15 Dec 2009
In October 2006 the Government simplified a raft of fire safety rules and regulations into one piece of legislation – The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, now usually referred to as The Fire Safety Order. For buildings such as stadia with catering facilities, this legislation has particular relevance. Grease particles from the cooking operation are extracted from the kitchens through ducting to exhaust to atmosphere. As the grease particles cool they are deposited on the internal surfaces of the ducting, requiring only a flash or fire for ignition. At a recent seminar a spokesman for the Fire Authority stated “Uncleaned grease extract ventilation systems present probably the greatest potential fire risk in buildings with catering facilities”.
The Ricoh Arena have set an example to others by ensuring that the grease extract systems within their venue, which are linked to their various catering facilities, have been professionally cleaned of potentially fire hazardous grease deposits by the UK’s leading ventilation system cleaning specialist – Indepth Hygiene Services Limited. All parts of the system were deep cleaned, from the kitchen canopies and filters, through ducting, including vertical ducting to the vents to atmosphere. The work was carried out both during the day and overnight to ensure minimal disruption. Terry Bates, the Facilities Manager for Ricoh Arena, explained “The Ricoh Arena has become a very popular destination for a wide range of special events; seminars, conferences, weddings and dinners, some of which continue till quite late at night. By arranging that my supervisors had a system of contact with Indepth’s operatives we were able to arrange the deep cleaning so that there was no disruption to our services and Indepth could plan their work accordingly.”
At the Ricoh Arena, thanks to their awareness of their fire safety responsibilities, action has been taken to protect the safety of those attending at all times.
A first step to comply with the Fire Safety Order is to take advantage of Indepth’s free ‘Assessment of Fire Risk Survey’ by emailing or calling: 020 8661 7888