TR19 Grease Compliance for London Kitchens
What the standard asks for, how often to clean, and the records your insurer and fire risk assessor expect.
If you run a commercial kitchen in Greater London, the standard your extract system is judged against is TR19 Grease. This guide explains what it asks for, how often a kitchen needs cleaning, and what paperwork you should have.
Page reviewed 6 October 2026 by London Canopy Cleaning, a quote-arranging service. The cleaning is carried out by an independent specialist provider.
What TR19 Grease is
TR19 Grease is a specification published by BESA in 2019 for managing the fire risk from grease in kitchen extract systems. It replaced the grease section of the older TR19 document, which now covers general ventilation hygiene. It sets out how often systems should be cleaned, how clean is clean enough, how the work should be done and what the post-clean report should contain.
How often a kitchen needs cleaning
| Daily cooking | Usage band | Minimum clean | Typical local kitchens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12–16 hours | Heavy | Every 3 months | Takeaways, curry houses, chip shops, city-centre restaurants open all day |
| 6–12 hours | Moderate | Every 6 months | Most restaurants, pub kitchens, hotel kitchens |
| 2–6 hours | Light | Every 12 months | Cafés, school kitchens, small care home kitchens |
These are minimums. The real interval should come from the grease readings taken at each clean, the type of cooking and how the menu changes through the year. London Fire Brigade guidance says extract systems need cleaning at least once a year unless the fire risk assessment says otherwise, and that kitchens producing a lot of fried or chargrilled food build up grease much faster.
How clean is clean enough
TR19 Grease sets a limit of a mean 200 microns of grease across the system between cleans — roughly half the thickness of a business card. Any reading of 500 microns or more needs an immediate spot clean. Deposits are measured with a wet film thickness test or a deposit thickness test before and after the clean, so the certificate proves the result.
What has to be cleaned
The whole extraction route: canopies, filters, plenums, risers, horizontal ductwork, the extract fan and the discharge point. Access panels are fitted at regular intervals — typically every two to three metres where the layout allows — so every section can be reached. A canopy-only clean does not meet the standard. See TR19 extract cleaning, ductwork cleaning and fan cleaning.
The post-clean report
You should receive before-and-after photographs from matching positions, the grease test results, a written summary including any areas that could not be reached, and a hygiene certificate with the date, the location and the name of the technician. Keep it with your fire risk assessment — it is the first thing a loss adjuster asks for after a fire.
Why it matters locally
London Fire Brigade's guidance on catering kitchen extract systems quotes its Fire Investigation Team: “by far the most common problem and cause of ducting fires is the lack of proper cleaning and maintenance” (LFB guidance note GN86). The Brigade's incident reports show what that looks like. In March 2023 all of the ducting at a Belgravia restaurant with homes above, from the basement to the roof, was destroyed in a fire believed to have been caused by oil and fat igniting in the extractor hood and ducting (LFB incident report). In April 2023 around 26 people were evacuated when grease ignited in the extraction system of a takeaway with flats above on London Road, Norbury (LFB incident report). In September 2024 the ducting of a restaurant and office building on New Road, Whitechapel, was destroyed from the ground floor to the roof by a fire believed to have been caused by a build-up of grease (LFB incident report). After fires like these the Brigade reminds restaurant and takeaway owners that if they don't clean the ducting regularly, “you're at a greater risk of ducting fires”.
Insurance and the Fire Safety Order
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to assess and reduce fire risk, and kitchen extract belongs in that assessment. Most commercial kitchen insurance policies also carry a condition that the extract is cleaned to a recognised standard. Without the certificates, a claim after a grease fire can be reduced or refused.
Food hygiene
Council food safety officers score the condition and cleanliness of the premises, and a greasy canopy and dripping filters count against you. In England you do not have to display your food hygiene rating sticker, but customers can look it up online and on delivery apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is kitchen extract cleaning a legal requirement in England?
There is no law that names TR19, but the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person for a business premises to assess and reduce fire risk, and a grease-laden extract is a recognised fire risk. TR19 Grease is the standard insurers and fire risk assessors use to judge whether that risk is being managed.
How often does TR19 say a kitchen extract should be cleaned?
Minimums are set by daily cooking hours: every three months for 12 to 16 hours a day, every six months for 6 to 12 hours, every twelve months for 2 to 6 hours. The actual interval should follow the grease readings, so a heavy-frying kitchen can need cleaning more often.
What grease level fails TR19?
TR19 Grease sets a mean limit of 200 microns across the system between cleans. Any reading of 500 microns or more calls for an immediate spot clean.
Does cleaning the filters count?
No. Filters should be cleaned daily or as the manufacturer instructs, but no filter stops all the grease. The canopy, ductwork and fan still need a professional clean.
Who inspects this in London?
In London the London Fire Commissioner enforces the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 through London Fire Brigade, whose fire safety officers ask to see post-clean records during an audit. Food hygiene is inspected by the borough council, or by the City of London Corporation in the Square Mile. Your insurer will also ask for certificates after any claim.
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