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Periodic inspections are one of every employer's obligations. They help to ensure that installations and work equipment are in good condition, and that employees are safe. In this article, you'll find a detailed list of general periodic inspections to be carried out at your company.
What are mandatory periodic inspections in the workplace?
What is a periodic inspection?
In accordance with the French Labour Code, all work equipment and means of protection must be "equipped, installed, used, adjusted and maintained to protect the health and safety of workers"(article L. 4321-1). In addition, workplace installations and technical and safety devices must be "maintained and checked at appropriate intervals" (article R. 4224-17).
As a result of these provisions, employers are required to check all equipment and installations on a regular basis.
In most cases, it is up to the employer to determine the frequency of these checks. This can be done with the help of the manufacturer's instructions, the risk assessment, etc.
Note: the article on occupational risk assessment dates back to 2016. In terms of content, the article is generally accurate, although some changes have been made in line with the 2021 health law (Cf. Article Health law of April 6, 2022), as well as feedback.
Please note: DRT (Direction des Relations du Travail) technical note no. 9, dated August 2, 1995, specifies that the frequency of inspections should never be less than once a year => clearly indicated for work equipment subject to mandatory periodic general inspections. Not all work equipment is subject to mandatory VGP. (Note to be deleted?)
For some equipment and installations, the periodicity is set directly by regulations or best practice (Code du travail, ministerial decrees, APSAD rules, etc.). In this article, you'll find a detailed list of the equipment and installations concerned by these regulatory requirements.
Please note: for ease of reading, this is a detailed, but not exhaustive, list. but not exhaustive. For further information, please do not hesitate to contact our teams directly. You can also consult the brochure ED 828 INRS brochure on periodic inspections in the workplace, or the brochure ED 6339 (specific to lifting machines, equipment and accessories).
While the nature of the check differs according to the type of equipment or installation concerned (inspection, examination, maintenance operation, etc.), the French Labor Code distinguishes two main categories of checks for work equipment:
- commissioning (or re-commissioning) checks ;
- periodic in-service inspection of equipment.
Who is responsible for periodic inspections?
Checks must generally be carried out by qualified personnel, whether or not they belong to the company. The French Labor Code stipulates that these people must be "competent in the field of equipment risk prevention" and familiar with the applicable regulations (Cf. Art. R. 4323-24).
As a result, anyone in the company with both technical and regulatory skills can carry out these checks. However, if the employer chooses to use an external third party, it is up to the employer toassess the third party's qualifications, skills and knowledge.
Note that in certain cases explicitly provided for in the regulations, the intervention of an accredited body may be made compulsory.
Formalizing audit results
Inspection results must be entered in the safety register (s) kept under the responsibility of the site manager. They must be dated, and mention the identity of the person or organization responsible for the verification and the person who carried it out(article D4711-2 of the French Labor Code). Unless otherwise specified, they must be kept for 5 years(article D4711-3 of the French Labor Code).
Audit findings must be formalized in the form of a report.
Note: when checks are carried out by in-house personnel, the findings can be formalized in a maintenance or follow-up logbook.
All these documents must be made available to the Labor Inspectorate and the Social and Economic Committee (CSE).
What periodic inspections must be carried out?
Periodic inspections of mechanical equipment and lifting gear
Periodic inspections of personal protective equipment (PPE)
Periodic inspections of electrical installations
Periodic inspections of fire and explosion-fighting equipment
Periodic inspections of buildings and workplaces
Periodic checks related to personnel exposure
Periodic inspections specific to certain activities and equipment
Lastly, certain equipment and activities, because of the particular risks they present, are subject to more detailed regulations to limit risks.
These include :
- storage and transport of hazardous products (tanks and reservoirs, transport pipes, etc.);
- combustion installations (boilers, etc.);
- cooling towers (TAR);
- activities emitting ionizing radiation;
- activities generating environmental impacts (water and air discharges, noise pollution, etc.). This mainly concerns facilities classified for environmental protection (ICPE);
- equipment containing refrigerants;
- thermodynamic and ventilation systems combined with joule-effect heating;
- pressure equipment.
If this applies to you, please do not hesitate to contact our teams directly for information on the applicable regulations.