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commercial complaints, access obstructions and impediments, extractor fans and attenuator units. Vertical risers are often cleaned to ‘arms reach’,
while extract fans are a ‘primary ignition hazard’ given grease accumulation. Good access ‘equals good conditions’, while attenuators and silencers are ‘areas of concern’ due to membranes acting as sponges and being difficult to clean. Control measures include identifying and
acting on problems, producing adequate surveys or awareness of potential issues, resolving access issues and costing time and jobs. On safe access and design, common problems are inadequate ductwork access, insufficient doors and adjacent services, while control measures include building out, awareness of issues at interior design and architectural levels, and ‘substance over style’.
Cleaning approaches
Ductclean’s Jamie Carraher discussed approaches to cleaning from the contractor perspective, expressing issues around grease build up, while on legal requirements he cited new sentencing guidelines as ‘key’ to prosecuting bigger companies. Stakeholder pressure might require a TR19
recommended clean, but can mean restricted contractor access and time alongside improved standards. He showed a flow chart with Ductclean’s cleaning procedures, noting he was ‘gobsmacked’ at the level of detail, before demonstrating the path of a system from kitchen to roof, including hazards such as cable trays, risers, solid walls and no roof protection. Looking at perception versus reality, most
contractors find ductwork is ‘not actually clean’, with inaccessible areas causing dangerous innovation. This comes from ‘pressure from the client and a lack of contractor confidence’, while other issues include congested roof voids, and issues ‘out of sight’ such as bird waste, asbestos and electrics. Citing TR19, Mr Carraher said reports should
include clean details, photos and measurements before and after, and logging access issues. On the involvement of insurers, he referenced the BESA Elite scheme that allows contractors to self certify TR19 compliance, which also offers training. New cleaning technologies include remote brushes and chemical release, though often require a ‘significant investment’ and are ‘not always suitable’. UV and ozone reduce grease at source, while sensors monitor real time dust, debris and grease levels and send communication based on micron readings. Suppression systems ‘must be maintained by a
competent person’, while access equipment is also available including cantilever systems. The sector, he stated, must influence stakeholders through education and external influencers, mandating inclusion of ductwork layouts on hygiene certificates. Mr Carraher also recommended innovative
48 MARCH 2018
www.frmjournal.com
technology including building information modelling (BIM), calling for mandatory contractor consultation in ductwork design to better communicate access issues, and hoped for a ‘sea change’.
Insurer perspective
AXA’s Nick Tilley examined insurer expectations, hazards, assessment approaches, risk controls and technical standards. Specific policies and conditions vary, but are ‘broadly similar’, as all pertain to protecting businesses from damage and interruption. Risk ownership, rather than being down to the
business owner, site manager or staff, is for ‘all of the above’. Kitchens have ‘all elements necessary for a fire’ including combustibles, fuels, oils, grease, ignition sources, oxygen and people. After a fire, insurers have the ‘easy job’, in that
they ‘just pay the cheque’, but a business owner has to rebuild, Mr Tilley demonstrating this with a risk flow chart from identification to assessment and treatment. Two branches diverge for financing and control, the former including retention and transfer, and the latter management controls and physical protection. Financing and retention is uninsured, but the remainder is. Insurers need to identify and assess inherent risks,
especially checking they are unique as well as their probability, frequency and impact, which can all vary. Physical and earning impacts are also assessed, risk treatment following a mantra of transfer, terminate, tolerate and treat. Proportionate risk control includes management of risks and physical protection, measured against recognised industry standards. Residual risks are reduced after the control
stage, but ‘we can’t eliminate them all’, though while ‘inevitable, are they acceptable?’ Actions within the physical and management stages include sprinklers, duct cleaning and suppression, while physical protection can include compartmentation, hoods and automatic shut off for detection and protection. Digging deeper into automatic suppression,
Mr Tilley cited wet chemical technology as preferable, as it requires ‘minimal intervention and training’.
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