Want to schedule overnight air safety checks and still serve breakfast on time?
Put your asset register to work, says Airmec.
With so many kitchens working virtually 24/7 just how do you plan for kitchen extract duct inspection and cleaning? It’s all very well to schedule overnight working, but you need to have a very clear picture of the work that will need to be done to be 100% sure of being ready when the team arrives for the morning shift. There’s no room for error and over-run.
Air and water services experts Airmec say that the key to keeping scheduled overnight cleans on time are Airmec Working Asset Registers to give you a window on the real need for cleaning so you can undertake pragmatic planning and budgeting and be sure of having a robust audit trail.
Rather than tick the boxes by scheduling three, six- or twelve-monthly inspections regardless of actual need or risk, the best approach is to identify the equipment that will present the greatest risk of fire, energy inefficiency and bad air quality, and keep on top of it, advises Airmec. That way scheduled cleans are unlikely to be disrupted by finding unexpected problems, or to over-run into working hours. It’s a brave premises manager who’s going to tell the chef that their kitchen isn’t quite ready!
Building a complete asset register which not only lists the physical assets but also records contamination levels over time will reveal the rates of build up and a better risk assessment. Premises managers can then to predict, plan and budget for maintenance and remedial work more accurately. “In a nutshell, you can focus on cleaning areas of high build up more often so that cleans can be quick and easily achieved between shifts or with absolutely minimal downtime. Meanwhile, other areas may be found to need less frequent attention and offer cost savings,” says Airmec managing director Andrew Steel.
Under UK health and safety requirements, commercial kitchen canopies and extraction systems (including ducts) must be cleaned professionally at least once a year – this is also a business insurance requirement. As a rule of thumb, it has conventionally been recommended that cleaning intervals should be as follows:
In a busy commercial kitchen preparing meals all through the day, that means 3 monthly cleaning and that’s potentially a lot of disruption to a busy working environment. Make sure you know exactly what needs cleaning to be sure you can plan to get the jobs done between shifts.
Use of BESA code of practice TR19 – Internal Cleanliness of Ventilation Systems alongside British Standard BS EN 15780:2011 for cleanliness levels in ductwork will allow inspection at appropriate intervals which then trigger cleans as necessary. This regime ensures compliance with health and safety requirements while ensuring ducting is not cleaned unless necessary, ensuring maximum efficiency of system use and minimum cost and disruption.
Put your asset register to work, says Airmec.
With so many kitchens working virtually 24/7 just how do you plan for kitchen extract duct inspection and cleaning? It’s all very well to schedule overnight working, but you need to have a very clear picture of the work that will need to be done to be 100% sure of being ready when the team arrives for the morning shift. There’s no room for error and over-run.
Air and water services experts Airmec say that the key to keeping scheduled overnight cleans on time are Airmec Working Asset Registers to give you a window on the real need for cleaning so you can undertake pragmatic planning and budgeting and be sure of having a robust audit trail.
Rather than tick the boxes by scheduling three, six- or twelve-monthly inspections regardless of actual need or risk, the best approach is to identify the equipment that will present the greatest risk of fire, energy inefficiency and bad air quality, and keep on top of it, advises Airmec. That way scheduled cleans are unlikely to be disrupted by finding unexpected problems, or to over-run into working hours. It’s a brave premises manager who’s going to tell the chef that their kitchen isn’t quite ready!
Building a complete asset register which not only lists the physical assets but also records contamination levels over time will reveal the rates of build up and a better risk assessment. Premises managers can then to predict, plan and budget for maintenance and remedial work more accurately. “In a nutshell, you can focus on cleaning areas of high build up more often so that cleans can be quick and easily achieved between shifts or with absolutely minimal downtime. Meanwhile, other areas may be found to need less frequent attention and offer cost savings,” says Airmec managing director Andrew Steel.
Under UK health and safety requirements, commercial kitchen canopies and extraction systems (including ducts) must be cleaned professionally at least once a year – this is also a business insurance requirement. As a rule of thumb, it has conventionally been recommended that cleaning intervals should be as follows:
- Heavy Use: 12-16 Hours Per Day 3 monthly
- Moderate Use: 6-12 Hours Per Day 6 monthly
- Light Use: 2- 6 Hours Per Day 12 monthly
In a busy commercial kitchen preparing meals all through the day, that means 3 monthly cleaning and that’s potentially a lot of disruption to a busy working environment. Make sure you know exactly what needs cleaning to be sure you can plan to get the jobs done between shifts.
Use of BESA code of practice TR19 – Internal Cleanliness of Ventilation Systems alongside British Standard BS EN 15780:2011 for cleanliness levels in ductwork will allow inspection at appropriate intervals which then trigger cleans as necessary. This regime ensures compliance with health and safety requirements while ensuring ducting is not cleaned unless necessary, ensuring maximum efficiency of system use and minimum cost and disruption.