Nobody Likes a Nuisance
The problems of odour, noise and smoke emissions from commercial kitchen ventilation is very common.
Nuisance complaints are on the rise, particularly in urban areas where housing may be adjacent to, or even immediately above, catering premises.
Whether it’s pubs, clubs, restaurants or takeaways that may be open until the early hours of the morning, there is a need to control the nuisance, remove odour, smells and smoke and comply with the current guidelines and regulations that underpin the kitchen ventilation industry.
Powers to Act
Ever since the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local councils have the power to take action against restaurants, takeaways and other food and drink premises if they cause a nuisance.
Preventing this is therefore a priority. Whether in planning application stage, or later, the best response to nuisance is to forestall it.
Guidelines and Compliance
We’re often approached by architects, consultants, contractors and restaurant owners who need to address odour control at the planning stage of opening a new catering establishment or later on to address issues from local authority environmental health.
Unfortunately, there are no stone tablets to tell us what individual local authorities will deem as acceptable for nuisance control. But there are a number of guidelines we suggest adhering to.
1. DEFRA 2005/2010– Guidance on the Control and Noise from Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Systems.
This guidance outlines methods on kitchen extract system design with a specific focus on nuisance control including odour emissions. It gives precise guidelines for methods and equipment, taking into account the type, size and location of the catering establishment. The DEFRA guidance is very fair in that it accepts many different forms of odour abatement without prejudice, however it is important that the right choices are made to suit a particular establishment.
2. DW/172 HVCA
The Heating and Ventilation Contractors’ Association Specification for Kitchen Ventilation Systems was first published in 1999. Since then it has become widely acknowledged as the standard for kitchen ventilation design throughout in the UK.
It also sets the standards demanded by British insurers to reduce the risk of fire in commercial kitchens and features detail on the certification of grease filters. As such, it’s vital not just for local council compliance, but also for insurance purposes too.
3. TR19
This guidance incorporates the best practice for installing new systems and maintaining them and allows specifiers to deal with all aspects of the duct system.
TR/19 is ideal for use by specifiers, consultants and building legislators to ensure that ventilation systems are properly maintained. It is especially important for kitchen ventilation due to the elevated risk of grease deposits in extract systems, which can lead to fires.
Adherence to the standards in TR/19 will provide detailed, recognised proof that the ventilation system in a building is safe and well maintained, which is vital for securing insurance policies.
We Can Help
At Plasma Clean we offer a full range of products that can be used on their own or in a combination to offer a complete odour control solution for a kitchen exhaust system that meets the requirements of the guidance.
We work with clients at the planning stage to select and specify the correct odour control equipment to offer effective odour control whilst meeting the requirements of the local authorities.
For more information contact us, or download our Guide to the Guidelines HERE
