Testing work equipment

Work equipment should not be dangerous to work with for your employees. If you have a company in the Netherlands that uses tools, machines, and installations, you must maintain these regularly and have them inspected on a regular basis.

Maintenance of work equipment

Work equipment must always be in their original and good condition. You must therefore ensure good maintenance. Often the manufacturer’s user manual describes how to do this. You must also keep records of the maintenance, for example in a maintenance log. You can use this log to show the Netherlands Labour Authority that the maintenance of your work equipment is in order.

Inspection of work equipment

There are 2 types of inspection:

• Inspection before first use (after installation): you check if you have installed the work equipment properly and if it works safely and well. Do you dismantle the work equipment or do you install it in another place? You perform an inspection before first use again. This is required when safety depends on the way in which the items have been installed
• Periodic inspection: this is required when the use or outside influences can lead to wear and tear, ageing or damage. You decide yourself how often this is necessary. It depends on the equipment and how often you use it.

Who tests work equipment?

You decide who will carry out the inspection. The inspection must be carried out by an expert or institution. For example:

• an independent inspection/testing company
• the supplier's maintenance service
• your own technical service depertment

Some types of work equipment (in Dutch), for example mobile cranes, pressure equipment, or containers, must be inspected by a certification body.

Proof of inspection

You must have proof of the inspection or test. For instance, a sticker or other written proof which shows the date of the last and next inspection. With this you can show the Netherlands Labour Authority that you comply with the inspection duty.