As the year reaches its peak and holiday crowds start flooding through your doors, commercial kitchens everywhere face one of the most demanding seasons of the year. Increased output, hotter equipment, nonstop motion, and extreme grease loads combine into the perfect storm of risk — and this is exactly when many kitchens experience their biggest operational failures.

This Avoid Holiday Disasters Safety Checklist for December was built from my years as an Executive Chef and now from supporting hundreds of restaurants across Georgia, Florida, and the Southeast through TruShine Services. Every December, we watch the same patterns unfold: equipment pushed to its limits, grease management issues, fire safety breakdowns, clogged drains, and ultimately, unnecessary shutdowns.

But yours doesn’t have to be one of them.

This guide is everything you need to avoid holiday disasters, safeguard your staff, maintain compliance, and operate with confidence all December long. Share it with your managers, your BOH team, and your owners — because one small issue in December can cost more than any other month of the year.

Why This Safety Checklist for December Matters

The holiday season intensifies everything:

• More covers
• More grease output
• Higher heat loads
• Faster equipment breakdown
• Staff fatigue
• Increased inspections
• Higher customer expectations
• Zero margin for downtime

December is the month when restaurants either shine — or struggle to keep up.

A forgotten grease trap cleaning, an overworked exhaust fan, one clogged drain, a missed fire extinguisher inspection… these small issues snowball into massive operational failures when volume spikes.

This Avoid Holiday Disasters Safety Checklist for December gives you the exact structure you need to reduce risk, stay compliant, and keep your kitchen running safely all month long.

THE HOLIDAY KITCHEN SAFETY CHECKLIST

1. Hood & Exhaust System — Your First Line of Fire Defense

Your hood system is the heart of your fire prevention strategy during December. As volume increases, grease accumulates faster than usual, and heat loads spike dramatically. That’s why the first step in any Safety Checklist for December is verifying that your hood and exhaust system are fully operational.

What to Check

• Is your hood system completely clean and grease-free?
• Are fans running at full power with no strange noises?
• Are ducts clear of buildup that could ignite during high heat loads?
• Are filters clean, seated properly, and free of blockages?
• Is your rooftop exhaust fan lid coated with grease?

NFPA 96 Compliance — Especially Crucial for December

NFPA 96 exists for a reason — the majority of restaurant fires begin in the hood system. During December’s pressure, non-compliance is even riskier.

A hood with moderate grease buildup in September becomes a severe hazard in December.

Why This Matters for Avoiding Holiday Disasters

• Grease fires spread faster when airflow is restricted
• Buildup ignites more easily under high-volume cooking
• Insurance claims can be rejected if maintenance documentation is missing

Recommended Action

If it hasn’t been cleaned in the last 30–45 days — December demands another service.

TruShine specializes in:
✔ Hot-pressure hood cleaning
✔ Exhaust system detailing
✔ NFPA 96 compliance documentation
✔ Rooftop containment systems

Internal link suggestion:
Learn more on our Hood Cleaning Service Page (insert your internal link)

External DoFollow link (NFPA 96):
https://www.nfpa.org/
(NFPA official site for code standards)

2. Grease Trap Cleaning — Starting December 1

December is the #1 month of the year for grease trap overflows. Why? Because volume increases dramatically, meaning your trap fills faster than normal. Many operators go from needing monthly cleaning to needing bi-weekly cleanouts during holiday service.

Key Questions

• Has your grease trap been cleaned in the last 30 days?
• Do you notice slow-draining sinks or backups?
• Are there foul odors coming from the ground or walls?
• Do staff frequently use hot water to flush out blockages?
• Have you scheduled a December cleaning?

Why This Is Essential for Avoiding Holiday Disasters

A grease trap overflow can shut down your restaurant instantly. Health inspectors won’t give warnings for this — they close you on the spot.

Grease traps are directly tied to December disasters:

• Overflows
• Line clogs
• Sink backups
• Sewage odors
• Emergency closures

Recommended Action

Start your grease trap schedule on December 1 to prevent surprise failures.

Internal link suggestion:
View our Grease Trap Cleaning Service Page (insert your internal link)

External link (EPA Grease Management Guide):
https://www.epa.gov/
(EPA resources on grease waste management)

3. Drains & Jetting — Your December Insurance Policy

After hood systems and grease traps, clogged drains are the next leading cause of December shutdowns. When dish pit volume triples and floors are constantly being washed, your drains are under extreme pressure.

