Air Hygiene

Testing & Monitoring Air Hygiene

Howlett Associates offer a full range of air hygiene services including ventilation system inspections, dust thickness testing, wet thickness testing, bacteriological testing, humidity levels, carbon dioxide levels, kitchen extract cleaning, ventilation ductwork cleaning, AHU cleaning and heating/cooling coil cleaning

The health and Safety Executive Guidance HSG 202: General Ventilation in the Workplace; Guidance for employers; provides a summary of the actions required to ensure compliance with current legislation.

Specific guidance from HVCA TR/19 and CIBSE TM26 should be followed, which details inspection and cleaning frequencies. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999 (COSHH) regulations 6, 7 and 8 require that you undertake a risk assessment and prevent or control exposure of your employers to substances hazardous to health by using suitable control measures.

Maintenance, examination and testing of the control measures are required on ventilation plant to meet requirements of regulation 7 and are covered by regulation 9. Workplace (Health & Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 Approved Code of Practice and Guidance L24 Regulation 5 requires the mechanical ventilation systems used for providing general ventilation are maintained (including cleaned as appropriate) in an efficient working order and in good repair. Regulation 6 requires that you ensure effective ventilation for any enclosed workplace by providing a sufficient quantity of fresh or purified air. The associated Approved Code of Practice states Mechanical ventilation systems (including air conditioning systems) should be regularly and properly cleaned, tested and maintained to ensure that they are kept free from anything which may contaminate the air.

Air Quality Monitoring and HVAC Systems

At Howlett Associates we survey, monitor and analyse in order to give advice and assurance to building users of the air quality and ventilation within buildings, this reduces the risk of airborne pathogens and other dangerous hazards. Poor maintenance and management of air hygiene can trigger numerous illnesses to those within the building in question. It is extremely important to the health of the occupants that an air hygiene management programme is conducted and followed carefully and continuously.

In terms of building operations costs and energy usage, it can be critical to ensure the air hygiene is to a high standard, poor air hygiene can mean higher operation costs and electrical consumption as well as expensive remedial works such as; ducting, carpeting and ceiling tiles.

Howlett Associates air hygiene solutions aim to reduce operation costs and environmental footprint, and most importantly lower the risk to the health of those working/living within the environment.

Ductwork Cleaning Services

Ductwork cleaning is carried out to remove any contamination that may have been identified in an air hygiene report. Howlett Associates uses a range of devices such as; specialised mechanical brushes, air jets and manual methods, to extract any microbiological contamination, if there is contamination present, then our engineers will carry out a disinfection to ensure it is removed from the ductwork.

Ductwork cleaning can be inconvenient due to the fact that many existing systems have insufficient access points for cleaning purposes. Our skilled and professional engineers will install access doors at strategic points along the ductwork to enable conveniency for regular inspection, cleaning and disinfection where necessary.

Howlett Associates can ensure that any ductwork services carried out by us will be compliant with regulatory guidelines and the Approved Code of Practice from the Health and Safety Commission.

Air Hygiene Guidelines

Howlett Associates offers complete duct cleaning services throughout the UK, London & the Home Counties in accordance with the requirements of TR/19, the leading guidance document issued by the B&ES Association; British Standard and European Norm BSEN:15780; and BG49/2013, BSRIA’s guide on Commissioning Air Systems.

At Howlett Associates we are committed to ensuring that all of our services are compliant with the most up to date and specific guidelines. All of the guidance mentioned above agrees on the way to ensure appropriately clean ductwork both at commissioning stage and during service to ensure safer and healthier buildings.