European Sweep Federation 1 2

ESCHFOE

Significance Founding Objectives of ESCHFOE

Since the transition of the Eu- With the founding of the Euro- One of ESCHFOE‘s objectives ropean Community into the pean Chimney Sweep Fede- is to create a uniform Euro- European Union by the Tre- ration (ESCHFOE) in 1954, a pean professional vision and aty of Maastricht in 1992, the strong community of interest objective as possible, thereby European influence has stea- in the chimney sweep industry raising the profile of the chim- dily increased at all levels of was created, which supports ney sweep industry in Europe, the societies of the European the professionals of the indi- underlining its necessity and member states. vidual member states through importance and ensuring that Today, national interests are job-specific promotion and mu- the outcome is rewarded.. essentially fading as compa- tual exchange of experience at red to European directives European level. and laws. Today, chimney sweeping is also regulated primarily at Eu- ropean level and must meet these new requirements. European Chimney Sweep Federation 3

International Topics Understanding The most important topics of 770 million ESCHFOE has today become ESCHFOE include working inhabitants a valuable instrument for the practice, technical knowledge intergovernmental contacts of and developments, promotion its affiliates and for the mutual of young talent and training in understanding of the countries chimney sweeping as well as that belong together. fees and remuneration. Re- cently ESCHFOE is composed of twenty-three full members 220 million and one guest member. supported households The ESCHFOE Members

Full Members: Zahlen basieren zum Teil auf Schätzungen

- Belgium - Denmark 40 - - associations - Finland - France - - Italy - - Luxembourg 28.000 - Moldova - Netherlands businesses - Norway - Austria - - - Sweden - Switzerland 66.000 - Serbia - employees - - -

Guest Member: 14.000 - USA trainees 4

The fields of activity of the European Chimney Sweep entity

Operational and fire safety

For centuries, preventive fire ped, and preventive fire pro- mizing property damage and safety has been an important tection still forms the basis of personal injury caused by fires concern of all states in Eu- Europe-wide chimney sweep and accidents in connection rope to protect the assets of work. Chimney sweeping ac- with and ventilation the people and to ensure the tivities to maintain the opera- systems. safety of life and limb. Out of tional and fire safety of com- this concern, the Europe-wide bustion plants have always chimney sweep entity develo- been concerned with mini- European Chimney Sweep Federation 5

Fireplace inspection and construction acceptance

Numerous laws, ordinances and technical regulations form the basis for structural fire protection and set minimum requirements for the building, the heating and ventilation technology and the fuel stora- ge to prevent fires. But rules without enforcement are usu- ally ineffective. Through the inspection activities in the con- text of structural acceptance as well as a recurring firepla- ce inspection, the chimney sweeps in Europe ensure that the technical, building law and fire protection requirements are actually met and the struc- tural fire protection is ensured.

Combustible residues in exhaust or ventilation systems can lead to damage fires

Sweeping / removal of combustible residues

Every combustion, but also the extract of grease from kit- chens or room exhaust air, creates flammable deposits in exhaust and ventilation sys- tems. Without regular removal of these residues by sweeping or cleaning, they may either ignite and cause fire damage, and in the case of a fire, may spread fire to other floors of the building.

Cleaning a connecting flue pipe via the cleaning opening in the pipe bend 6

Safety inspections technology

Regular inspections of com- bustion and ventilation systems using visual and measurement techniques are necessary in order to be able to permanent- ly guarantee operational and fire safety.

The chimney sweep has de- veloped effective verification techniques to detect and eli- minate hazards of combustion and ventilation systems at an early stage.

