Ventilation Duct Cleaning: Are You Legal?

If you’re running a business, duct cleaning might not be your first priority. However, regular ventilation duct cleaning should be high up the list if you want to protect your staff and premises from sickness, fire and potentially prosecution.

Regulation 6 of the Health and Safety Executive’s Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 Approved Code of Practice demands that “effective and suitable provision shall be made to ensure that every enclosed workplace is ventilated by a sufficient quantity of fresh or purified air”.

The HSE requirements for duct cleaning stipulate that cleaning must be undertaken frequently, that breakdowns are reported immediately and that the system is tested regularly to ensure that employees have access to filtered, purified air.

In the Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association’s (HVCA’s) TR/19 best practice guide, it recommends that commercial kitchen owners should ensure duct cleaning is carried out every three months (heavy use), every six months (medium use) or every twelve months (light use). Although commercial kitchens are particularly at risk, the HVCA stipulates that all businesses must regularly clean their ventilation systems.

HVCA president, Michael J Taylor, says: “As air is invisible there is a tendency to take the quality of the air we breathe for granted. Moreover, given that the average person has an air intake of about 3.4 litres of air every minute, the dangers of an inadequate or polluted air supply are obvious.”

Failure to comply with the HSE requirements for duct cleaning could lead to a build-up of dirt, grease and dust, putting your business at risk.  Organising regular cleaning and maintenance of your ducts may seem like an unnecessary expense, but the cost pails into insignificance when you consider the levels of sickness that can be contributed to a polluted environment, and the risk of fire, because your duct and ventilation systems were not kept clean.

Rainbow International will ensure that your kitchen ducts and air management system is clear of dust and ingrained grease and grime that can clog up your ducts.

Contact us to find out more about our kitchen duct cleaning and ventilation duct cleaning services and to get a quote or for advice on how to effect a thorough cleaning service.