Why Schools Should Prioritise Compliance This Summer
Why Summer Is the Right Time for School Compliance
For schools, colleges and academy trusts across the UK, the summer holidays provide more than just a break from teaching; they offer a vital opportunity to ensure buildings are safe, compliant and ready for the new academic year.
With less people on site, and fewer pupils to disrupt, summer is the ideal time to complete essential air, water and fire compliance works with minimal disruption. From kitchen extract cleaning and ventilation hygiene to legionella control and fire damper testing, maintaining these systems is an important part of meeting legal responsibilities and protecting building occupants.
Many education providers are now placing greater focus on compliance awareness and certification management as legislation and expectations around building safety continue to increase. Under the Health & Safety at Work Act, Duty Holders have a legal responsibility to ensure that building systems are properly maintained and safe for use.
The importance of this cannot be underestimated. Poor indoor air quality has been linked to reduced concentration and increased absenteeism, while grease build-up within kitchen extract systems remains one of the leading causes of commercial kitchen fires. In addition, water systems left unmanaged during quieter periods can create increased risks associated with Legionella bacteria.
Your Compliance Partner for the New Academic Year
At Swiftclean, we support education settings nationwide with specialist compliance services covering air hygiene, water hygiene and fire safety, helping schools and academies return in September with confidence that their buildings are compliant, certified and operationally ready.
As summer maintenance schedules fill quickly, now is the ideal time for education providers to review their compliance requirements and secure planned works ahead of the new term.
Stuart Day, one of Swiftclean’s Technical Sales Consultants, says:
“Educating the education sector on compliance is becoming ever more important; for those in charge of facilities management at schools, there is an ever-growing list of responsibilities, and Swiftclean can help ensure the compliance journey is smooth and legally secure” – Stuart Day, Technical Sales Consultant
Your School Compliance Questions Answered
What documentation should I have for my Legionella compliance?
For Legionella compliance, you should hold a current Legionella Risk Assessment (LRA) specific to your site, along with a Written Scheme of Control outlining how risks are managed. In addition, you should maintain up-to-date records of routine monitoring checks (e.g. temperature checks, flushing, sampling where required), cleaning and disinfection reports, and any remedial works carried out. A logbook (either physical or digital) is essential to demonstrate ongoing compliance with ACOP L8 and HSG274 guidance.
What documentation should I have for my kitchen extract compliance?
You should have a TR19® compliant kitchen extract cleaning certificate and accompanying post-clean report, which details the level of grease accumulation before and after cleaning. Photographic evidence is also typically included. In addition, you may hold risk assessments, method statements (RAMS), and maintenance records. Keeping these documents accessible is important for insurers, Environmental Health Officers (EHO), and fire risk assessors.
How many times a year should my kitchen extract system be cleaned?
The frequency of cleaning depends on the level of usage, as outlined in TR19® guidance. For most school kitchens (moderate use), a clean is typically recommended at least every 6 months. However, systems with heavier usage may require more frequent cleaning (e.g. every 3-4 months), while lighter-use kitchens may be inspected and cleaned annually. A site-specific risk assessment will determine the appropriate frequency.
How often should I be carrying out water monitoring checks?
Water monitoring checks should be carried out regularly in line with your Written Scheme of Control. Typically, this includes monthly temperature checks on sentinel outlets, weekly flushing of infrequently used outlets, and periodic inspections of tanks and calorifiers (often quarterly or annually). The exact frequency should be determined by your Legionella Risk Assessment and reflect the specific risk level of your site.
Who is the Responsible Person for compliance in a school?
In most schools, the Responsible Person for fire safety is the headteacher or the governing body, though this responsibility is often delegated to a facilities or site manager in practice. For Legionella compliance under ACOP L8, the duty holder is typically the employer, which in academy trusts may be the trust itself. It is important that whoever holds this responsibility is clearly identified, trained, and supported with accurate compliance records.
Book Your School Compliance Works This Summer
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