Restaurant Grease Trap Incident Readiness Checklist

Reviewed August 16, 2026. A restaurant’s grease trap readiness kit should be a site-specific contact and isolation plan. It is not a do-it-yourself pumping, drain-clearing, wastewater-testing, or sewage-cleanup kit.

The goal is to help a manager stop affected work, protect people and food, reach the correct provider and authority, and supply accurate facility information without opening or servicing the interceptor.

Emergency contacts

• the primary and backup qualified grease or plumbing service providers;
• the local health department’s emergency or after-hours contact;
• the wastewater or pretreatment program and any required stormwater contact;
• the building owner, facilities manager, and site manager; and
• the insurer or risk contact identified in the facility’s own policy and plan.

Confirm the contacts and actual after-hours process directly. Do not assume that a listing or service agreement guarantees availability, arrival time, price, or priority.

Facility information

• the interceptor location and known model or capacity;
• a simple map of connected fixtures and affected-area boundaries;
• safe, approved fixture-shutoff instructions;
• gate, parking, loading, lighting, and access information for the provider;
• the latest service records and local permit or FOG-program information; and
• the location of the facility’s food-safety emergency plan.

Staff may identify the location for a provider, but the plan should not direct them to remove a cover, open an access point, reach into the unit, or enter a tank.

Isolation and safety supplies

Keep barriers or signs that can restrict access without requiring staff to enter contaminated water. Any protective equipment, spill-control material, cleanup tool, or waste container must be selected through the employer’s task-specific hazard assessment and the local emergency plan.

A generic list cannot make sewage cleanup safe or “OSHA compliant.” Restaurant staff should not be instructed by this checklist to vacuum wastewater, plunge or snake drains, pump or scoop trap waste, test wastewater, handle unknown chemicals, or repair the interceptor.

Incident record

Provide a simple form for managers to record:

• discovery date and time;
• location and fixtures affected;
• whether there was slow drainage, overflow, or sewage backup;
• operations stopped or areas isolated;
• providers and authorities contacted;
• service, cleanup, disposal, and reopening records received; and
• follow-up work assigned.

Documentation supports accurate reporting and follow-up, but it does not guarantee an insurance or enforcement outcome.

Manager response card

1. Stop use of affected fixtures and equipment.
2. Keep people, food, and clean equipment away.
3. Prevent material from reaching storm drains or unaffected areas without sending staff into the spill.
4. Call qualified service and the local authority required by the facility’s plan.
5. Follow local cleanup and reopening instructions.

Use the full grease trap emergency guide for the incident sequence and the provider call checklist for vendor questions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most important part of a grease trap readiness kit?

Current site-specific contacts and instructions: who stops affected work, which provider and authority to call, how to isolate the area, and where required records are kept.

Should the kit include cleanup or drain-clearing equipment?

No generic web checklist should direct restaurant staff to vacuum contaminated wastewater or clear a failed interceptor or line. Those tasks require a qualified assessment and appropriate safety and waste-handling procedures.

What protective equipment should the restaurant store?

The employer must assess the actual tasks and hazards and select appropriate protection. A fixed online list cannot establish what is required or make sewage cleanup safe.

How often should the readiness information be reviewed?

Review it whenever staff roles, contacts, equipment, permits, facility layout, or local requirements change, and on the schedule established by the facility’s own emergency program.

Official sources

• Oregon Health Authority: Emergency Handbook for Food Managers
• OSHA: Grease Trap Hazards
• U.S. FDA: 2022 Food Code
• City of Portland: FOG and storm-drain best management practices

Author: Grease Trap Locator Editorial Team

The Grease Trap Locator editorial team covers FOG compliance, grease trap maintenance, and commercial kitchen regulations across the US and Canada. Our guides are written for restaurant owners, facility managers, and food service operators who need practical, accurate information without the fluff.