Inspection interval

In Germany, section 3 of the Industrial Safety Regulation (BetrSichV) requires the employer to determine the type, scope and intervals of the necessary inspections in the risk assessment. The inspection interval is therefore a decision by the operator – reasoned, documented and open to review.

The interval must be such that the equipment can be used safely until the next inspection. That defines what goes into the decision: how heavily the equipment is loaded, the environment it works in and what previous inspections have found.

The German accident prevention regulations for cranes (DGUV Regulation 52) and for winches, hoisting and traction equipment (DGUV Regulation 54) require the periodic inspection as needed, but at least once a year. The interval may not exceed one year.

For a hoist running a single shift in a clean assembly hall, one year is usually appropriate. The reasoning, however, belongs in the risk assessment – “once a year because everyone does it” is not a reason.

Shorter intervals are called for when wear progresses faster than an annual rhythm can detect, or when failure would have particularly serious consequences.

The inspection establishes the condition and assesses it. It lubricates nothing, adjusts nothing and replaces nothing. The service interval is a second, separate decision based on operating hours and environment, and it is often shorter than the inspection interval.

Besides the periodic inspection there are occasions without a calendar: after a repair that affects safety, after a modification that requires inspection, and after exceptional events such as an overload or a collision. In those cases the equipment is inspected before it works again.