Viškovo establishes municipal chimney sweeping service amid labor shortage

The Municipality of Viškovo has established its own chimney sweeping service to combat a chronic shortage of qualified workers in Croatia, particularly in the Kvarner region. After multiple failed public tenders failed to attract a private concessionaire, the municipality founded its own service through Komunalno društvo Viškovo.

Currently, the service operates with a single chimney sweep, Siniša Crnković, who manages a high volume of requests. The service provides inspections and cleaning using specialized equipment to detect invisible damage, aiming to prevent carbon monoxide buildup and fires. In its first year of operation, the service has inspected and cleaned approximately 800 chimneys, providing official reports to all users.