, or AHJ within the required timeframe rather than only retaining it on-site
4. Treat cleanouts or duct segments hidden behind finished drywall, above inaccessible ceilings, or in unreachable mechanical chases as compliance gaps requiring either a retrofit access panel or explicit AHJ acceptance, since 'inaccessible' does not exempt the duct from the underlying cleanliness requirement
5. Once access is restored (e.g., via a retrofit access panel) and the previously inaccessible area is cleaned, document the completion and, where applicable, submit or retain a follow-up completion report clearing any deficiency tag