The Vent Hygiene Register (VHR) was established in 2019 to allow approved members to demonstrate that the specialist vent hygiene works carried out by them to ventilation systems, was done so in compliance with TR19® specification.

Since then, VHR members have been able to certify the enhanced safety of more than 21,000 kitchen extract systems across the UK, meaning those properties are safer and therefore protecting people and the reputation of building owners.

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The importance of demonstrating industry compliance in making ventilation systems safer means that:

• Clients have documented evidence of cleans and reduction of fire risk

• Building insurance providers specify VHR to reduce liability and risk

• Building managers have a clear maintenance regime to ensure continued fire risk reduction

• Occupiers have peace of mind they are in a safe environment

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The Vent Hygiene Register demonstrates a visible community, an industry prepared to stand up and be noticed, due to their drive to prioritising safer systems through compliance with recognised industry specification and ongoing high standards of professional knowledge and training, resulting in the reduction of fire risks.

"The Vent Hygiene Register reassures customers that they have selected a competent company to support them in their management of fire risk control that is working in line with the correct standard and is independently audited for compliance. To those who are thinking of joining, think of the Vent Hygiene Register as being similar to Gas Safe, by following the requirements of the VHR, you are protecting your own business against the risk of being held liable for non-compliant work as required by TR19®."

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We are approved VHR contractors. 

This means our customers – and their insurers – continue to have complete assurance of the standards we achieve when cleaning ventilation systems to recognised TR19® standards.

The BESA VHR scheme has established a robust process to verify the quality of cleaning – particularly of grease extract systems used by commercial kitchens. It was introduced in response to growing awareness among building owners, operators and insurers of the fire risks posed by poorly cleaned and maintained systems.

VHR approval is not easily won, and it provides reassurance that personnel employed in cleaning activities have the appropriate skills and experience and that training and technical competency records audited on an ongoing basis.

Developed for the industry by the industry, the VHR scheme requires that firms are comprehensibly-insured, and allows them to self-certify their specialist hygiene works, providing customers with easily accessible evidence of a fully-compliant clean to the required industry TR19 guide to Good Practice and the recently published separate specification for kitchen extract systems TR19 Grease. Both standards are developed and maintained by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA).

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Updates to TR19 have aligned it with BS EN 15780:2011 which clearly defines vital goals and measurements for cleanliness of ventilation systems in buildings and recognises that different room uses require different standards. 

Naturally, Airmec engineers meet both the TR19 and British Standards.