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Kitchen extraction cleaning - accreditations
Accreditations are one of the clearest ways to judge an extraction cleaning contractor before you hire them - they show independent verification of competence, safety and standards. The ones that matter include health and safety schemes, membership of an industry body like BESA, and proper insurance. Here is what to look for and why each matters. This is general guidance; check the current status of any accreditation.
The short answer
How do you tell a credible, competent extraction cleaning contractor from a dubious one before you've hired them? Accreditations are one of the best indicators - they're independent verifications that the contractor meets certain standards, so they tell you more than the contractor's own claims. Here's what to look for. This is general guidance; accreditation schemes and their scope can change, so check the current status of any a contractor claims. Why accreditations matter. Anyone can claim to be competent and safe. Accreditations are different: they're awarded by independent schemes or bodies that have assessed the contractor against defined standards - so an accreditation is third-party evidence, not self-assertion. For a fire-safety-critical job like extraction cleaning, done at height and in ductwork, that independent verification of competence and safety is genuinely valuable. So checking accreditations is a practical way to judge a contractor before hiring. The main ones to look for. Health and safety accreditation. A recognised health and safety pre-qualification scheme - such as CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme), SafeContractor, or another SSIP-member scheme (SSIP being the umbrella that recognises such schemes). These verify that the contractor has been independently assessed for sound health and safety management. This matters because extraction cleaning involves real hazards - working at height (roof fans), in ductwork, with equipment and chemicals - so you want a contractor with proven H&S practices (as covered in the CHAS/SafeContractor/SSIP page). Industry-body membership. Membership of the relevant trade body - principally BESA, the Building Engineering Services Association, which publishes TR19 (the ductwork cleaning standard). BESA membership shows the contractor is connected to the industry body behind the standards and works within that framework (as covered in the BESA page). It's a sign of a contractor engaged with the proper standards, not operating outside them. Proper insurance. Adequate insurance for the work - public liability (covering damage or injury to third parties) and employers' liability (for their staff). Not strictly an accreditation, but essential to check: a contractor working in your premises, at height, should carry proper cover, so you're not exposed if something goes wrong (as covered in the check-a-contractors-insurance page). What they tell you together. Together, these show that the contractor is: competent (assessed and accredited), safe (verified H&S practices), working to the standards (industry-body membership, TR19), and properly covered (insurance) - all independently verified, not just claimed. So a contractor holding a recognised H&S accreditation, BESA membership, and proper insurance is demonstrably more credible than one holding none. The caveats. Two things to remember. Check the current status: accreditation schemes and their exact scope can change, and a contractor's accreditations can lapse - so check that any accreditation a contractor claims is current and genuine (verify it, don't just take the logo). And accreditations support, but don't replace, checking the actual clean: they're strong evidence of a credible contractor, but you still want to confirm the contractor does a proper, complete clean to the TR19 Grease standard, with proper evidence (accreditations make a good clean likely, but check you get it). The takeaway. So a good extraction cleaning contractor should hold a recognised health and safety accreditation (CHAS, SafeContractor or similar), industry-body membership (BESA especially), and proper insurance - which together independently verify competence, safety, standards and cover. Look for these when choosing, check they're current, and use them alongside checking the contractor does a genuinely proper clean. So look for H&S accreditation, BESA membership and insurance as marks of a credible contractor. This is general guidance; check the current status of any accreditation.
Key points
Why accreditations matter
Accreditations matter because they're independent verification, not self-assertion. Anyone can claim to be competent, safe and to work to the standards. Accreditations are different: they're awarded by independent schemes or bodies that have assessed the contractor against defined standards - so an accreditation is third-party evidence that the contractor meets those standards, rather than just the contractor's own word. That independence is what gives them value.
For a fire-safety-critical job like extraction cleaning - done at height (roof fans), in ductwork, with equipment - that independent verification of competence and safety is genuinely valuable: you're trusting the contractor with a job that matters (your fire safety and compliance) and with work in your premises, so evidence beyond their sales pitch is worth having. So checking accreditations is one of the clearest practical ways to judge a contractor before you hire them - it tells you what independent assessors have verified about them. So why accreditations matter - independent proof, not just claims - is the starting point: they're objective evidence of a contractor's competence, safety and standards. The following sections cover which accreditations to look for. So accreditations give you independent evidence to judge a contractor. This is general guidance.
Health and safety schemes
The first type to look for is a recognised health and safety accreditation - a scheme that has independently assessed the contractor's health and safety management. Common examples include CHAS (the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme), SafeContractor, and other schemes that are members of SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement - the umbrella that recognises such H&S pre-qualification schemes). Holding one means the contractor has been assessed and verified for sound health and safety practices (as covered in the CHAS/SafeContractor/SSIP page).
