New accreditation requirements for plumbers undertaking the routine servicing of fire protection equipment.

Changes to the Plumbing Regulations 2018 clarified that the routine servicing of fire protection equipment is considered plumbing work and must be carried out by an appropriately qualified plumbing practitioner. In response, the VBA has introduced four new restricted classes which practitioners must be registered or licensed under to perform this work.
Anyone performing routine servicing of fire protection equipment must be registered or licensed with the VBA by 31 December 2020. Unregistered or unlicensed practitioners carrying out this work after this date will be liable to VBA enforcement action. 

Overview of the new restricted classes
The new restricted classes for this work provide a pathway to help people working in this field who are currently unregistered or unlicensed. There are two ongoing restricted classes and two transitional restricted classes.
Ongoing restricted classes:

  • Fire Protection restricted to the routine servicing of fire hose reels 
  • Fire Protection restricted to the routine servicing of unpumped hydrants and valves

Transitional restricted classes:

  • Fire Protection restricted to the routine servicing of pumped hydrants and valves
  • Fire Protection restricted to the routine servicing of fire sprinkler systems

​People who gain registration or a licence in either of the transitional classes will be eligible to work until 31 July 2021. To continue carrying out work in this area after this date, they will need to be enrolled in or have completed a Certificate III in Fire Protection. The Certificate III needs to be completed by 31 December 2025.
Why the clarification of the plumbing regulations is important


The routine servicing of fire equipment is important work that keeps Victorians safe in their homes and workplaces.
Accreditation extends the VBA’s regulatory oversight to this vital area of public safety and allows us to more effectively audit this work. The VBA will be able to take appropriate disciplinary action against registered or licensed practitioners who are found to have not serviced fire protection equipment properly, and have therefore placed building occupants and the building at risk. We will also be able to take action against people who are unlawfully carrying out this work when unregistered or unlicensed.
A random selection of completed routine service work will be audited, and non-compliance will be dealt with under the VBA’s Compliance and Enforcement Policy.
What this means for people working in this field


If you carry out the routine servicing of fire protection equipment and want to continue doing that work, you now need to apply for registration or a licence in a relevant restricted class. You need to obtain the new restricted registration or licence by 31 December 2020.

You do not need to apply for one of the new routine servicing restricted classes if you already hold accreditation in the classes of:​

  • Fire Protection
  • Fire Protection restricted to the routine servicing of hydrants and hose reels; or
  • Fire Protection restricted to the routine servicing of residential and domestic fire sprinkler systems.

You can continue to undertake routine servicing on the equipment types specified for your restricted class.

For information on applying for the new restricted classes see 

Fire protection: restricted classes

If you require any further information, please contact VBA Customer Service at 

customerservice (at) vba.vic.gov.au

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