Sutton, Surrey-based ventilation system cleaning specialist Indepth Hygiene Services warns that there has never been a greater need to ensure regular cleaning of hospital ventilation systems, both for patient and staff welfare and to ensure legislatory compliance.
MD Richard Norman said: “Since the essential function of air ventilation systems is to circulate clean, safe air, they must be properly cleared of potentially harmful dust and deposits. “Leading scientists maintain that temperature and humidity conditions typically found in ventilation systems provide excellent opportunities for bugs to thrive and be widely distributed. Dust on internal ducting surfaces contains a high proportion of organic compounds including hair and skin flakes – the main nutrients for the growth of microorganisms like MRSA and C. difficile. “Grease extract ventilation systems are a potential fire hazard and must also be regularly cleaned to ensure they do not present a risk to the safety of building occupants, and to comply with the Fire Safety Order,” he adds. “At a recent seminar a fire authority spokesman stated that uncleaned grease extract systems are probably the highest fire risk in many buildings.” Indepth Hygiene Services says that “unfortunately there are cleaning contractors who will claim to have cleaned systems, but where investigation shows they have not”. The example illustrated above shows a system where (the company says) a manager claimed he had had regular cleaning undertaken for two years. Richard Norman exhorts estates managers to only use contractors that undertake cleaning in accordance with the HVCA’s TR19 Guide to Good Practice, Internal Cleanliness of Ventilation Systems.
