esv.vic.gov.au
ESV Zero
Tolerance
strategy Type B gas appliance
audits begin
By Paul Harris,
Head of Gas Operations By Paul Harris, Head of Gas Operations
Char grills-clearances
to grease filters. ESV has begun random audits of approved
Type B appliance installations that have
been in service for over three years.
As a result of recent inspection activity,
Energy Safe Victoria has identified
repeated installation non-compliance.
The identified non-compliance involves
commercial kitchens and the clearances
between grease filters and char grills.
The minimum required clearance is
currently 1350 millimetres.
AS/NZS 5601.1:2013 [Amendment
4] Clause 6.10.2.2, Additional
Requirements for Installation of Specific
Gas Appliances, Commercial Catering
Equipment – Clearances to a Grease
Filter states that:
The clearance between any part of
a grease filter and the nearest part of
the cooking surface or trivet shall not
be less than the clearance specified
in Table 6.9.
ESV has now added the minimum
clearance between grease filters and
char grills to its list of zero tolerance fault
items.
As of the date of this notification, please
be advised that gas installations that
fail to meet the minimum clearance
prescribed by the Australian Standard
will be escalated to ESV Investigations
and will receive an Infringement Notice
incurring 4 penalty units for an individual
or 20 penalty units for a company.
Watch ESV's guide to the
Australian Standards for the
Installation of Commercial
Kitchens and Appliances at
www.esv.vic.gov.au/commercial-
kitchen-gas-installation-guide
By Paul Harris, Head of Gas Operations
The purpose of these audits is
to ensure that the owner of the
appliance is fulfilling their obligations
under section 30 of the Victorian
Gas Safety (Gas Installation)
Regulations 2018.
Section 35 outlines the
responsibilities of the owner to
maintain the appliance in a safe
condition and a proper state of
repair, and to retain maintenance,
repair and modification records for
a period of at least three years.
Section 30 outlines the following.
Duty to keep complex gas
installation in a proper state of
repair
A person who is the owner of
a complex gas installation must-
a) keep the installation safe and
in a proper state of repair; and
b) keep any Type B appliance
contained in the complex gas
installation in a safe condition
and in a proper state of repair;
and
During the site visit, ESV will carry out
a visual inspection of the appliance
and conduct an examination of the
owner’s maintenance records to
determine their compliance with
the regulations. It is estimated that
site visits will take around an hour
to complete, and the owner will be
given sufficient lead time to prepare
their records for presentation to
ESV at the time of the visit.
On completion of the audit, the
owner or operator will be given a
written report outlining the outcome
of the audit and any further action
that may be required.
The regulations state that Type B gas
practitioners are required to provide
their customers with a detailed report
whenever any service, maintenance
or repair is carried out on the
appliance. This requirement extends
to any work which is not invoiced to
the customer (for example warranty
repairs).
c) keep records relating to
the service, maintenance,
repair and modification of the
complex gas installation and
any Type B appliance contained
in the complex gas installation
for a period of three years
after the relevant service,
maintenance, repair or
If you have any questions in
modification.
Extract from Victorian
Gas Safety (Gas Installation)
Regulations 2018
relation to these audits, regula-
tions or the audit process, con-
tact our Gas Technical Helpline
on 1800 652 563.
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