If you own or manage a building in Australia, the fire protection systems inside it aren’t a “set and forget” investment. Extinguishers lose pressure, alarms drift out of calibration, and hose reels seize and when a fire starts is the worst possible time to find out. That’s the entire reason AS1851 exists: it’s the Australian Standard that sets out how often, and to what level, your fire safety equipment must be inspected, tested and maintained.
Below we breakdown what AS1851 covers, how often each type of equipment needs servicing, who’s allowed to do it, and what happens if your building falls out of compliance, in plain English.
AS1851 is an Australian Standard developed to standardise the maintenance, testing and inspection requirements for the many different types of fire suppression and fire detection systems found in buildings. The current edition is AS1851–2012 (incorporating Amendment 1), and it remains the reference document used by fire technicians and building owners across the country.
Because it covers such a wide range of equipment, many building owners and operators keep a copy of AS1851–2012 on hand to read alongside their fire equipment maintenance schedule. In Australia, each state and territory enacts AS1851 through its own building and essential-safety legislation, which is what makes routine servicing a legal obligation rather than just best practice. You can buy the full standard from Standards Australia, and we’ve covered the broader picture in our guide to Australian fire safety standards.
AS1851 sets routine service requirements for a broad range of essential safety measures(ESMs), including:
This is the question building managers ask most. Under AS1851–2012, most equipment follows a layered schedule of frequent light checks plus deeper periodic services. The table below shows the typical routine service intervals for common equipment. Exact tasks at each interval are defined item-by-item in the standard, so always confirm your building’s specific schedule with a licensed technician.
Intervals are indicative of AS1851–2012routine servicing. Emergency and exit lighting is serviced under AS2293, notAS1851 (see below). Confirm exact tasks and frequencies with your fire safety technician.
Section 1 ofAS1851–2012 frames routine servicing as a four-stage approach. Every compliant service visit works through these stages:
A physical, visual check of all fire equipment and systems to detect obvious faults, damage or missing components that could stop an ESM working in an emergency.
A technical inspection that involves controlled testing of all fire equipment and fire protection systems found on-site. These tests are vital to ensuring that all installed ESMs are operating correctly and can also be safely handled by personnel or building occupants in the event of a fire-related emergency.
Carrying out routine maintenance and servicing requirements for all ESMs installed on the worksite or premises. This stage helps to ensure that all tested equipment can continue to perform at a standard that complies with AS1851.
Completing the maintenance logbook for every item and collating your essential safety measures reports. This is also where your annual fire safety statement (AFSS) comes from. Without accurate records, you can’t demonstrate compliance even if the physical work was done.
AS1851 requires routine service to be performed by a “competent person” , someone who holds the relevant licensing, qualifications, experience and capability to inspect, test, maintain and report on the equipment. In practice, that means an accredited fire protection technician, not a general handyperson or in-house staff member. Using an unqualified person can itself be a form of non-compliance, even if the work looks complete, because the records won’t stand up.
AS1851 gives a generalist maintenance framework, so a couple of things sit outside it:
Because states set their own penalties, the consequences of non-compliance range from fines and legal liability through to prison sentences in cases of gross negligence. The reasoning is simple: non-compliance can lead to injury, property damage or loss of life if equipment fails in a real fire. If you’re found non-compliant, the priority is to rectify any critical defects and non-conformances quickly and book an emergency testing and maintenance visit with a licensed technician.
A few terms come up repeatedly in AS1851 records and reports. Knowing them makes yourlogbooks far easier to read:
Yes.AS1851–2012 (with Amendment 1) is the current edition and the reference used for routine servicing of fire protection systems in Australia.
Most equipment follows a layered schedule of frequent light checks plus deeper periodic services: commonly six-monthly, yearly and five-yearly. For example, portablefire extinguishers are serviced six-monthly, yearly and five-yearly by alicensed technician.
Only a “competent person”, an accredited fire protection technician with the rightlicensing, qualifications and experience. Using an unqualified person can leaveyou non-compliant even if the work appears done.
They refer to the same standard “AS1851” is the standard, and “2012” is the current edition/year. When people say AS1851 today, they mean AS1851–2012.
Effectively, yes. Each state and territory enacts AS1851 through its own legislation, so routine servicing to AS1851 is a legal obligation for building owners, not just best practice.
Keeping track of inspection, testing and maintenance timelines across every piece of fire equipment in a building is agenuine job — and that’s exactly what we do. With over 20 years’ experience and Uptick digital reporting, Alexon keeps your fire safety systems compliant and your records audit-ready across Melbourne and Victoria. To book your next fire equipment testing or maintenance visit, contact our team or call 1300 001 004.
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