Post-fire residue sampling and reoccupation risk assessment with a focus on char and soot microscopy — supporting restoration scoping and reoccupation decisions. Extended PAH analysis available where required.
What this means for you
Measured exposure evidence
Data suitable for HSE, insurers and audits.
Independent assessment
Occupational hygiene review of real exposure risk.
Practical control recommendations
Prioritised actions based on risk and operational practicality.
Compliance support
Evidence to support COSHH and internal governance.
Speak with a fire residue specialist
0800 433 7914
sales@sysco-env.co.ukMon–Fri · 08:00–18:00 · Independent advice · Fixed-price scope
Typical response: same working day
What happens next
We attend the secured building, sample affected and adjacent areas, advise on restoration scope and verify clearance once works are complete.
No unnecessary disruption. No generic paperwork. No unnecessary complexity.
Whether exposure is controlled
A clear yes or no, backed by measurement.
Where the highest risks are
Locations, tasks and roles ranked by exposure.
What actions matter most
A prioritised plan you can budget and schedule.
What you get
You need to know what your workforce is exposed to, whether your controls are effective, what actions matter most, and how to demonstrate control confidently.
That is exactly what we deliver.
Microscopic identification of char and soot morphology to determine the extent and nature of combustion residue.
Surface and air sampling across affected and adjacent areas to map deposition and support restoration planning.
Health-based interpretation against insurance and HSE expectations for post-fire reoccupation.
A clear, contractor-ready scope of works for restoration and decontamination.
Why clients call
An auditor is asking
We provide measured fire residue data and a clear technical report that resolves the issue quickly.
Your team is worried
We attend site, quantify workforce exposure and provide clear evidence of current risk levels.
You suspect a problem
We quantify exposure, assess it against current limits and provide a prioritised corrective action plan.
What we answer for you
How we work with you
We listen first — your site, your concerns, your deadline.
We walk the workplace with your team to see exposure as it actually happens.
We sample on the people most at risk, using validated occupational hygiene methods for fire residue.
We assess your existing controls honestly — what's working, what isn't.
You receive a clear technical report suitable for operational, compliance and regulatory readers.
We hand you a prioritised action plan you can budget, schedule and defend.
Typical survey outputs
Client testimony
“Sysco's fire-residue report scoped the restoration cleanly — accepted by our insurer first time.”
— Property manager
UK commercial landlord
Typical environments we assess
Background
Combustion of mixed building materials produces a complex residue dominated by soot and char particles. Our primary expertise is in microscopic identification of these combustion residues, which tells you where the fire reached, how residue travelled, and what type of material burned. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can also be present and extended analysis is available where required.
Tape-lift and wipe sampling of surfaces in fire-affected and adjacent areas, with optional air sampling for residual particulate. Our laboratory analysis centres on transmission and reflectance microscopy for char and soot morphology, with GC/MS for PAH speciation where the extended panel is requested.
Results inform a contractor scope: HEPA vacuum, surface decontamination, source removal, and post-clean clearance sampling. A clearance report supports insurer release and safe reoccupation.
Related services
Common questions
Quick answers to the questions we hear most from operations, HSE and procurement teams.
5:07Most of the fire residue in a property after a fire isn't visible at all. In our Fire Residue series, Sysco Environmental's Technical Director Tomas Gabor explains exactly what fire residue is, what it's made of, and why it needs to be assessed, not just cleaned.
5:07·Watch on YouTube
5:38After a fire, a dark deposit is easy to label as "soot" — but it might not be soot at all, and even genuine soot may not come from the fire being investigated. In Talk 2 of our Fire Residue series, Sysco Environmental's Technical Director Tomas Gabor explains how to correctly distinguish soot, char and ash, and why…
5:38·Watch on YouTube
5:42Fire residue isn't just soiling and odour — depending on what has burned, it can carry chemical contaminants of genuine toxicological significance. In Talk 3 of our Fire Residue series, Sysco Environmental's Technical Director Tomas Gabor breaks down the four main groups of toxic components found in fire residue, and…
5:42·Watch on YouTube
4:54After a fire, the visible damage is obvious — but smoke and combustion particles routinely travel well beyond the seat of the fire, into rooms and contents that look entirely unaffected.
4:54·Watch on YouTube
4:36The most important part of a fire-residue investigation isn't the laboratory analysis — it's the reasoning that determines what gets sampled, where and why. In Talk 5 of our Fire Residue series, Sysco Environmental's Technical Director Tomas Gabor walks through the defined sequence behind a proper investigation, from…
4:36·Watch on YouTube
Speak with a fire residue specialist
Tell us
We will provide
Send us a brief
Outline the sites, tasks and timelines of concern — we'll reply with a clear scope and fixed quotation.
