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DUCTWORK & DUCTWORK CLEANING


Ductwork cleaning is a fire risk control measure


Ductwork cleaning is often described as a hygiene service, but for kitchen extract systems, this assumption misses the most important point. Gary Nicholls, managing director of Swift Fire Compliance, explains why ductwork cleaning should be regarded primarily as a fire risk control measure, and why proving the work has been done properly is just as important as doing it


Left: Gary Nicholls, managing director of Swift Fire ComplianceSwift


Below: Pre and post kitchen extract clean


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with TR19® Grease and to provide auditable evidence. Registered contractors must provide a post-clean verification report together with before and after photographic evidence and grease thickness readings of system condition. A BESCA certificate of compliance is generated that protects contractors against future liability and supports predictive maintenance. VHR members are subject to ongoing scrutiny, with


hen people search for ‘ductwork cleaning’ they are usually thinking about hygiene. However, when we are talking about


kitchen extract cleaning and grease, I believe we need to change that mindset.


Ductwork cleaning is not fundamentally a hygiene


service, it’s a fire risk control service, and that is one of the reasons we established the Swift Fire Compliance brand a year ago. Inside a commercial kitchen extract system, fats, oils and grease (FOG) accumulate on internal surfaces. If they are allowed to build up uncontrolled, the ductwork can effectively become a hidden fuel source, providing a route through which fire can spread rapidly.


TR19® Grease is about risk control


BESA’s TR19® Grease specification provides the industry a framework for managing this risk. Having worked extensively with BESA and on the development of TR19® throughout my career, I have seen how the specification has evolved from simply being associated with duct cleaning into a much more comprehensive approach to fire risk management. It incorporates the essential understanding of the rate of grease accumulation per day, and the resultant required cleaning frequency to ensure the risk is appropriately controlled. In 2019, section 7 of the old TR19 was rewritten and the predictive accumulation assessment table introduced to help those responsible for system fire risk control to determine how often cleaning is required based on the measured grease accumulation rate. TR19® Grease provides recommended minimum frequencies for initial cleaning ranging from three-monthly for heavy-use kitchens, through six-monthly for moderate use, to annually for light use, with schedules reviewed against actual grease accumulation and the wider fire risk assessment. Once the rate of grease accumulation is understood, the


correct cleaning frequency can be set and adjusted as required if this accumulation rates change.


A clean is only as good as the evidence


One of the biggest lessons from my work as an expert witness in post-fire investigations is that a clean is only as good as the paperwork that records it. A proper post-clean report should provide evidence of what was inspected and cleaned, including photographic evidence and measurements. TR19® places considerable emphasis on measurable cleanliness rather than visible evidence. Deposit thickness testing provides objective evidence of the condition of the system. If sections of ductwork cannot be reached, it needs to be clearly recorded, with the reasons explained and the implications understood. Otherwise, grease can remain hidden in the inaccessible sections and continue to accumulate over a period of years.


The Vent Hygiene Register


The Vent Hygiene Register (VHR) scheme, which I helped pilot at BESA, enables contractors to verify that kitchen extract cleaning works are compliant


reports requested periodically for audit. They must also hold specific, audited qualifications, certified by BESA: ¡ Grease Hygiene Operative (GHO) course – this course covers safe working practices, the principles of extract systems, preparing the work location, selecting the correct tools and equipment and applying the correct cleaning methods and techniques to meet TR19® Grease requirements. ¡ Grease Hygiene Technician (GHT) course - designed for those in supervisory or managerial roles, training covers risk assessments and method statements, pre- and post-clean testing and reporting and the installation of access panels to industry standards. Completion of the GHT qualification is mandatory for technicians signing off kitchen extract cleans under the VHR scheme.


Think fire safety, not just cleaning


If we describe kitchen extract cleaning as ductwork hygiene, we risk understating why it matters. Of course, hygiene and system performance matter. But in a commercial kitchen, the overriding concern is the combustible material accumulating inside the extract system. The responsibility sits with everyone involved: designers need to provide suitable access; contractors need to install and maintain systems appropriately; specialist cleaning companies need the competence and equipment to carry out effective work; and dutyholders need to ensure that cleaning frequencies, inspections and documentation reflect the actual risk. As the industry continues to scrutinise fire safety


practices, standards and best practice are changing to meet new expectations. By looking beyond ductwork cleanliness, contractors can demonstrate the competence, verification and documentation needed to show that fire risk is being properly controlled. https://swiftfirecompliance.co.uk/


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