Uncleaned Grease Extract Ventilation Ducting – still a major contributor in fires at catering premises

12.07.2010

Leading provider of specialist ventilation cleaning services, Indepth Hygiene Limited, today urge all catering premises owners and managers to review their assessment of fire risk, to ensure their grease extract systems are adequately cleaned. This call follows a fire at Liverpool Street Station’s Burger King Restaurant last week, where it is thought (according to a London Fire Brigade spokesman as reported by the BBC) that a kitchen ventilation shaft in the restaurant had caught fire.

The fire left the rail and road networks in the surrounding areas at a standstill until the fire was brought under control. At one point some 40 firefighters tackled the fire in a ventilation shaft after it broke out just after 10pm. It took around three hours to get fully under control, and no injuries were reported.

Richard Norman, Managing Director of Indepth Hygiene Services said “This is yet another case that clearly demonstrates inadequately cleaned ducts can lead to fires. On this occasion, thankfully no one was hurt, however, if premises owners and managers fail to carry out internal cleaning of their ductwork, the chances of more serious fires remain a threat”.

He went on say “The Fire & Rescue Service has reported a spate of recent fires in restaurants and bistros which have been linked to uncleaned, or inadequately cleaned, grease extract systems. In a number of instances the owners or operators claimed to have had in place a cleaning service only to find, as a result of a fire, that flammable grease deposits had not been removed from the internal surfaces of the extract ducting and consequently supported a fire arising from a spark or flame in the kitchen”.

Indepth Hygiene’s experience of examining post-fire debris from other fires, suggests that access panels are not always fitted in the ductwork to allow access for thorough cleaning of the entire system and as a result they had remained a fire risk.

As stated by a Fire Authority “Uncleaned grease extract ventilation systems present probably the greatest fire risk in buildings with catering facilities”. In the hope of preventing further fires in restaurants and pubs, Indepth Hygiene will visit your catering establishment and carry our a FREE OF CHARGE assessment of fire risk.

With the number and consequential cost of these fires having increased Insurers are demanding that grease extract systems are cleaned in their entirety, not just as accessible, and in several cases have disputed claims on grounds that partial cleaning did not comply with their warranty requirements.

To ensure compliance with Fire Safety Legislation and insurance requirements and to book your FREE assessment of risk, visit Indepth Hygiene at www.indepthhygiene.uki.net/assessing-the-risk.htm or call us now on

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Indepth Hygiene assist major organisations and companies in the Public and Private sectors to meet their obligations to exercise 'due diligence' and a 'duty of care' as required by hygiene and health & safety legislation.

Our services are provided in accordance with Government approved specifications and best Health and Safety practice; reinforced by fully detailed work method statements and risk assessments. We are accredited to BS EN ISO 9001/2000, Contractors Health & Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS) and SAFEcontractor, a member of the Heating & Ventilating Contractors’ Association (HVCA), and the Fire Protection Association.

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