Commercial Kitchen Ventilation

In a commercial kitchen, it is vital to ensure that you have adequate and safe ventilation and that you stay in line with commercial kitchen ventilation regulations, which form a part of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Robinsons Facilities Services can provide you with planned preventative maintenance and repairs across Yorkshire. If you have a commercial kitchen, it is your responsibility to make sure that it is safe, and that’s where we can help.

Why Commercial Kitchens Require Ventilation

There are several reasons commercial kitchens require ventilation and extraction systems. The functions of a ventilation system are as follows:

• To help remove heat and hot air
• To remove vapours and fumes that may form in your kitchen
• To remove grease and vapours in the kitchen
• To keep a flow of fresh air and keep employees safe and healthy

You will run into many issues if you neglect your commercial kitchen ventilation system, not least because your building may not be compliant without the proper ventilation.

Issues may include:

• Poor air quality: Cooking produces smoke, steam, and fumes that contain a range of harmful particles, such as grease, oil, carbon monoxide, and other chemicals. Without proper ventilation, these particles can accumulate in the air.
• Fire hazard: Cooking equipment generates heat that can ignite flammable substances, such as grease and oil, if not properly ventilated. A buildup of these substances can cause a fire, putting the building, staff, and customers at risk.
• Foul smells. Cooking produces strong smells that can be unpleasant for customers and staff. Without proper ventilation, these odours can linger and become more intense, giving the perception of an unclean kitchen.
• Damage to equipment and surfaces may also occur, or at least some form of wear and tear. Steam and humidity can cause damage to kitchen equipment, such as ovens, fryers, and refrigerators, as well as walls, floors, and ceilings.

So, with this in mind, it follows that the benefits of adequate ventilation include:

• Reduced risk of fire
• Improved air quality including the reduction of airborne particles that can cause illness or disease
• Reduced condensation and damp
• Reduced build-up of grease. Grease on surfaces can pose a serious health risk and food hygiene issue

As well as being needed for your health and safety, it is the right thing to do to keep your commercial premises safe.

Types of Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Systems

The most common type of commercial kitchen ventilation system is the hood and duct system. This is where an exhaust hood is installed above cooking equipment, and a duct is used to remove the contaminated air from the kitchen. A flue might be installed to help to extract unwanted materials from your kitchen.

You will know from your own home that it can get smoky and even greasy without an extractor to ventilate. Even with an extractor, ducts need regular cleaning.

Robinsons Facilities Services can provide you with planned preventative maintenance and repairs, with trained and accredited engineers available 24/7 in case of emergency. Our skilled engineers are able to work with a wide variety of systems made by different manufacturers.

Gas Safe Regulations

In a kitchen using gas appliances, specific gas safe regulations for commercial kitchens apply. Your kitchen might need a flue which can help to get rid of the heat, smoke and liquid vapours that might build up.

An extractor flue can be one of the most crucial aspects of the whole kitchen, and this means that you should consider the quality and maintenance of the flue.

It’s crucial to ensure that you consider the regulations and our Gas Safe registered engineers can give you guidance on how you can keep your kitchen in line with the guidelines.

Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Maintenance

There are certain aspects of ventilation maintenance that your kitchen staff should perform.

It is crucial that you clean and maintain the system and Environmental Health Officers will inspect commercial kitchens from time to time. They may want records of your extraction system being cleaned as well as a Certificate of Cleanliness and records of professional maintenance.

We recommend having a commercial kitchen ventilation service at least once a year, or more frequently if you feel that your system is not performing as well as it should be. If any issues crop up, and there are signs that grease is building up and the ventilator isn’t working as desired, you can also contact us, and a member of our team can diagnose any problems.

Robinsons Facilities Services can provide commercial kitchen ventilation maintenance anywhere in Yorkshire, to make sure that your system is running efficiently and to help prolong its life.

HSE guidelines are crucial to ensure that your kitchen is adequately ventilated and maintained. Our engineers can help to service your system and keep you compliant with health regulations.

Working across Yorkshire, we cover North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and South Yorkshire and offer a fast, efficient response time to all breakdowns and repairs. Contact us today for all planned, reactive maintenance or emergency call out. Call 01423 226578 or get in touch to see how Robinsons Facilities Services can help.

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