Compliance
TR/19 Grease, in plain English
TR/19 Grease is the industry specification for cleaning kitchen extract systems. It sets out how clean a duct surface must be, how that cleanliness should be measured, and how often systems should be cleaned based on cooking hours rather than calendar habit.
It is not a law in itself, but fire safety legislation makes you responsible for controlling grease build-up, and most commercial insurance policies reference TR/19 Grease directly. If a fire starts in an uncleaned duct, an undocumented system is the fastest route to a rejected claim.
Compliance depends on evidence: deposit readings taken at fixed points, photographs of every accessible section, a schematic showing what was and was not reachable, and a dated certificate.
Frequencies
How often you should clean
- Heavy use — 12+ cooking hours per day: every 3 months
- Moderate use — 6 to 12 hours per day: every 6 months
- Light use — under 6 hours per day: every 12 months
- Solid fuel or charcoal cooking: more frequent, by survey
- Filters: checked weekly, cleaned monthly at minimum
- Frequency reviewed whenever your menu or volume changes
Download
Take the checklist to your next kitchen audit
Free TR/19 Grease compliance checklist (PDF)
A two-page printable audit sheet: cleaning frequencies by cooking hours, pre-clean survey points, scope of works, verification records and the red flags that sink an insurance claim.
FAQs
Common compliance questions
What evidence does my insurer want?
A dated hygiene certificate, deposit-thickness readings before and after, photographic evidence per section, and a schematic identifying any inaccessible areas with remedial recommendations.
What if parts of my duct cannot be reached?
They must be recorded as inaccessible and remediated, normally by installing compliant access panels. A certificate that ignores unreachable sections is not worth much at claim time.
Can my kitchen staff do the cleaning?
Staff can and should clean filters and canopy surfaces. Duct interiors and fan assemblies require specialist access, equipment and post-clean verification.
How long should records be kept?
Keep certificates and photo reports for at least the life of your current insurance policy, and ideally three years, so a pattern of maintenance can be demonstrated.