Too small distances to combustible components (Picture ARGE ESCHFOE) European Chimney Sweep Federation 7

These dangers include, among others:

● Subsequent changes that could lead to fire hazards (for example too short distances to combustible components) ● Subsequent changes that hinder the supply of air or the removal of combustion gases ● Subsequent changes that do not comply with structural and fire protection requirements ● Contamination or wear on fireplaces, which can lead to fire hazards or the escape of dangerous carbon monoxide (CO) ● Contamination or occlusi- on of flue gas systems, which can hinder the free removal of combustion gases and even lead to backflow into the re- creation room Boiler cleaning before (above) and after (below) ● Hazards due to improper fuel storage or storage of flammab- le or highly flammable materi- als in the vicinity of fireplaces ● Hazards due to non-func- tioning safety devices (sa- fety interlocks of fireplaces and air-extracting equipment, combustion air openings, sa- fety temperature limiters, car- bon monoxide (CO) monitors, smoke detectors, etc.) 8

At the inner inspection Fire following points are protection reviewed: ● Compliance with fire safety outside and requirements within the buil- inside ding ● Storage of flammable mate- In addition to the safety-related rials inspections of furnaces and ventilation systems, regular ● Nature of escape routes inspections inside and outside buildings by chimney sweeps ● Compliance with proper fire are required in various Euro- compartments pean member states. These inspections serve in addition ● Function of fire doors to the preventive fire protec- tion also to ensure access for ● Presence of appropriate and firefighting and emergency ve- verified extinguishing aids hicles in case of fire. ● Presence of fire safety plan, fire book and required escape At the outer inspection route marking chimney sweeps check: ● presence of smoke detec- tors ● Access for emergency ve- (Picture ARGE ESCHFOE) hicles

● Fire water supply

● Storage of combustible ma- terials (lumber storage, LPG storage, oil storage, coal stora- Fire protection ge, straw storage, etc.) consultations

● Assessment of the condition In addition to the regular of the building in terms of fire sweeping and inspection ac- protection (chimney head or tivities of chimney sweeps, fire roof tops, condition of the roof protection consultation is also surface and skylight, fire com- an important element in pre- partment walls, lightning pro- ventive fire protection. Here tection equipment, electrical chimney sweeps can already installations, etc.) participate in the planning pha- se to avoid sources of danger at an early stage. European Chimney Sweep Federation 9

Diverse Competence

Fire protection

Energy consulting Thermography Air quality

Operational safety, Environmental checks Protection 10

Environmental Protection

Against the background that oxide, nitrogen oxides, etc.) at the most efficient and correctly about 40% of the total ener- fireplaces on the basis of le- dimensioned heating system gy consumption is attributed gal limit values in the field of installation. Other useful mea- to the production of heat and environmental protection also sures can also result from an hot water, the activities of Eu- reviews and activities related energy consultation, as well ropean chimney sweeps in the to energy efficiency (monito- as saving opportunities can be field of environmental protec- ring of efficiencies, exhaust, shown. But during the opera- tion and energy conservation radiation and distribution los- tional phase, chimney sweeps are of particular importance. ses, insulation, pump perfor- will also advise on the proper, Also the regularly cleaning of mance and control, hydraulic low-emission and energy-ef- heating appliances, indepen- balancing, energy efficiency ficient operation of fireplaces dent of which fuel is used, be- labeling, etc.). In addition, the and, in the case of solid fuel longs to the main tasks of the chimney sweep industry in Eu- fireplaces, on the choice of a chimney sweep work. rope also provides energy sa- suitable fuel, its correct stora- ving advice in various forms. ge and proper loading. By con- In addition to the monitoring of This can be done in the plan- sulting the chimney sweep, emissions (dust, carbon mon- ning phase in order to achieve operator behavior can be sus- tainably influenced in favor of energy-efficient and low-emis- sion operation of heating sys- tems and fireplaces. European Chimney Sweep Federation 11

Ventilation and room air quality

Another field of activity of Eu- below necessary air changes ropean chimney sweeps con- and thus to moisture damage cerns indoor air quality. Due and mold fungus formation. to a growing number of built- in ventilation and air conditio- By measuring, checking and ning systems, which are inc- cleaning, chimney sweeps reasingly required, especially can also make a valuable con- for energy saving reasons to tribution in the field of room avoid heat loss due to air ex- air quality. In many European change, the room air quality member states (Scandinavia, is also becoming increasingly for example), chimney sweeps important. have been working in this field for a long time, with the neces- Allergies and respiratory di- sary tools and experience to seases can be the result of provide for indoor air quality. inadequate indoor air quality. By this they make a valuable Incorrectly dimensioned venti- contribution to health protec- lation systems or a subsequent tion. increase in building imperme- ability can also lead to a drop 12