Ventilation cleaning industry experts and enforcement officers from Westminster City Council joined forces to tackle the risk of commercial kitchen fires at a recent conference.
Professionals from the National Association of Air Duct Specialists UK (NAADUK) shared their knowledge with the officers who inspect and enforce regulations across food establishments.
During a day-long seminar, Environmental Health Officers from Westminster City Council worked with NAADUK representatives to gain insight into kitchen ventilation systems and how they should be cleaned.
Peter Reid, president of NAADUK, said: “It was a wonderful opportunity of collaboration between experts in the industry and enforcement officers.”
He added: “NAADUK were able to provide plenty of information to help the officers go about their daily inspections of food establishments, such as restaurants, cafes and fast food retailers, and ensure the owners are upholding the right industry standards.”
Meanwhile, CEDA gave a presentation on wood burning pizza ovens and their potential risks.
Regina MacHale, senior practitioner of the Health and Safety Team, Licensing and Regulatory Services at Westminster City Council, attended the seminar.
She said: “It was interesting to hear from the different speakers who were very professional and experts in their field. They gave us some good insights into issues such as accessibility to ventilation ducting, how it should be cleaned and the correct reports that should be provided.”
Following the event, the officers were given CPD certificates to show their continued development and knowledge.