TR19 Grease Compliance for Edinburgh 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 Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife, Falkirk or Stirling, 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 1 October 2026 by Edinburgh 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. Scottish Government fire safety guidance asks for a cleaning and maintenance programme that removes grease deposits, carried out by a competent person.
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
Scottish Government fire safety guidance for premises with sleeping accommodation says: “Where premises have kitchens, a build-up of grease or fat deposits in equipment and grease extract ventilation systems and ducting linked to the catering facilities can be a source of fire and of fire spread. There should be a cleaning and maintenance programme in place where deposits are removed.” (gov.scot, paragraph 137). Its guidance for care homes lists among the common causes of fire in equipment: “Allowing extraction equipment, such as in kitchens, to build up excessive grease deposits.” (gov.scot). In July 2023 firefighters put out an extractor unit fire at a restaurant on Bo'ness Road, Grangemouth (Falkirk Herald).
Insurance and the Fire (Scotland) Act
In Scotland the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 require the duty holder, whoever has control of the premises, to assess fire risk, take reasonable fire safety measures and keep equipment maintained. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service enforces this for most premises. 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 inspect every food business under the Food Hygiene Information Scheme, run by Food Standards Scotland with the councils. The result is a Pass or Improvement Required, and a greasy canopy and dripping filters count against you. Customers can look the result up online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is kitchen extract cleaning a legal requirement in Scotland?
There is no law that names TR19, but the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 require the duty holder for business premises to assess fire risk and keep equipment maintained, and Scottish Government guidance says grease deposits in extract systems and ducting should be removed under a cleaning and maintenance programme. 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 Edinburgh?
Fire safety across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife, Falkirk and Stirling is enforced by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for most premises, under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. Food hygiene is inspected by the local council, such as the City of Edinburgh Council, under the Food Hygiene Information Scheme. Your insurer will also ask for certificates after any claim.
Ready for a quote? Send us your kitchen details or read what it costs.
Get a Free Edinburgh Kitchen Extract Cleaning Quote
Send us your kitchen details and we'll arrange a tailored, no-obligation quote from a specialist TR19 provider — usually the same day.