| By :
Alison Withers
Copyright (c) 2010 Alison Withers Air duct systems in buildings where there are large numbers of people need to be as clean and free of potential viruses as possible, whether the people using the buildings are employees, visitors or perhaps patients, school children or frail elderly residents. Facilities managers often use specialist cleaning services to look after their ventilation systems and ventilation hygiene but how do they know whether the job has been done properly? If the ductwork is working hard to keep the air clear in a busy commercial, school or hospital kitchen then it is going to need more frequent cleaning using different techniques from the ductwork in an office, for example. As Health and Safety standards on air quality in buildings become more strict it makes sense to ask about the training of employees of the specialist company that is going to carry out ventilation cleaning. Ductwork can be old and the technology may have changed. The activities carried out in the building can also make a difference. Some companies take training and regular updating of employees on the latest technology and methods seriously and it is a question that perhaps should be asked of any new company being considered for a contract. There are companies in the UK that specialise in the training, to the standards of the European School for Ductwork Cleaning Hygiene, run by NVQ approved instructors and offering a comprehensive course on every conceivable aspect of duct cleaning. Among the issues a comprehensive course should cover is why it needs to be done properly. This can range from the need to prevent the spread of infection in a residential care home, hospital or school for example to the issues of providing a breathable, clean atmosphere in any building as the numbers of people with breathing difficulties and allergies continue to rise. They provide hands-on experience of how to carry out various jobs, such as how to cut and fit access panels, using CCTV to inspect systems, overcoming obstacles such as turns in the pipework and dampers and how to check fire dampers. None of these are details a facilities or building manager needs to know but they would want to be sure that the people carrying them out knew what they were doing. There are any number of different pieces of equipment used by cleaning companies to carry out air duct cleaning. Equipment includes machines using rotary brushes, machines using vacuum suction equipment or chemical spray equipment and traditional hand scraping tools. If the work is being carried out while the building is in use it makes sense to have proper risk assessments carried out, but also to check that the equipment itself is well maintained and its users understand how to make sure that it is used in such a way that is safe for passers by - such as making sure there are no trailing electrical wires or damaged plugs. Any chemicals being used also need to be safe for used and once used any residues should be properly disposed of. Whoever uses the services of a cleaning company that has trained its employess properly and issued them with recognised certificates of competence will have peace of mind that the company's activities are going to be thorough, safe and effective.
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