Ask Your Team

• Do any floor drains bubble during peak hours?
• Are there slow-draining sinks or small backups?
• Have your lines been jetted this quarter?
• Have you flushed your floor drains?

Warning Signs

• Gurgling noises
• Persistent odors
• Backups during rush
• Water pooling around the dish pit

Why This Prevents Holiday Disasters

One clogged drain = one closed kitchen.

With December traffic, “small” drain problems escalate fast because the water volume is relentless.

Recommended Action

Start your drain & jetting service December 1.
TruShine provides:
✔ Full line jetting
✔ Floor drain flushing
✔ Grease line cleaning
✔ Camera inspections

Internal link suggestion:
See Drain Jetting & Cleaning Services (insert link)

External link (FDA Food Code Drain Requirements):
https://www.fda.gov/

4. Fryer Oil & Equipment — December’s Silent Profit Killer

During December, fryer oil breaks down faster — sometimes twice as fast. The increased sediment, higher temperatures, and round-the-clock usage degrade oil quality and cost you money.

Check These Items

• Does your oil break down faster during high volume?
• Do you notice dark sediment early in the day?
• Are fried items inconsistent?
• Are you buying more oil than usual?
• Do you have excessive carbon buildup?

Why Fryers Matter for Avoiding Holiday Disasters

Poor oil quality doesn’t just impact taste — it affects safety:

• Overheated oil can flash
• Dirty fryers create grease fires
• Carbon buildup accelerates ignition

Recommended Solution: Fry360

TruShine’s Fry360 improves:

• Oil lifespan
• Food quality
• Equipment performance
• Fire safety

Internal link suggestion:
Learn about Fry360 (insert link)

External DoFollow link (Oil Filtration Best Practices):
https://www.foodsafety.gov/

5. Fire Safety Readiness — The Most Overlooked December Risk

Fire safety becomes critically important during the holidays. Increased heat, grease, and equipment stress raise fire probability significantly.

Your December Fire Safety Checklist

• Are extinguishers inspected for the month?
• Are Class K extinguishers accessible?
• Do you have updated hood cleaning documentation for inspectors?
• Has your staff been trained in emergency protocol?
• Is your Ansul or fire suppression system up to date?

Why This Is Crucial for Avoiding Holiday Disasters

Inspectors perform more surprise visits in December.
Missing a single document can shut you down.

Recommended Action

Ensure your fire safety documentation is organized and easily accessible.

Internal link suggestion:
Fire Safety Compliance Support (insert link)

External link (OSHA Fire Safety Standards):
https://www.osha.gov/

6. Vendor Reliability — Can They Support Holiday Volume?

December is when most vendors fail:

• They cancel appointments
• They can’t provide emergency service
• They are understaffed
• They don’t have holiday hours

Your business cannot rely on an unreliable vendor during your most important month.

Ask These Questions

• Can your vendor support you 24/7?
• Have they canceled on you before?
• Do they prioritize emergency calls?
• Are they familiar with holiday-volume risks?
• Can they provide NFPA documentation when needed?

When vendors fail, TruShine steps in to prevent shutdowns.

NEW SERVICES AVAILABLE DECEMBER 1

To help kitchens avoid holiday disasters, TruShine is expanding:

✔ Grease Trap Cleaning

✔ Jetting & Drain Cleaning

✔ Full Florida Division Launch (Central Florida)

Coming Q2 2026:

✔ Commercial Pest Control

We are committed to giving our clients more ways to stay safe, compliant, and fully operational year-round — especially during December.

Get Ahead Before the Holiday Rush

We’re already booking December appointments and holiday support services.
Every year we fill up — and once the calendar is full, emergency response becomes limited.

If you want to secure:

• Pre-holiday cleanings
• 24/7 emergency backup
• Grease trap service
• Drain jetting
• Hood cleaning
• Fry360 upgrades
• Florida appointments

Now is the time.

TruShine Services — Your Partner in Holiday Safety

TruShine Services provides commercial kitchen hood cleaning, fryer filtration, drain jetting, and grease trap services for restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools, franchises, and commercial kitchens of all sizes.

We help kitchens avoid holiday disasters and stay fully compliant all year long.

Now serving GA, SC, NC, TN & Florida – First Quarter 2026

📞 678-751-8871
🌐 https://trushineservice.com (DoFollow internal link)
📧 info@trushineservice.com

Let TruShine take your cleaning worries off your plate.