Key Takeaways
- Your obligations – Australian Standard AS 1851-2012 outlines a series of minimum inspection, maintenance and record-keeping requirements for kitchen exhaust systems.
- Invalid fire insurance – Your fire insurance policy may be deemed invalid by your insurance company if you fail to comply with your obligations.
- Documentation, Reporting & Certification – Ensure that your cleaner supplies a comprehensive report detailing the cleaning process, areas cleaned, and observations or recommendations. This report can be used for compliance and certification.
You must keep your kitchen exhaust system safe if you are a commercial kitchen operator (cafe, restaurant or fast food business owner), a building owner or a building manager.
This obligation falls under the Work Health & Safety (WHS) regulations and the food safety standards for commercial kitchens. In particular, the Australian Standard AS 1851-2012 outlines a series of minimum inspection, maintenance and record-keeping requirements for kitchen exhaust systems.
In the event of a fire, failure to comply with these may be deemed negligent or a failure of duty. Your fire insurance policy might be deemed invalid by your insurance company if you fail to comply with requirements
The repercussions of an invalid fire insurance policy can be catastrophic for both the business owner and the building owner. As a result, both parties should be playing an active role in ensuring compliance.
Commercial kitchen cleaning companies like Clean Air Filtration Services have well-drilled processes and systems that comply with AS 1851-2012 standards as outlined in our “4-Phase Canopy Cleaning Process” post.
Filter Cleaning vs Canopy & Exhaust Cleaning – Frequency Of Cleaning
The frequency is dependent on the activities within your kitchen. A heavy-use kitchen is considered to be 12-16 hours per day. A moderate-use kitchen is considered to be 6-12 hours per day. While a light-use kitchen is considered to be 2-6 hours per day. Of course, the food you are cooking is also very relevant.
Grease Filters require more regular attention than kitchen canopies and kitchen exhaust systems. Clean Air Filtration Services has clients that use our filter exchange service:
- Once every 4 weeks
- Twice a month
- Once a week
Alternatively, a Canopy & Exhaust can typically require cleaning:
- Once every 12 months (as outlined in AS 1851-2012 as the minimum)
- Once every 6 months
