Under the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 (as amended 1999), there is a legal requirement to undertake a formal fire safety risk assessment and to implement controls where a hazard is identified.
Ventilation extraction systems, particularly kitchen grease extract systems, are a high-risk installation in terms of fire safety and the risk assessment should look to ensure that adequate access and an understanding/clarity of ventilation duct routes are documented through schematic plans and also that PPM is in place to monitor system condition along with effective periodic cleaning.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 introduced major changes to Fire Safety regulations. Fire Authorities are no longer responsible for issuing fire certificates. Companies, as well as individuals, are responsible for their own compliance with the legislation. Identified failure to comply with the legal requirements to prepare Fire Risk Assessments to protect building occupants from the danger of fire will result in prosecution of the company or organisation and its responsible person(s).
Under the provisions of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974, it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all parties. This includes staff and customers. An absence of adequate control renders the business operator liable to criminal action. The absence of an effective system for maintaining ventilation extraction systems could lead to fire and subsequent injury or death of either building occupants or of third parties. Any such event would be likely to result in legal action under the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Swiftclean can offer you an on site survey to verify your extraction systems and discuss with you your current PPM and help you to ensure it’s adequate.
Swiftclean is a member of the BESCA Ventilation Hygiene Register (VHR). BESCA is BESA’s certification arm which audits work to ensure standards are maintained and manages a database of post-clean verification reports to give reassurance to clients and their insurers that ventilation systems are being maintained to a high standard. It also ensures that all operatives used by member companies are undertaking recognised training and have reached the right level of competence to meet the TR19® standard.
There are still some non-specialist hygiene providers who do not necessarily understand their responsibilities operating in the market. These companies may not have the right technical experience or ability to provide fully compliant post-clean reports to satisfy building insurers and keep occupants safe.
Ventilation hygiene is a critical part of any fire risk assessment process and the VHR helps building operators provide supporting evidence to prove that fire safety strategies are being well managed. It also helps the member company maintain an auditable trail of cleans and reduces insurance risk.
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Health & Safety References
Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations
The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations (L24 second edition 2013); require under regulation 6, building owners and managers to ensure that enclosed workplaces are ventilated with fresh and purified air. Regulation 5 imposes a duty to clean ventilation systems “as appropriate“ and ensure they are subject to a suitable system of maintenance.
Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999
The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 imposes a duty of care on every employer to conduct a risk assessment of ventilation systems and sets out the basic principles for assessing risk.
ACOP 48
ACOP 48 states; the air which is introduced should, as far as possible, be free of any impurity which is likely to be offensive or cause ill health.
ACOP 52
ACOP 52 states; Mechanical ventilation systems (including air-conditioning systems) should be regularly and adequately cleaned. They should also be properly tested and maintained to ensure that they are kept clean and free from anything which may contaminate the air.
Insurance and compliance
It is common place now for insurers to include clauses within building insurance policies that includes specific actions to be taken to eliminate the risk of fire in kitchen grease extract systems, this is due to the fact that the build-up of grease in the kitchen extract system is a common cause of fire or fire spread in commercial kitchens. If the cleaning regime does not comply with the specific terms of the insurance policy in relation to the kitchen grease extract system, then in the event of a fire associated with the kitchen extract, the subsequent insurance claim is likely to be rejected.
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