Uncleaned Kitchen Extraction Ductwork — The Fire Risks

Ventilation systems are essential today in most commercial buildings, but they have to be maintained thoroughly. Most of the risks from dirty systems involve health threats ranging from headaches to Legionnaires’ Disease, but when the system serves a kitchen, the big risk is fire. What Causes the Risk?

The job of a kitchen extraction system is to draw the smoke and grease out of the air and expel it. Mostly, it does just that, but some of the grease coats the ductwork and filters, building up over time.

Since this means the system isn’t working at peak efficiency, it can end up getting hotter, and this is a fire waiting to happen. It’s been estimated that faulty extraction systems are responsible for 70% of fires in commercial kitchens.

To prevent this, kitchen extraction ductwork should be professionally cleaned on a regular basis. Leading ventilation system and filter specialist, Filtrex Environmental, can offer this on an ongoing basis.

What You’re Risking

Some commercial kitchen extraction systems merely serve a little café, but they can cover a building as large as a shopping mall, and the ductwork may be routed throughout the building. If a fire takes hold, the entire complex is at risk.

A fire that’s caused by inadequately cleaned ductwork can have consequences that range from invalidation of your insurance policy to prosecution under health and safety legislation. Either could ruin your business, and you could find yourself in prison, especially if anyone dies in the fire and you face a charge of corporate manslaughter.

What Can You Do to Prevent This?

To make sure your kitchen extraction system is working safely, the filters should be checked and cleaned on a daily basis, and the whole system must be given a thorough cleaning and service at regular intervals. This will depend on the kitchen’s level of use, but even the most lightly used extraction system must be cleaned once a year. In practice, quarterly is likely to be the minimum interval.

The daily cleaning can be done by a qualified maintenance officer, but only if you can guarantee this will be done every day and not put behind other jobs in the queue. It’s far safer to have it done professionally, and the three-monthly clean must be done by professionals. A contract with Filtrex will give you the peace of mind that nothing will be overlooked.

Filtrex Environmental

Phone: 01279 457590

Email: sales@filtrex.co.uk

Website: www.filtrex.co.uk

Address: 18 Burnt Mill Industrial Estate, Harlow CM20 2HS