Compliance pathway launched for ventilation hygiene contractors
The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has launched VHR Air, a certification pathway for ventilation hygiene contractors to demonstrate professional and technical competence and compliance in line with the Building Safety Act.
BESA said the process was created by its certification scheme, the Ventilation Hygiene Register (VHR), and is based on its industry standard TR19.
The scheme is described as a third party verified and auditable route for demonstrating competence, compliance and best practice in ventilation hygiene services for air systems.
The launch includes a new ‘air work type’ intended to reflect the Act’s principles, including competence assurance, transparency, traceability and the need for a transparent ‘golden thread’ of information.
What VHR Air verifies and why it was created
BESA linked the launch to continued regulatory focus on building safety, indoor air quality and system performance following the introduction of the Act in 2022.
The Association also said demand for specialised ventilation hygiene services had increased, which it connected to awareness of fire and health risks from poorly maintained ventilation systems.
Chris Major, BESA’s head of compliance, said: “Ventilation hygiene plays a vital role in maintaining good indoor air quality and building performance.
“Duty holders must be able to evidence that this work has been carried out by competent, compliant contractors and in line with recognised industry standards.”
Major added: “Compliance with TR19 is increasingly important for those enforcing the legislation and for the insurance industry, so having fully trained operatives is crucial for contractors working in this area.”
TR19 was first developed by BESA in 1998 and has been updated since, with the standard’s guiding principle described as achieving a defined, measurable level of cleanliness intended to improve safety and comfort in buildings.
The VHR Air work type is designed for contractors delivering ventilation hygiene work to general ventilation systems and is intended to independently verify that work is carried out in line with recognised standards including TR19 Air, that individuals undertaking and supervising work are competent for the scope delivered, and that documentation and reporting support building safety and compliance obligations.
How BESA frames the scheme for contractors and clients
Major said: “The Act has fundamentally changed expectations around competence and accountability.
“VHR Air is a practical mechanism for contractors to provide evidence that their ventilation hygiene work meets those expectations, while giving clients and duty holders greater confidence and assurance.”
BESA said the scheme offers contractors third party validation that can strengthen procurement submissions, satisfy insurance requirements and reduce risk through improved audit trails.
It also said clients and duty-holders who specify a VHR Air approved contractor can have confidence that ventilation hygiene work aligns with recognised best practice and contributes to safer, healthier buildings.
Ian Gregory, managing director of IAQ Services and chair of BESA’s Ventilation Hygiene Group, said VHR Air was an excellent way for companies of all sizes to prove their credentials.
Gregory added: “This is the latest step in improving the professionalism of our sector and shows that we take our wider building safety responsibilities very seriously.
“It is crucial that clients can differentiate between those firms who have taken the trouble to invest in their people and processes so they can meet the highest standards, and those who are prepared to ignore their obligations to building occupants.
“A third-party scheme like this should provide them with all the reassurance they need when looking to specify properly qualified specialists.”
Rachel Davidson, BESA’s director of specialist knowledge, said: “The Building Safety Act is about accountability and assurance not additional bureaucracy.
“Industry led certification schemes, built on recognised standards, give contractors a practical way to evidence both individual competence elements and organisational capability, while providing clients and duty holders with confidence that the work is being carried out safely and consistently.
“VHR Air provides a timely, clear and auditable route to compliance at a point where awareness is improving and expectations across the sector are rising”.
BESA said VHR Air was built on the established VHR Grease scheme and that evidence gathered through VHR Air would support ongoing dialogue with the Building Safety Regulator as the industry responds to changes in regulation.