This matters for extraction cleaning because the work involves real hazards: working at height (reaching roof fans), working in and around ductwork, using equipment and cleaning chemicals, often out of hours in others' premises. So you want a contractor with proven, independently-verified health and safety practices - both for their own safety and for the safety of your premises and people. A recognised H&S accreditation is that verification. So health and safety schemes - CHAS, SafeContractor and the like - are a key accreditation to look for: evidence the contractor manages the genuine hazards of the work properly. Their membership of SSIP (the recognising umbrella) means such schemes are mutually recognised and credible. So look for a recognised H&S accreditation as proof of safe working. This is general guidance; check the current status of any accreditation.
Industry-body membership
The second to look for is membership of the relevant industry body - principally BESA, the Building Engineering Services Association. BESA is the trade body for building engineering services, and importantly it publishes TR19 - the ductwork cleaning standard (including TR19 Grease for kitchen extract). So BESA membership shows the contractor is connected to the industry body behind the very standards the cleaning should meet, and works within that framework (as covered in the BESA page).
This is a meaningful sign because it indicates a contractor engaged with the proper standards and the industry, rather than operating outside them. A contractor who is a BESA member is aligned with the body that sets the ductwork cleaning standard - which is reassuring for a job that should be done to TR19 Grease. (BESA is itself connected to the wider standards and, as a body, is an SSIP supporter/member - reinforcing its standing.) So industry-body membership - BESA and the standards - is a valuable accreditation to look for: it ties the contractor to the recognised standards framework. Look for BESA membership (or the relevant industry body) as a sign of a contractor working to the proper standards. So BESA membership signals a contractor connected to the ductwork-cleaning standards. So look for industry-body membership like BESA. This is general guidance; check the current status.
Proper insurance
The third thing to check - not strictly an 'accreditation' but essential - is that the contractor carries proper insurance for the work. Adequate public liability insurance (covering damage or injury to third parties - important when someone is working in your premises, at height, with equipment) and employers' liability insurance (for their own staff) are the key covers. A credible contractor should carry appropriate insurance for the work they do.
This matters because if something goes wrong - damage to your premises, an injury, an accident during the work - proper insurance means the contractor is covered, so you're not left exposed or liable. A contractor without adequate insurance is a risk: you could be caught up in the consequences of an uninsured accident or damage. So checking the contractor's insurance (that it exists, is adequate, and is current) is an essential part of vetting them, alongside their accreditations (as covered in the check-a-contractors-insurance page). So proper insurance - cover for the work and your premises - completes the picture: a credible contractor is not only competent and safe (accreditations) but properly covered (insurance). Ask for and check the insurance. So confirm the contractor carries adequate, current insurance for the work. This is general guidance.
Check them, and the clean
So a good extraction cleaning contractor should hold a recognised health and safety accreditation (CHAS, SafeContractor or similar), industry-body membership (BESA especially), and proper insurance - which together independently verify competence, safety, standards and cover. Look for these when choosing a contractor, as strong evidence of credibility. But two caveats apply.
First, check the current status: accreditation schemes and their exact scope can change, and a contractor's accreditations can lapse - so verify that any accreditation a contractor claims is current and genuine (check it, don't just take a logo on a website). Second, accreditations support, but don't replace, checking the actual clean: they're strong evidence of a credible contractor, but you still want to confirm the contractor does a genuinely proper, complete clean to the TR19 Grease standard, with proper evidence (a good accreditation profile makes a good clean likely, but you should still check you get it - the survey, full access, whole-system clean, and verification with photographs and a detailed certificate). So use accreditations as a key filter, verified and current, alongside confirming the actual quality of the clean. So check them, and the clean - verify accreditations, and confirm the clean - is the balanced approach: accreditations tell you a lot about a contractor's credibility, and you combine that with checking they do the job properly (as covered in how to choose a kitchen extract cleaning company). So look for and verify the accreditations, and confirm a proper clean. This is general guidance; check the current status of any accreditation.
Questions
A recognised health and safety scheme (like CHAS, SafeContractor or another SSIP member), industry-body membership such as BESA (which publishes TR19), and proper insurance - together showing competence, safety, standards and cover. A good extraction cleaning contractor should hold a few key things. A recognised health and safety accreditation - a scheme like CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme), SafeContractor, or another SSIP-member scheme - verifying independently-assessed, sound health and safety practices (important given the work involves height, ductwork and equipment). Industry-body membership - principally BESA (the Building Engineering Services Association, which publishes TR19, the ductwork cleaning standard) - showing the contractor works within the proper standards framework. And proper insurance - adequate public liability and employers' liability cover for the work (essential, though not strictly an accreditation). Together these independently verify that the contractor is competent, safe, working to the standards, and properly covered. Check any claimed accreditation is current and genuine, and confirm they also do a proper clean. So look for H&S accreditation, BESA membership and insurance. So a H&S scheme, BESA, and proper insurance. This is general guidance; check the current status.
