email: enquiries@diaday.co.uk | tel: 020 8651 1301 | fax: 020 8651 1301

Customer Responsibilities

Ventilation Systems are cleaned for the following reasons:

  • To comply with Health & Safety.
  • Building Managers concerned about staff - Health / Absenteeism / Sick Building Syndrome.
  • To reduce Fire & Health Hazards.
  • To maintain safe and comfortable working conditions.
  • To maintain efficiency of ventilation systems.
  • To satisfy insurers.


It is now even more important to clean your ventilation systems, both for health, hygiene and legal purposes. Sick Building Syndrome is often linked to poor indoor air quality. Fresh air in buildings is the key to safe, comfortable and efficient working conditions, and contaminated air is one of the most common causes of Sick Building Syndrome.

The importance of this has been supported by today’s various regulations.

What is even more of a concern is the very real threat to building managers, of prosecution, should ducts not comply with the regulations of the Health and Safety Commission, which state that ventilations systems should be cleaned 'as appropriate' and subject to 'a suitable' system of maintenance.

To ensure compliance with the Associated Code of Practice from the Health and Safety Commission, all mechanical ventilation systems should be regularly and properly cleaned, tested and maintained to ensure that they are kept clean and free from anything which may contaminate the air.

In April 2006, The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Fire Act (Scotland) 2005 came into operation. Every business employing more than 4 people, must carry out a fire risk assessment and record it. The significant findings of the fire risk assessment and any persons at special risk must be documented. All commercial kitchens have to comply and failure could result in closure by an Environmental Health Officer or insurers not paying claims caused by kitchen extract fires.

There now will be a “responsible person” appointed to maintain a Fire Safety record, who must be able to prove that measures for Fire Safety and Prevention have been met. This is as set out by the Fire Safety Order. This prompts “responsible persons” to install fire doors, extinguishers etc. The Kitchen extract system is commonly overlooked as a potential fire risk.

The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 came into force in April 2008 allowing companies and organisations to be found guilty as a result of serious management failures, such as building fires linked to poorly maintained ventilation systems.

HVCA TR/19 Guide to Good Practice Internal Cleanliness of Ventilation Systems

HVCA TR/19 Guide to Good Practice Internal Cleanliness of Ventilation Systems - Requires regular specialist cleaning of Kitchen Extract Systems based on usage. Section 7.35 shows the minimum recommended interval between specialist cleans as follows:

  • Heavy Use 12-16 hours per day - 3 monthly
  • Medium Use 6-12 hours per day - 6 monthly
  • Light Use 2 - 6 hours per day - Annually

SAFEcontractor

We have also gained accreditation to SAFEcontractor. This scheme is designed to help industry improve on safety records. It demands high standards of health and safety practice for UK contractors and examines procedures and track records of organisations prior to accreditation, with ongoing annual assessments.

Contacting Diaday

email: enquiries@diaday.co.uk
tel: 020 8651 1301
fax: 020 8651 1301