Food establishments risk operating illegally amid extractor safety concerns

Food establishments along the coast, including restaurants, takeaways, cafés, fuel stations and hotels, may be operating illegally due to non-compliant kitchen extractor systems, raising concerns about fire risk, public health and the consistency of enforcement.

Contractors and health inspectors say national health regulations require extractor canopies and ducting in commercial kitchens to be properly maintained and that businesses operating with unsafe or poorly maintained systems are in breach of the law.

A contractor working in commercial kitchen extraction and cleaning, who requested anonymity for fear of losing business, said non-compliance with extractor regulations is widespread and longstanding.

“It is literally years of grease build-up in some systems. The only reason certain kitchens have not burned down already is luck,” the source said.

According to the contractor, extractor systems are often fitted with outdated fans, blocked outlet pipes and ducting made from unsafe materials, including wood, instead of galvanised or stainless steel piping designed to safely vent grease-laden air.

“If the outlet pipe and fan are blocked with grease, heat builds up and the grease ignites. The fire runs through the canopy and ducting and the entire kitchen can burn down,” he said.

The contractor said regulations prohibit restaurant owners or staff from cleaning extractor canopies themselves and require professional servicing at intervals determined by kitchen usage.

Safety concerns

Despite this, he alleged that some establishments continue operating with non-compliant extractor systems while still holding health clearance.

“You can have a clean kitchen, but the extractor system itself is not compliant. Yet the business continues to operate,” he said.

The allegations raise questions about whether some food establishments may be operating illegally, particularly given the high number of residents and tourists eating at coastal restaurants daily.

Responding to questions, Swakopmund municipal spokesperson Linda Mupupa said extractor canopies and ducting form part of routine health inspections and that food establishments cannot pass inspection if extractor systems are non-compliant.

“If the system is not clean, well maintained or poses a fire or contamination risk, it cannot pass inspection,” she said.

Mupupa said inspectors rely primarily on visual inspection, cleaning records and maintenance logs, with swab testing conducted when disputes arise or risks are suspected.

She said serious cases may result in improvement notices, compliance orders or temporary closure.

Law in place

Another municipal health inspector at the coast, Jeremi Khaiseb, said extractor compliance is governed by national legislation, including the general health regulations and the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act.

“If a business is operating with an unsafe or poorly maintained extractor system, then yes, they are operating illegally,” he said.

Khaiseb said inspectors issue notices and allow operators time to appoint qualified service providers to rectify non-compliance, with enforcement escalated if corrective action is not taken.

However, service providers said extractor systems are frequently neglected for years before professional cleaning is requested.

“If a system has not been cleaned for six or seven years, you first need a deep clean before you can even talk about maintenance,” one provider said.

The providers said inspections often focus on visible kitchen areas rather than extractor internals, allowing non-compliant systems to go undetected.

“In my experience, inspectors mainly look at the kitchen areas. They do not often inspect inside the extractor system,” one said.

Inspections

Restaurant owners reported differing experiences.

Bay View Resort at Dolphin Beach owner Ean Oberholzer said compliant operators clean extractor systems every two to three months and keep certificates on hand as part of their operating requirements.

Another restaurant owner at Henties Bay said inspectors have never required him to produce extractor-specific certificates and that extractor maintenance has not been a decisive factor during inspections.

Health inspectors said enforcement is shared between environmental health practitioners and municipal emergency and safety officers, who are responsible for fire-safety compliance.

The anonymous contractor, however, questioned whether enforcement consistently follows inspection findings.

“I have seen places told what to fix and by when, and nothing changes. They just carry on operating,” he said.

Both contractors stressed that their concerns are not commercially motivated.

“This is not about business. It is about safety and the law,” the source said.