Because they're independent verification, not the contractor's own claims - for a fire-safety-critical job done at height and in ductwork, that third-party proof of competence and safety is valuable, so they help you judge a contractor before hiring. Accreditations matter because they're independent verification, not self-assertion. Anyone can claim to be competent and safe; an accreditation is awarded by an independent scheme or body that has assessed the contractor against defined standards - so it's third-party evidence, not just the contractor's word. For extraction cleaning - a fire-safety-critical job done at height (roof fans), in ductwork, with equipment - that independent verification of competence and safety is genuinely valuable, because you're trusting the contractor with your fire safety and compliance and with work in your premises. So checking accreditations is one of the clearest practical ways to judge a contractor before you hire them: they tell you what independent assessors have verified about the contractor's competence, safety and standards, beyond the sales pitch. So they give you objective evidence to judge credibility. So because they're independent proof, not just claims. This is general guidance.
Recognised schemes like CHAS or SafeContractor, or another member of SSIP (the umbrella that recognises such H&S schemes) - showing the contractor's health and safety management has been independently assessed, which matters given the work's hazards. Look for a recognised health and safety pre-qualification accreditation, which shows the contractor's H&S management has been independently assessed. Common examples are CHAS (the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) and SafeContractor, along with other schemes that are members of SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement - the umbrella that recognises and mutually accepts such H&S schemes). Holding one means an independent assessor has checked the contractor has sound health and safety practices. This matters for extraction cleaning because the work involves real hazards - working at height (roof fans), in and around ductwork, with equipment and cleaning chemicals, often out of hours in your premises - so you want proven, verified H&S practices, for their safety and yours. So a CHAS, SafeContractor or other SSIP-member accreditation is a key thing to look for (as covered in the CHAS/SafeContractor/SSIP page). So CHAS, SafeContractor, or another SSIP-member scheme. So a recognised SSIP-family H&S scheme. This is general guidance; check the current status.
BESA membership is a strong positive - BESA is the industry body that publishes TR19 (the ductwork cleaning standard), so membership shows the contractor works within the proper standards framework; look for it or the relevant industry body. BESA membership is a strong positive sign to look for. BESA (the Building Engineering Services Association) is the trade body for building engineering services, and it publishes TR19 - the ductwork cleaning standard (including TR19 Grease for kitchen extract). So a contractor who is a BESA member is connected to the industry body behind the very standard the cleaning should meet, and works within that framework - a reassuring indicator of a contractor engaged with the proper standards rather than operating outside them. So while there may be other relevant industry bodies, BESA membership specifically ties the contractor to the ductwork-cleaning standard, which is why it's valuable for extraction cleaning (as covered in the BESA page). Look for BESA membership as a sign of a contractor working to the recognised standards. As with any accreditation, check it's current. So yes - BESA membership is a strong positive to look for. So yes; it links them to the standards. This is general guidance; check the current status.
No - they're strong evidence of a credible, competent, safe contractor, but you should still confirm they do a genuinely proper, complete clean to TR19 Grease with proper evidence; accreditations support, but don't replace, checking the actual work. No - accreditations don't guarantee a good clean, though they strongly indicate a credible contractor. Accreditations (H&S schemes, BESA membership) and proper insurance independently verify that the contractor is competent, safe, working to the standards, and covered - which makes a good, proper clean likely. But they're about the contractor's credentials, not a guarantee of every job. So you should still confirm the contractor actually does a genuinely proper, complete clean to the TR19 Grease standard, with proper evidence (a survey, full access, whole-system cleaning, and verification with before-and-after photographs and a detailed certificate). So use accreditations as a strong filter for a credible contractor, alongside checking you get a proper clean (as covered in how to choose a kitchen extract cleaning company). Accreditations make a good clean likely; checking the clean confirms you got it. So no - they support, but don't replace, checking the actual clean. So no; verify the clean too. This is general guidance.
Verify them rather than trusting a logo - accreditations can be checked with the issuing scheme or body, and they can lapse or change, so confirm the contractor's claimed accreditations are current and genuine before relying on them. To check a contractor's accreditations are genuine, verify them rather than just trusting a logo on a website or brochure. Accreditations are issued by schemes or bodies (CHAS, SafeContractor, SSIP, BESA) that can usually be checked with directly (or via their membership listings) to confirm a contractor genuinely holds the accreditation and it's current. This matters because accreditation schemes and their scope can change, and a contractor's accreditations can lapse (or be claimed when out of date) - so a logo alone isn't proof. So confirm that any accreditation a contractor claims is genuine and current before relying on it, and likewise check their insurance is real and adequate (ask for the certificate). This verification is part of properly vetting a contractor (as covered in the check-a-contractors-insurance-and-accreditation page). So don't just take the claim - verify the accreditation with the issuing scheme and check it's current. So verify with the issuing body, and check it's current. This is general guidance; check the current status of any accreditation.
A credible extraction cleaning contractor holds recognised accreditations and proper insurance and cleans to TR19 Grease; we bring the accreditations, cover and standards - and a genuinely complete, evidenced clean - so you can trust the work. Ask us about our accreditations and how we clean. This is general guidance; check the current status of any accreditation.
