Kitchen Extract Cleaning
Grease build-up in commercial kitchen extract systems is one of the most significant and most preventable fire risks in the UK. If not professionally maintained to the BESA TR19® Grease specification, kitchen extract systems can quickly become a serious fire hazard, putting your staff, customers, premises, and business at risk.
Kitchen Extract System Cleaning and Fire Risk Control
If regular cleaning, in accordance with the BESA specification, TR19® Grease, is not undertaken, fats, oily, greasy (FOG) deposits and fibrous particles can accumulate in kitchen extract systems, reducing air flow efficiency and producing a warm greasy environment for bacteria and cockroaches to breed.
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These areas, if not professionally maintained, can quickly become a fire risk and can be a major cause of the ignition and / or spread of fire in food production establishments. Under certain circumstances flame or very high temperatures can ignite the grease causing fire to spread rapidly through the duct. Therefore, it is of particular importance that grease extract systems are regularly inspected and cleaned as required, to ensure that the obvious fire risk is kept suitably under control.
In addition to this, failure to ensure regular cleaning of kitchen grease extract systems can invalidate buildings insurance cover and highlight a lack of legal compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. We are aware of many cases where insurers have refused to pay out on millions of pounds worth of claims following fires where the insured has not complied with the conditions or warranties on their buildings insurance policies regarding regular professional cleaning of the grease extract systems.
Why Professional Kitchen Extract Cleaning is Essential
While some light cleaning of canopy filters can be done in-house, the ductwork and fans require specialist skills and equipment to achieve a true TR19® Grease clean. Attempting this without training not only risks incomplete cleaning but can also cause damage to components or expose staff to hazards such as sharp metal edges or harmful cleaning agents.
Our professional kitchen extract cleaning services help to ensure:
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- Fire Prevention – Removing grease significantly reduces the risk of fire spreading through the duct, protecting staff, customers, and property.
- Operational Efficiency – Clean ducts and fans allow extraction systems to work at full capacity, reducing wear on motors and lowering energy bills.
- Hygiene and Pest Control – A clean system is far less attractive to pests and eliminates breeding grounds for harmful bacteria.
- Regulatory Compliance – Meeting the exacting standards set by TR19®, BESA, and UK fire safety legislation.
- Peace of Mind – Certification assures stakeholders that the kitchen is safe, compliant, and professionally maintained.
Choosing professional cleaning with Swiftclean is more than a box-ticking exercise; it’s a proactive step towards safeguarding your people, your premises, and your reputation. Our services help you maintain full compliance with industry regulations, keep your operations running at peak efficiency, and reduce the risk of costly downtime. Just as importantly, we provide clear, detailed documentation so you can demonstrate due diligence with confidence whenever an inspection or insurance review takes place.