Care home kitchens usually cook every day of the year, often from breakfast to evening, so daily hours can be long. Residents may need help to evacuate, which makes a strong fire risk assessment especially important.
Minimum TR19 cleaning intervals
| Hours in use per day | Minimum specialist clean |
|---|---|
| 2–6 | Every 12 months |
| 6–12 | Every 6 months |
| 12–16 | Every 3 months |
Source: BESA TR19® Grease minimum cleaning frequencies (BESA). A competent person may set a shorter interval based on cooking type and grease deposit testing.
Check your interval Plan your cleans
Fire safety duties
The responsible person for the premises must carry out a fire risk assessment and take reasonable fire safety measures (gov.uk). Grease in extract ductwork is a recognised fire risk, which is why insurers usually require TR19 cleaning.
Practical tip
Ask for cleaning to be scheduled so it does not disrupt meal times, and keep the post-clean report with your fire risk assessment.
Records to keep
- Post-clean report and certificate for every clean (what it should include)
- Your next due date
- Staff canopy and filter cleaning records
- Your insurer's extract cleaning condition (what insurers expect)