Sample of our Grease Trap vehicles, from box trucks for installation to large tanker trucks (middle) to smaller servicing trucks (right).
Today, proper grease trap maintenance is an important management line item. It is imperative that traps be serviced when necessary to help prevent Fats Oils Grease and Solids (FOGS) from exiting the trap and accumulating in the waste water piping system. This task is best handled by a grease trap service vendor: not only do we have the skills and experience, we also are doing it legally. With rare exception, every Massachusetts town and city requires that grease trap vendors be licensed or permitted in order to offer service within the community, with permits required for moving that waste through the city.
Massachusetts Law on Hauling Grease Trap Waste
These requirements come from laws set down in Massachusetts’ General Laws that govern all cities within the state, as well as establishing guidelines that cities can choose to enforce. One of these laws includes the regulation of hauling garbage and similar materials that can cause a public nuisance or hazard by their movement or spillage. From MA’s General Laws, CHAPTER 111, Section 31a:
No person shall remove or transport garbage, offal or other offensive substances through the streets of any city or town without first obtaining a permit from the board of health of such city or town; provided, however, that no rules or regulations shall restrict the hours of the day when garbage, offal or other offensive substances may be collected in areas zoned for business, commercial or industrial use. An application for such permit shall be in such form and contain such information, on oath, as such board shall require. All such permits shall expire at the end of the calendar year in which they are issued, but may be renewed annually on application as herein provided. No permit shall be transferred except with the approval of the said board.
Local City Guidelines: Offal Waste
When it comes to hauling Grease Trap or Waste Friolator Oil, it usually falls under Offal Waste Guidelines and permitting by the Local Health Department or Board of Health. This permit, usually referred to as a Haulers License, ensures the vendor has the appropriate equipment, experience, receiving facility for the Offal waste and most importantly Insurance in the event of an incident the so there are the necessary resources to clean up any resulting spill.
Protect Against Liability
Plumbers are licensed to do plumbing, but that license does not additionally permit them to haul grease trap waste within any municipality as the Haulers permit is attached to the vehicle used, not the individual doing the work! For your facilities safety and health, ALWAYS check with your town or city Board of Health or Licensing office to be sure the vendor you are using or considering is a licensed or permitted Offal Hauler for your community. There have been cases where Restaurants have been included in liability for incidents involving unlicensed vendors.
At Food Grease Trappers, we are more than just grease trap and interceptor experts, we’re insurance and properly permitted to work in your area. Not only can we install and maintain your restaurant’s grease traps and interceptors, but we have the licensed vehicles to haul away both trap waste and VWO. Contact us: if you need immediate service, upgrades and replacements, or just a free consultation and service quote, Food Grease Trappers is here to provide help and insight into your restaurant’s problems.
