This delivery partnership has allowed us to grow our service offering and further meet our customers’ specific requirements. Since the two companies integrated, our team has been strengthened; we deliver everything we used to, but now with additional capacity, accreditation, and specialist areas.
No matter where you are in the UK, WCS Group and Hydro-X Air have a team of experienced engineers who can deliver on your requirements.
Dirt, dust, and debris are no strangers to industrial Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. Without ductwork cleaning, they build up in those systems, interfering with their efficiency and workload and impacting indoor air quality.
The ventilation system can be home to:
Not adequately cleaning ductwork can deteriorate the HVAC system, resulting in increased costs for the business.
For individuals, poor air quality can cause a reduction in productivity and a rise in absenteeism, also resulting in a cost to the business due to poor productivity and missed work days.
Laundry extract systems remove the humidity and particulates created by the drying process. This provides hygienic and comfortable conditions for people living and working where there is a laundry extract system.
However, as laundry extract systems are humid and home to particulates, microbes, and gases, they can create an ideal environment for debris build-up within the extract system. This can lead to many hazards if the systems are not maintained regularly.
These hazards include:
Dirt, dust, and debris are no strangers to industrial Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. Without ductwork cleaning, they build up in those systems, interfering with their efficiency and workload and impacting indoor air quality.
The ventilation system can be home to:
High-rise ventilation differs from general ventilation systems in several ways. In most cases, high-rise buildings have an air handling unit on their roofs, feeding a riser that runs the full height of the building with small spigots running off into individual rooms.
Due to the layout of these systems, they are susceptible to particulate build-ups in the smaller ducts and become easily unbalanced, causing further build-up in low flow rate areas and additional load on the air handling equipment.
Sleeping accommodation ventilation systems in high-rise buildings are subject to stricter monitoring and cleaning legislations as there are longer occupancy times and additional vulnerabilities if the occupant is sleeping.
Regularly scheduled monitoring and cleaning allows the responsible person to act on any issues found and to ensure that their building is compliant and safe for its occupants.
Kitchen extract systems have an increased fire, odour, and hygiene risk compared to general air ventilation systems. Due to grease, cooking oil and other deposits that build up over time, kitchen extract duct cleaning is essential.
Fire hazards increase if grease is left to build up in ventilation systems as it is an excellent fuel that can help a fire to spread throughout an extract system and into other areas of the building.
In 2006, it became an offense not to maintain systems. In the event of personal injury or death resulting from a fire associated with a poorly maintained system (section 17 of the RRO), charges of corporate liability or manslaughter may be brought against the operator or responsible person.
Whether you are a restaurant, a hotel, or any other type of building owner with catering facilities, our service can be tailor-made to suit your needs at regular intervals from weekly to annual maintenance (frequency of cleaning is vital).
Hydro-X Air has designed a comprehensive inspection report in line with BS 15780 ventilation for buildings and BESA TR19 for ventilation systems.
Our inspection assessment helps prevent workplace issues such as dry eyes, nose, and throat; tiredness; and general complaints of feeling unwell due to long-term exposure to a contaminated working environment.
We would strongly recommend that regular inspections of the ventilation building plant and ductwork services are carried out to identify any potential contamination risks. Such contamination may have accumulated to a degree which could be detrimental to both the building users and processes being undertaken with the building.
As a minimum, a ventilation hygiene assessment should include the following measurements:
Public health can suffer badly if air quality assessments are not regularly carried out. Pollution causes members of the public to be at physical risk.
Also, a city’s culture can be affected by contaminated air. Landmarks can be damaged, for example. However, local authorities with an Air Quality Action plan (AQAP) can combat contaminated air.
An AQAP involves implementing measures to ensure air quality is improved, such as reducing the number of cars on the streets.
An in-depth well thought out strategy should be the product of much discussion. It needs to be multi-faceted and requires expert advice.
LEV is an engineering control system that reduces exposure to airborne contaminants such as dust, mist, fume, vapour, or gas in the workplace.
As an employer, you must legally test your LEV extraction systems. Failure to do so could result in prosecution and insurance-related issues.
The systems must be classed as being maintained in an 'efficient state in efficient working order,' and all testing data must be recorded. In the event of an audit, an insurance company analyses the business records from the past five years.
Employers must make repairs if the system has any temporary or permanent operational damage or if there is a possibility of exposure to airborne contaminants.
Hydro-X Air has designed a comprehensive inspection report to meet COSHH regulations for Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) TExT.
Fire dampers are responsible for slowing or stopping a fire inside a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, helping to minimise damage to a building’s structure and protect people inside.
After installation, all fire dampers must be tested by a competent person. They should also be tested annually and repaired or replaced immediately if found to be faulty. Any fault will decrease the fire damper’s ability to slow the spread of a fire or render the fire break ineffective.
The building owner or Responsible Person must ensure that all fire and smoke dampers are serviced and tested. For businesses, according to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it is the employer’s responsibility to maintain their fire safety systems.
If made aware, the Responsible Person must act on faults; otherwise, they could be legally liable and prosecuted.
Hydro-X Fire can help the Responsible Person meet their regulatory requirements, help compile an asset list, and schedule regular checks to find defects are ensure repairs are made.
Fire doors offer passive fire protection. They are designed to compartmentalise a building, sealing it off from the fire and containing the fire and smoke. Fire compartments provide protection for evacuation routes and make it easier for fire services to fight fire.
Not inspecting and maintaining fire doors is a major safety issue. Based on the Fire Safety Order 2005, fire doors should be inspected to ensure that
The Fire Safety Order 2005 states that fire doors should be inspected and maintained at least annually, but it also recognises that this may not be enough. Inspection frequency should be increased based on need. For instance, if a door is critical to the fire safety design of a building or it encounters heavy traffic, the Responsible Person should inspect the door more often.
WCS Group is a trading name for WCS Environmental Ltd, registered in England and Wales (Number 02184649) at 20 Grosvenor Place, London, SW1X 7HN. Head Office – 17 Wheatstone Court, Waterwells Business Park, Gloucester, GL2 2AQ. WCS Group is a Marlowe Critical Services Company owned by Marlowe plc. 2025© WCS Environmental Ltd.
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