Compliance · 2026
TR19 Grease Cleaning: What the Law Requires for Kitchen Ductwork
TR19 grease cleaning is the standard by which commercial kitchen ductwork is assessed, cleaned and certified in the UK. For operators and insurers, understanding what it covers and how often it is required is the difference between a compliant kitchen and one carrying an uninsured fire risk.
The standard
What TR19 Grease Cleaning Actually Covers
TR19 is a guide published by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). It sets out how kitchen extract systems, from the canopy above the cooking line to the fan discharging outside, should be inspected, cleaned and documented so that grease deposits do not become a fire load.
The guide does not sit in isolation. Fire risk assessors, insurers and enforcing authorities treat it as the recognised benchmark for judging whether a kitchen's grease extract system has been properly maintained. A kitchen with no TR19 grease cleaning history is difficult to insure and, after a fire, difficult to defend.
The system, not just the ductwork
Canopy and plenum
The area directly above the cooking line, where grease-laden air first enters the system and deposits build fastest.
Ductwork runs
Horizontal and vertical runs between kitchen and roof level, often the hardest sections to access and the easiest to neglect.
Fan and discharge point
The extract fan and its housing, plus the roof or wall discharge terminal, both of which trap significant grease over time.
Filters
Grease filters are a daily housekeeping item for staff, but their condition and fit are also checked as part of a TR19 survey.
Why it is not optional
The Legal and Insurance Drivers Behind TR19 Grease Cleaning
There is no single piece of legislation that names TR19 directly, but several legal duties converge on the same outcome: a documented, regular cleaning regime for kitchen extract systems.
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The responsible person must assess and control fire risk on the premises. Grease build-up in ductwork is a recognised and foreseeable fire hazard, so a fire risk assessment that ignores extract cleaning is incomplete.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
Employers have a general duty to maintain a safe working environment. The HSE's catering sector guidance treats extract system maintenance as part of that duty.
Insurance policy conditions
Most commercial property and business interruption policies now specify TR19 compliant cleaning as a warranty. A claim following a kitchen fire can be reduced or refused if certificates are missing or out of date.
Lease and franchise agreements
Landlords and franchisors frequently require tenants and operators to hold current extraction cleaning certificates as a condition of the agreement, separate from the statutory position.
Getting it right
What a Compliant TR19 Grease Cleaning Service Should Include
TR19 sets cleaning frequency according to how the kitchen is used, from light use catering to heavy use fast food, so the first step of any service is establishing the right band rather than applying a generic schedule.
A proper survey checks grease deposit thickness against the limits set out in the guide, identifies access points that need to be cut into the ductwork, and records the condition of fire dampers along the run. Cleaning itself should reach bare metal, not just remove surface residue, and every access panel opened during the work needs to be resealed correctly to preserve the fire integrity of the ductwork.
Pre-clean survey
A route survey identifying access points, deposit levels and any structural issues before cleaning begins.
Before and after evidence
Photographic records of each duct section, both dirty and cleaned, kept alongside the certificate as proof of standard reached.
Access panel installation
Properly fitted, fire-rated access doors positioned to allow the whole system to be reached at future cleans.
TR19 certificate
A dated certificate confirming the scope cleaned, the standard achieved and the recommended date for the next clean.
If your extraction system has never been surveyed against TR19, or the certificates on file do not cover the full duct run, a site survey is the practical starting point. It also feeds directly into wider planning, such as our guide to DW172 and how extraction systems are designed, if the ductwork itself needs alteration rather than just cleaning.
Kent Commercial Kitchens carries out TR19 surveys and cleaning across Kent and the South East. Call 01304 249963 to talk through your current certification and cleaning history.
Common questions
TR19 Grease Cleaning FAQs
Is TR19 grease cleaning a legal requirement?
TR19 itself is not law, it is a technical guide from BESA. But the duties that make cleaning necessary, under the Fire Safety Order and the Health and Safety at Work Act, are legal requirements. TR19 is simply the standard used to show those duties have been met.
How often does kitchen ductwork need cleaning under TR19?
Frequency depends on usage banding. Heavy use kitchens, such as 24 hour fast food operations, typically need cleaning every three months. Light use kitchens may only need an annual clean. A survey establishes the correct band for your specific operation rather than assuming a default schedule.
What happens if we cannot produce a TR19 certificate after a fire?
Insurers can reduce or decline a claim if they find the extract system was not maintained to a recognised standard. Fire investigators and enforcing authorities also treat missing or incomplete cleaning records as evidence of poor fire risk management, which can lead to enforcement action separate from any insurance dispute.
Can kitchen staff clean the ductwork themselves?
Staff can and should clean filters and canopy surfaces as part of daily housekeeping. Cleaning inside the ductwork itself requires trained operatives, correct access, and the ability to issue a valid TR19 certificate, so this part of the work needs a specialist contractor.
Does a new kitchen fit-out need a TR19 survey straight away?
A newly installed system should be recorded and its baseline condition established before the first cooking service, so the cleaning schedule and any future certificates have a clear starting point. This is worth raising during the design stage rather than after installation is complete.
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