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Outstanding cleanliness for air and water

As grease-laden hot air travels through your extract ductwork, it cools, leaving greasy deposits on the inside of the ductwork. This process also forms a serious fire hazard. Should a kitchen fire reach your extract system, it can use the ductwork to spread to other parts of the building, increasing the risk to staff, students and visitors.

Failure to remove these grease deposits can constitute negligence, with all its legal consequences, including prosecution and, potentially, even a custodial sentence. Accumulated grease deposits may also compromise your buildings insurance, so, if you haven’t complied with TR/19, your insurer may refuse to pay you compensation in the event of a fire.

The solution to kitchen extract fire safety is to appoint a specialist to clean your ductwork regularly in compliance with TR/19 the leading guidance document on ventilation hygiene. Once the grease is removed, the risk of fire is greatly reduced and your system is compliant. Swiftclean is one of the UK’s leading specialist Kitchen Extract Fire Safety Cleaning experts, providing full compliance with TR/19. To achieve compliance, you will need specialist expert cleaning of the entire extract system, including the canopy, removing all traces of grease. You will also need documentation of your compliance, in case you need to demonstrate that you have not been negligent. We provide full post-clean reports, including before and after pictures of every asset cleaned, because it is essential to document your compliance thoroughly.

There may be areas of your system that are inaccessible for cleaning, and these should be rectified wherever possible. We often install additional access points so that a system can be made compliant and kept compliant with TR/19 for the future. Other providers will also provide this service, but it is worth remembering that Swiftclean is recommended by AXA Insurance for Kitchen Extract Fire Safety Cleaning.

Within your ventilation system, you may also have fire dampers, sets of steel louvres which close automatically in a fire to compartmentalise your property and delay the spread of fire and smoke. Fire dampers must be tested regularly, in accordance with BS 9999:2017, using a method known as drop testing.

Providing clean air throughout an educational building is a legal requirement, as it promotes good health. In an education setting, clean air also helps with concentration and learning. Your mechanical ventilation system should, therefore, also be cleaned in accordance with TR/19, BS EN 15780 and the BSRIA BG49/2013 Air Commissioning Guide.

During academic breaks, your water system is often not used for weeks at a time. Tepid, static water provides the perfect breeding ground for legionella during shutdown periods. Holidays are therefore also the best time to carry out water tank cleaning and legionella control services. These must comply with L8, the Approved Code of Practice issued by the HSE.

Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems in science laboratories also need regular specialist cleaning, in compliance with COSHH regulations and HSE guidance (HSG 258) to protect students, teachers and technicians from airborne contaminants.

Compliance in these areas may not be an Ofsted requirement, but it should be a top priority for the health and safety of all school users. A standard cleaning company will not have the skills to provide all these services, so you should ensure that you appoint a competent specialist provider.