What Is the Purpose of a Fire Logbook? An Australian Guide to AS 1851 Service Records
A fire logbook records the routine service of fire protection systems and equipment. It helps building owners, managers and future technicians see what was inspected or tested, the results, any defects, and the work recorded afterwards. It provides a service history that is more useful than a note saying a contractor attended the site.
Fire Factory Australia is a leading Australian manufacturer specialising in the design and printing of current, practical fire safety logbooks. Our range gives different fire protection systems their own service schedules and recording fields. Explore our fire safety logbooks.
What information goes in a fire logbook?
The answer depends on the system and the service task. A record can identify the site, system or asset, service date, person carrying out the work, inspection or test, results, measurements, defects and action taken. A fire pumpset record, for example, may need pressure and flow readings; a passive fire record may need an asset number and location. The technician should record the work actually performed and use the schedule that applies to the installed equipment.
What is an AS 1851 logbook?
AS 1851—2012, Routine service of fire protection systems and equipment, sets out routine service requirements for systems within its scope. It covers inspection, testing, preventive maintenance, survey and records. Section 1 contains general requirements, while Sections 2–13 address specific systems. Section 14 addresses emergency planning in facilities. Fire Factory’s AS 1851 logbooks are designed around the applicable system schedules in the 2012 edition incorporating Amendment 1.
AS 1851 is an Australian Standard. Its legal application is determined by the relevant jurisdiction and circumstances of the building. A service provider should also check the building’s fire safety documentation, approved design, applicable maintenance standard and any conditions imposed by the relevant authority. This article is a guide to logbooks, not a determination of a particular building’s legal obligations.
Which AS 1851 section covers my system?
The appropriate book depends on the installed equipment and the applicable service requirements. Some books contain activities from more than one section. Emergency and exit lighting is outside the scope of AS 1851—2012 and has a separate maintenance logbook.
The appropriate book depends on the installed equipment and the applicable service requirements. Some books contain activities from more than one section. Emergency and exit lighting is outside the scope of AS 1851—2012 and has a separate maintenance logbook.
Why use Fire Factory Australia logbooks?
System-specific pages. Pump, sprinkler, detection, passive fire and mechanical services records call for different information. A dedicated layout makes the relevant service activity easier to find and document.
Fields for measurements. Selected books provide spaces for values such as pressure, flow, operating time, voltage, battery readings and pump cut-in / cut-out pressures. The fields depend on the product and the applicable task.
Clear equipment identification. Equipment registers or asset fields in selected books help connect a service result to an individual item. This is useful where a site has many extinguishers, passive fire elements or mechanical plant items.
Defects and follow-up in the same service history. The layouts offer places to record findings, comments, corrective action and completed repairs. The person completing a record should state what actually happened, including work still outstanding.
Practical printed records. Fire Factory designs and prints physical books for on-site use. Some combine closely related systems, including diesel and electric fire pumps or the four equipment groups of delivery hose, hose reels, extinguishers and fire blankets. Compare the full range before choosing a book for a site.
Do fire logbook rules apply the same way across Australia?
AS 1851—2012 is an Australian Standard, but the legal requirements for maintaining fire protection systems and keeping service records should be checked for each building and jurisdiction. Building owners and service providers should confirm the applicable state or territory rules, the building’s approval documents, and the maintenance requirements for its installed systems. Requirements for physical or electronic records and record retention should not be assumed to be the same across Australia.
New South Wales: The NSW Government says that, from 13 February 2026, the applicable essential fire safety measures in new and existing Class 1b and Class 2–9 buildings must be inspected and tested in accordance with AS 1851—2012, or the standard nominated by a relevant Performance Solution. Its building owner guidance says owners must keep prescribed records for at least seven years and make them available for inspection. That guidance also says a hard-copy logbook must be left on site after AS 1851 testing and an electronic register does not currently replace it. These are NSW-specific statements.
How often should the logbook be updated?
Record the applicable routine service when it is performed. AS 1851 schedules differ by system and activity: they may include monthly, three-monthly, six-monthly, yearly or longer intervals. A printed book does not establish the frequency for every item in a building. Check the relevant schedule and the building’s particular maintenance requirements.
What should happen when a defect is found?
The record should identify the affected item, describe the finding and test result, and document any corrective action and its outcome. The applicable standard, contract and law govern how defects are reported and addressed. A logbook helps preserve the facts; it does not replace necessary notification, repair or other action.
Frequently asked questions
Is a fire logbook legally required everywhere in Australia?
Requirements vary. Check the rules of the state or territory, the building’s approval and its fire safety documentation. NSW publishes specific current guidance on an on-site hard-copy logbook for applicable AS 1851 testing; do not assume its wording applies in every other jurisdiction.
Can digital records replace a paper fire logbook?
This depends on the applicable jurisdiction and record requirement. In NSW, the government currently says an electronic register does not replace the hard-copy logbook left on site after AS 1851 testing. Check the current local rules elsewhere before relying on digital-only records.
How long should fire service records be kept?
Check the applicable law and the type of record. NSW specifies at least seven years for the prescribed AS 1851 records. This article does not assign that retention period to every Australian jurisdiction.
Do I need one book for each system?
Not necessarily. Some Fire Factory logbooks combine related equipment. Check the installed systems and the book’s actual service schedules; a site may need several books to cover its equipment.
Does buying an AS 1851 logbook make a building compliant?
No. A book helps document the work. Compliance depends on the applicable legal and design requirements, the service actually performed, system results, defects and follow-up, competent personnel and properly completed records.
Find the right logbook
Identify the fire protection systems installed at the site, confirm the applicable service requirements, and select a book with the relevant schedules and enough space for its results. Browse Fire Factory Australia’s logbooks.