What is TR19? The kitchen extract cleaning standard explained
TR19 is the technical specification published by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) for internal cleanliness of ventilation systems. For commercial kitchens, the grease-related sections — TR19 Grease — are what insurers reference in policy wording and EHOs accept as documentary evidence of compliance.
Where TR19 came from
BESA (formerly HVCA) first published TR19 in 1998 as a technical guide for ventilation hygiene. The current published version is TR19 Grease (2019), which separates kitchen-extract requirements from general ventilation hygiene. It is a technical specification, not a statute, but it is the recognised industry standard for evidencing that a kitchen extract system is not a fire risk.
What TR19 actually requires
Three things, summarised:
- Cleanliness level: grease deposit measured by wet film thickness (WFT) below 200 microns at every accessible point.
- Frequency: based on kitchen usage hours — heavy use (12+ hr/day) every 3 months; moderate (6–12 hr) every 6 months; light (<6 hr) every 12 months.
- Documentary evidence: a certificate produced after each clean containing system schematic, WFT readings, dated photographic evidence at every access point and engineer signature.
Why insurers care
Grease build-up in kitchen extract systems is the single most common cause of commercial kitchen fires. Insurers have responded by writing TR19 references directly into policy wording for hospitality clients. After a kitchen fire, the loss adjuster will ask for the current TR19 certificate. Without it, claims are routinely reduced or refused.
Why EHOs care
Environmental Health Officers do not enforce TR19 directly — it is a private-sector specification. But the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places a legal duty on the responsible person to manage fire risk, and EHOs do enforce that. A current TR19 certificate is your defensible evidence that the duty has been met.
What good TR19 cleaning looks like in practice
Full system, not just canopy. WFT readings before and after at every access point. Dated photo evidence at every access point. Certificate within 48 hours referencing the TR19 specification with engineer signature and system schematic. If your current supplier is not delivering all of those, you do not have TR19 compliance — you have canopy cleaning.
Next steps
If you have not booked TR19 work in the last 6 months, get a current certificate organised. Survey is free; we can be in your kitchen this week. See our TR19 cleaning service page for full detail.
