Takeaways often cook for long hours with fryers, grills or woks, which put a lot of grease into the extract system. BESA says cleaning intervals should take account of the type of cooking as well as hours of use (BESA), so a busy takeaway may need cleaning more often than the table suggests.
Minimum 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.
Fire safety duties
As the person responsible for the premises you must carry out a fire risk assessment and take reasonable fire safety measures (gov.uk). The London Fire Brigade publishes fire safety advice for takeaways, cafés and restaurants, including keeping extract systems clean (London Fire Brigade).
What to keep on file
- The post-clean report and certificate from each clean (what it should include)
- Your next due date (plan your schedule)
- Records of daily and weekly canopy and filter cleaning by staff
Insurance
Many commercial policies include an extract cleaning condition. Read what insurers typically expect and check your own policy wording.