Compliance
AS 1851, AS 1668, insurance conditions and lease terms can all affect your kitchen exhaust maintenance. Here is a plain-English overview of how they fit together and the records worth keeping.
· 6 min read
Compliance
Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Requirements in Victoria
Victorian kitchen operators often ask what the law actually requires. Here is how essential safety measures, AS 1851, the National Construction Code and food safety rules fit together.
By Apex Commercial Exhaust · · 7 min read
Key takeaways
- In Victoria, building owners must maintain the essential safety measures listed for their building, usually in the occupancy permit or maintenance determination.
- AS 1851 is the Australian Standard for routine servicing of fire protection systems and equipment.
- The National Construction Code and AS 1668 cover how kitchen exhaust is designed and installed, not a cleaning schedule.
- Food Standard 3.2.3 requires ventilation that effectively removes fumes, smoke, steam and vapours.
- Leases and insurance policies can add their own cleaning and record-keeping conditions.
“What are we legally required to do?” is a fair question for any Melbourne restaurant, café or facility manager. There is no single rule that sets one cleaning interval for every kitchen. Instead, several layers of obligations can apply. This guide explains each layer in plain English. It is general information, not legal advice.
1. Essential safety measures (building owners)
Under the Victorian Building Regulations 2018, essential safety measures (ESMs) are building features that protect occupants in an emergency. Councils such as the City of Monash explain that it is the building owner’s responsibility to keep applicable ESMs working, and that owners must prepare an Annual Essential Safety Measures Report. For buildings constructed after 1 July 1994, the applicable measures are usually listed in the maintenance schedule attached to the occupancy permit.
Whether a kitchen exhaust system is listed, and at what level of performance, depends on your building. Check the occupancy permit or maintenance determination, or ask your building surveyor.
2. AS 1851 routine servicing
AS 1851 is the Australian Standard for the routine service of fire protection systems and equipment. The Australian Government’s business licence service (ABLIS) lists it as applying in Victoria, and the Victorian Building Authority has advised that owners and contractors should check their occupancy permit or maintenance determination for the required level of performance before adopting a newer version.
Read how AS 1851 relates to kitchen exhaust
AS 1851 includes provisions relevant to certain kitchen exhaust inspection and maintenance activities. How it applies depends on the edition referenced for your building and the system installed. Industry bodies such as AIRAH’s Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Special Technical Group describe installation as covered by AS 1668 and maintenance by AS 1851.
3. Design and installation: NCC and AS 1668
The National Construction Code (NCC) clause F6D12 deals with kitchen local exhaust ventilation. The ABCB’s guide explains that its purpose includes limiting grease build-up that creates health and fire risks, and that the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions require exhaust hoods to comply with AS 1668.1 and AS 1668.2. These rules govern how systems are designed and installed. They are not a cleaning schedule.
4. Food safety: Standard 3.2.3
Food Standards Code Standard 3.2.3 Food Premises and Equipment requires food premises to have sufficient natural or mechanical ventilation to effectively remove fumes, smoke, steam and vapours. Premises, fixtures, fittings and equipment must also be able to be effectively cleaned. Local council environmental health officers enforce food safety in Victoria.
5. Leases and insurance
Your lease may set who maintains the exhaust system and who pays. Insurance policies can include conditions about inspection, cleaning frequency and records. Confirm both directly with your landlord, lawyer, insurer or broker.
What this means in practice
- Find your obligations: occupancy permit or maintenance determination, lease, and insurance policy.
- Set an inspection-led cleaning schedule for filters, canopy, ducts and fan.
- Keep records: dates, scope, before-and-after photos and any inaccessible areas.
- Use a specialist: within the agreed scope, Apex cleans all accessible and reachable areas of your kitchen exhaust system and documents the work.
A cleaning service and its report support maintenance and record keeping. They do not, by themselves, provide formal fire safety certification or establish full regulatory compliance.
Frequently asked questions
Is kitchen exhaust cleaning a legal requirement in Victoria?
Obligations can come from essential safety measures listed for your building, applicable Australian Standards, food safety rules, your lease and your insurance policy. What applies depends on your building and business.
Who checks essential safety measures in Victoria?
Building owners must maintain them and prepare annual reports. Councils and fire authorities can inspect buildings and take enforcement action.
Does the National Construction Code set a cleaning interval?
No. NCC clause F6D12 deals with kitchen exhaust design and installation. Maintenance is a separate matter.
References & further reading
Government, regulator and Standards sources mentioned in this guide (links checked November 2026; requirements can change, so check the current version):
- Victorian Legislation, Building Regulations 2018 (Vic), Part 15: Maintenance of essential safety measures
- Building and Plumbing Commission, Victoria (formerly the Victorian Building Authority), Essential safety measures (building owner guide)
- City of Monash (Victorian local council), Essential Safety Measures
- Victorian Building Authority (now the Building and Plumbing Commission), Amendment to AS 1851 Routine service of fire protection systems and equipment
- Australian Business Licence and Information Service (ABLIS), Australian Government, Australian Standard AS 1851-2012 Routine Service of Fire Protection Systems and Equipment – Victoria
- Standards Australia, AS 1851-2012 Routine service of fire protection systems and equipment
- Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), NCC guide: F6D12 Kitchen local exhaust ventilation
- Standards Australia, AS 1668.1-2015 The use of ventilation and air conditioning in buildings, Part 1: Fire and smoke control in buildings
- Standards Australia, AS 1668.2-2024 The use of ventilation and air conditioning in buildings, Part 2: Mechanical ventilation in buildings
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand, via the Federal Register of Legislation, Standard 3.2.3 Food Premises and Equipment (Australia only)
Need help with your kitchen exhaust? Apex Commercial Exhaust cleans canopies, exhaust ducts, rooftop fans and grease filters for commercial kitchens across Melbourne and Victoria.
This article is general information only and is not legal, insurance or compliance advice. Requirements for your kitchen depend on your system, building and obligations.
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