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The past and the present of purification of chimneys and flues
HÁLA, Pavel
This work endeavours to map the development and actual level of chimney and flue cleaning in the Czech Republic including the appraisal of statutory instruments during the period from 1751 to 2015. The aim is to compare the techniques and methods of chimney cleaning used in the past as well as in the present and their effect on health and enviromental protection and safety. The work is divided into two parts. The theoretical one introduces historical changes of rules defining cleaning of chimneys and combustion tracks in Czech lands in the past. The present technologies are being described as well as conditions of fire safety for functioning of chimneys and flues. This part is also following up checking and revisions of combustion tracks, measuring efficiency of combustion, burning of chimneys, frequency of checking and cleaning of chimneys etc. The following sections pay attention to documents dealing with classification of types of chimneys, technical and safety standards for safe working of combustion tracks and the impact of techniques of cleaning on health and enviromental protection and safety. In the second part of this work the results extracted from the questionnaire survey are presented. The results are devided into three chapters according to the three main areas the survey was focused on. The first chapter compares statutory instruments, prevention, checking and methods of chimney clearing and their effect on health, safety and environment. The second chapter pays attention to the same topics but in present days. In the last chapter the research is based on statistic numbers of fires in the particular periods. For the research the methods of analysis and appraisal of technical books, legal standards and information from internet sources were used. The qualitative research was evaluated by methods of comparison and analysis. By the means of analysis and appraisal of information from relevant literature the methods of cleaning of chimneys in particular periods of existence of chimney sweeping profession were compared. The main research was based on the evaluation of the answers to eleven questions concerning the issues of cleaning chimneys and the impact on health and enviromental protection and safety. The questions were presented to chimney sweepers in the form of an electronic questionnaire which was sent to two hundred persons from the whole area of the Czech Republic by e-mail. From the mentioned number 26 respondents sent their answers back. The results of the questionnaire survey were evaluated by the method of comparison individual opinions of the respondents were compared and after that the summary answers about various aspects related to chimney sweeping profession were made. The aim of this work was to compare the development of methods of chimney cleaning during various periods of existence of chimney sweeping profession and also to appraise the situation in the present days, including statutory instruments. The results of the research should have answered two main questions the first one should have assessed the effect of methods of chimney cleaning used in the present on health and enviromental protection and safety in comparison with the methods used in the past. The answer to the second one should have appraised legislation which deals with issues of chimney cleaning from the point of its comprehensiveness. The research shows that the techniques and methods of cleaning chimneys and flues used in the present guarantee better and higher health and enviromental protection and safety than the methods used in the past. However it is necessary to mention the fact that the number of fires which arise because of the chimney activity is still relatively high. According to the legislation the results show that the actual laws and regulations are sufficient, however in some aspects, especially in education system and professional preparation of chimney sweepers, we can find substantial defects.
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