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Ductwork Cleaning Services

Swiftclean is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading providers of specialist professional ductwork cleaning services.

Our award-winning expert teams deliver fast, comprehensive solutions for property managers, across a wide range of public and commercial sectors, helping them to address, achieve and maintain ongoing safety and compliance. Duct cleaning is one of the main services we offer. Although an essential building service discipline, it can often be overlooked; but is vital to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of everyone who uses the building.

Why Do I Need To Get The Ducts Cleaned?

Over time, ductwork will develop a build-up of dirt that can include dust, bacteria and indoor pollutants such as mould spores. Older ductwork which has never been cleaned may also contain construction debris. When this is left it can affect the efficiency of ventilation systems and have a negative impact on the air quality.

Is It A Legal Requirement?

Under the Health & Safety at Work Act etc 1974 and the Occupiers Liability Act 1984, there is a legal duty for an employer to provide a safe and healthy environment, which includes a healthy indoor atmosphere. There is a requirement to ensure that ductwork is regularly cleaned as appropriate and is subject to ‘a suitable’ system of maintenance. There are also legal expectations in other settings, such as accommodation and public facilities such as hospitals. The leading guidance document concerning the hygiene of ventilation systems is TR19®, which has now become the accepted standard for the internal cleanliness of ventilation systems and ductwork cleaning.

In addition to the legal requirement, many buildings insurance providers also expect that air vents and ductwork will be cleaned on a regular basis, in accordance with TR19®. Non-compliance can result in your policy being compromised.

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    What Is TR19?

    TR19®, issued by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), is now the standard to which ventilation ductwork should be tested, inspected and cleaned. It includes a requirement for ductwork cleanliness quality to be classified according to its use as high, medium or low. This will usually depend on the type of facility which it serves and the degree of air quality that is needed. The cleanliness quality classification comes from BS EN 15780 (2011).

    For example, ventilation for a hospital operating theatre or medical laboratory will be classified as high. General living areas or office spaces will normally indicate a medium classification. An infrequently occupied area such as a boiler room or storage space will probably be classified as low. TR19® contains guidance for this. It also has guidance as to how frequently each classification of system should be tested and at what point it should be cleaned.

    The cleaning process is the same for each classification and post clean the cleanliness level must be <0.3 g/m2, using the PVT method.

    At Swiftclean we provide complete duct cleaning services throughout the UK, providing our many clients with TR19® compliance, accompanied by full post-clean documentation, including ‘before and after’ photographic evidence.

    Our professional teams are highly experienced and trained to meet the TR19® guide to good practice or specification, using the latest innovative duct cleaning technologies, methods and tools to provide an unrivalled service. Our own in-house experts have helped to shape industry best practice in ductwork cleaning. Our managing director is a co-author of TR19® and TR19® Grease, having more than three decades of industry expertise.

    Duct cleaning expertise

    Once your ventilation ductwork has been expertly cleaned in compliance with TR19®, we provide post-clean certification. Non-compliance can have serious legal consequences if negligence can be proved, so this is invaluable documentation, as it helps to demonstrate your effort and intent towards compliance, should it be called into question. We can now provide post-clean certification as members of the Vent Hygiene Register (VHR), which is overseen by BESCA, the certification arm of BESA. Swiftclean is a founder member of VHR and our managing director serves as Chair of the VHR user group.

    Members of the VHR are generally members of BESA and are therefore experts in their field. We recommend always using a BESA member, preferably a member of the VHR, to provide your ductwork cleaning.

    Ongoing Duct Cleaning Compliance

    We are experts at what we do, and our teams utilise a variety of devices and specific equipment and techniques to ensure that your ductwork is left clean, safe and compliant with the relevant specifications and legislation.

    With the help of specialised extraction devices, mechanical brushes, air jets and manual methods, we can quickly remove all types of contamination. In areas where microbiological contagion is identified we can disinfect as well.

    Many existing ductwork systems have insufficient access points to enable TR19® compliant cleaning. Where this is the case, we can install additional access doors at strategic points throughout the system in accordance with TR19® guide to good practice. This will allow for easier future inspections, cleaning and, if necessary, disinfection to be safely carried out.

    Find out now if your ductwork systems are TR19® compliant with the Swiftclean Duct Compliance Checker and the Swiftclean AHU Compliance Checker.

    Commercial Duct Cleaning Services

    At Swiftclean we take all of the stress out of your hands and work hard to deliver a reliable, cost effective, professional service that provides much-needed peace of mind, and the assurance that your ductwork cleaning has been completed to the rigorous standard of hygiene set out in TR19®.

    We have many years of experience working across various sectors; including hospitality, facilities management, food manufacturing, healthcare, education, retail and housing; and types of property, from multiple dwellings, pubs, restaurants, hotels and stadia, to hospitals and manufacturing facilities – and many more.

    If you have any questions or would like to speak to one of our friendly advisors, then do not hesitate to get in touch and one of our team will be happy to help.

    More resources and best practice

    TR19® Compliance

    To be compliant with TR19®, ventilation supply and extract ductwork must be classified at one of three levels, according to the area of the building that it serves. Each system must be classified as high, medium or low, in order to reflect the purpose and function of that area of the property. This means that there can be different classifications for individual zones within the same building or complex.

    You may need expert help and guide you to determine which category or categories your ventilation systems fall into and how often the ductwork should be tested and cleaned as a result, according to the tables set out in TR19®. Swiftclean can advise on system access design and installation and specialises in devising tailored hygiene maintenance schedules to ensure that you achieve compliance with TR19®, and stay compliant in the most cost effective way in each property for which you are the appointed responsible person.

    Dirty air ducts and ventilation systems can affect your business in a variety of costly ways, these can include; a drop in productivity, low employee morale, computer downtime, ruined interior decorations and high capital expenditure to replace prematurely deteriorated air conditioning systems.

    What is even more of a concern is the very real threat to building managers of prosecution, should ducts not comply with the regulations of the Health and Safety Commission, which state that ventilation systems should be cleaned, as appropriate and subject to ‘a suitable’ system of maintenance. The level of appropriateness is defined clearly in TR19® second edition and also BS EN 15780 and depends on the usage classification of the building in question.

    It is important to note that a ventilation system, through which the air that we breathe passes, typically has an internal surface area equivalent to 10% of the space that it serves. This puts into context the importance that should be placed on appropriately managing the hygiene within any ventilation system.

    Your Legal Responsibility

    To ensure compliance with the Regulations and associated Approved Code of Practice from the Health and Safety Commission which states that all mechanical ventilation systems should be regularly and properly cleaned, tested and maintained to ensure that they are kept clean and free from anything which may contaminate the air.

    Other Ventilation System Services

    Swiftclean offers a range of ventilation system services to help you ensure that your building remains healthy, safe, legal and compliant:

    Swiftclean commitment:

    • FREE quotation/technical advice – Nationwide – call 0800 243 471
    • Complete satisfaction or your money back guaranteed
    • Rapid response to client needs
    • Work carried out to relevant BESA, BSRIA and Health & Safety guidelines and regulations
    • Cleaning to ensure compliance with current Health & Safety regulations
    • Kitchen grease extract systems cleaned in compliance with TR19® Grease, buildings insurance requirements and Fire Safety regulations
    • Method Statements and Risk Assessments provided site specific as required
    • All works fully certified and post clean reports provided
    CHECK YOUR COMPLIANCE

    Call for a FREE quote

    Please call us or email info@swiftclean.co.uk for further advice and a free quote.

    CALL 0800 243 471