Manual of Naval Preventive Medicine
Chapter 1: Food Service Sanitation
VIII: Structural Requirements and Sanitary Controls

1-58. Lighting and Ventilation.

Department of the Navy
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

1. Lighting

a. For safety reasons, at least 10 footcandles of lighting must be available at any time in all food service areas and rooms including walk-in units.

b. The lighting on food preparation and ware washing work surfaces must be at least 50 footcandles.

c. The lighting in packaged food and fresh produce sales areas, hand washing areas, ware washing areas equipment and utensil storage areas, and toilet areas must be at least 20 foot candles at a distance of 30 inches from the floor.

d. Shielding to protect food from broken glass must be provided for all artificial lighting fixtures located over, by, or within food storage preparation, service, and display facilities and areas where food service equipment is cleaned and stored.

2. Ventilation

a. Food service establishments must be ventilated mechanically if necessary, so they are free of excessive heat, steam, condensation, vapors, obnoxious odors, smoke, and fumes.

b. If necessary, all rooms, areas, and equipment from which aerosols, offensive odors, or noxious gases or vapors may originate must be vented effectively to the outside.

c. Intake air ducts will be designed and maintained to prevent the entrance of dust, dirt, insects, and other contaminated materials.

d. Ventilation hoods and grease filters must be cleaned of dirt and grease as often as necessary, and at least weekly to avoid the danger of fire. Filters which cannot be adequately cleaned must be replaced.

e. On surface ships, General Specifications for Ships of the United States (NAVSEA S9AAO-AASPN-010/GEN-SPEC) requires that a ventilation grease interceptor hood be installed over each steam kettle, roast oven, bake oven, convection oven, griddle, fry kettle, doughnut fryer, deep fat fryer, range, and utensil wash sink. These interceptors are equipped with a semiautomatic detergent cleaning system. The hood serving the deep fat fryer and doughnut fryer must be fitted with a fire extinguishing system.

f. The interior of ventilation ducting should be cleaned at least quarterly and as often as necessary to prevent accumulations of grease and dust. Access plates must be provided as necessary to gain cleaning access to duct work. Fires in ventilation duct systems are extremely difficult to extinguish and constitute a significant danger especially aboard ship.

g. Meat cutting and meat preparation rooms at shore facilities must be maintained at 50 degrees F or below. Otherwise, all spaces and equipment must be cleaned and sanitized at midshift (every 4 hours).

h. Galley spaces on ships should not exceed 80 degrees F.