DUCTWORK & DUCTWORK CLEANING


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is not uncommon in older properties as a whole, but in the PFI contract, this becomes a particular problem – especially at the point of handover.


So, what should you do if the end of your PFI contract is fast


Ready for your PFI contract end?


When a PFI contract ends, the assets are handed back to the contracting public authority. This sounds relatively straightforward, but as Martin Hembling, commercial director of ductwork hygiene experts, Swiftclean, explains, in some of these imminently ending PFI contracts, accurate records of maintenance and compliance have not always been kept. Here, he looks at what managers should be doing to prepare for the end of a PFI contract.


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oughly 70 of the UK’s 700 PFI contracts will come to an end over the next four years, and the assets, buildings and infrastructure will be handed back to their commissioning authority. This is particularly common in schools and hospitals. As a specialist ductwork hygiene and Legionella risk control service supplier, we are noticing distinct anxiety about this in some quarters. When PFIs began in 1992, there was not the emphasis that there is today on accurate record keeping and compliance. As a result, it may be very diffi cult to demonstrate that KPIs have been met, and there may be incomplete lists of assets within each building. This


12 October 2025


Left: Martin Hembling, commercial director of ductwork hygiene experts, Swiftclean


approaching? You will be required to produce a fi nal report on the building before handover, so it is essential to draw together all the information that you do have, and to address the gaps in the records. The sooner you do this, the better. You may have a couple of years before your contract ends, so you do have the opportunity to form some good habits and some robust records. Far better to have a couple of years of clear records than none. Ductwork compliance is a good example. The fi rst step for many will be to create a complete list of assets and, preferably, a schematic drawing of the building. Commissioning professional cleaning of ventilation ductwork in compliance with TR19® Air, and of kitchen extract ductwork in compliance with TR19® Grease, may be the best way to begin this process. If you choose a member of the BESA’s Vent Hygiene Register (VHR), you will not only benefi t from their professionalism and expertise, but also from some extremely helpful documentation. VHR members are vetted regularly, and can provide post-clean BESCA certifi cation of each clean, including before and after photographs. This provides robust evidence of compliance which can help to protect the site’s Responsible Person from accusations of negligence. In order to perform a thorough, competent, TR19®


compliant clean, we must access the entire ductwork system, so, as we go, we will map out where every access point is across the entire length of the ductwork system. If there are sections which are inaccessible, as there often are in older systems, we can retrofi t additional access hatches in order to bring the whole system into compliance. Occasionally, we discover sections which cannot be accessed without more serious, and potentially costly remedial work, and we will discuss this with you so that you can address the problem. Another consequence of not having accurate


records of ventilation ductwork is that you could be unaware of the presence of fi re or smoke dampers, which must also be regularly inspected, cleaned, tested and maintained. In schools and hospitals, there can be several hundred of these. It is a legal requirement to perform an annual test for function and cleanliness, so a robust record of ventilation ductwork and fi re damper assets is key to future compliance. You would be wise to conduct a full audit of all the building’s utilities and to record their condition and compliance. The incumbent building or facilities manager will need to be able to demonstrate that they have diligently managed the compliance of the ductwork – and many other aspects of the property. The contracting authority may well award the facilities maintenance contract to a provider after the PFI contract ends. Whether they appoint an in-house team, reappoint the incumbent, or choose a new provider, they will need a full picture of all the assets in order to gain an accurate picture of the cost of future maintenance and compliance.


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