TR19® Grease is the specification published by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) for managing the fire risk from grease building up inside commercial kitchen extract systems (BESA publications). It is widely used by insurers, landlords and fire risk assessors as the benchmark for what "properly cleaned" means.
What it covers
TR19 Grease sets out how kitchen extract systems should be inspected, tested for grease deposits, cleaned and verified. It applies to the whole system – the canopy, filters, ductwork and extract fan – not just the parts you can see.
How often you must clean
BESA publishes minimum specialist cleaning intervals based on how many hours a day the kitchen is in use (BESA):
| Usage | Hours per day | Minimum cleaning interval |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy | 12–16 | Every 3 months |
| Moderate | 6–12 | Every 6 months |
| Light | 2–6 | Every 12 months |
BESA stresses these are baseline minimums. The real frequency should be set by a competent person, taking account of cooking type, menu changes, how quickly grease builds up and the results of deposit thickness testing. Use our checker to find your band.
Is TR19 a legal requirement?
TR19 itself is an industry specification rather than a law. But the person responsible for business premises must carry out a fire risk assessment and take reasonable fire safety measures under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (gov.uk), and most commercial insurers require extract cleaning to TR19 as a condition of cover. See insurance requirements.
Who can do the work
BESA says TR19 Grease introduces minimum competency levels, and that technicians carrying out and signing off cleaning should hold the BESA Grease Hygiene Technician (GHT) qualification (BESA).